The Handmaid’s Tale S6/E06 – Unpacking June’s reluctant ally and the betrayal from Nick.

 

The Handmaid’s Tale is heating up this May, and it is not even summer yet. Episode 06 “Surprise” slaps us right in the face with June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss) and Moira Strand’s (Samira Wiley) trunk predicament. The episode picks up right where we last left off, with Joseph Lawrence (Bradley Whitford) dropping them off pretty much in the middle of nowhere.

 

JUNE AND LAWRENCE’S SQUABBLING IS GETTING OLD.

 

June and I have a love-and-hate relationship. Every once in a blue moon, I’ll get annoyed by her, only to be swept right back into her stubbornness and fire. However, when Lawrence brings up the death of his wife (which is murder via June since she didn’t DO anything to stop her from overdosing), it is extremely warranted.

 

LAWRENCE ULTIMATELY BLAMES HIMSELF.

 

Another side of that coin is that Lawrence also knows that he has created this big mess, dear ole Ellie would never forgive him for it. He finally confesses this, but it’s a blink and you will miss it moment.

 

While June admits she can’t take it back, I’m still annoyed by her superiority complex that she feels like she can just walk in front of a moving car because she is special. And I also don’t get how she is cool with cheating on her husband, Luke, because of her forbidden romance with baby daddy, Nick.

 

She just quite frankly annoys the hell out of me this season.

 

MOIRA TRIES TO STOP JUNE FROM GIVING UP THE PLAN.

 

Moira has also been walking a fine line between being too much and not enough. Too much, meaning she seems to squabble with June’s bad choices, and not enough, meaning that she needs to be on the screen longer. It’s almost like bits and pieces in each episode, and I have to sit through the June and Nick show. As much as I love them, as much as I love Nick–it is just a huge love triangle and a mess.

 

WHY DID LAWRENCE EVEN CREATE THIS SHIT SHOW?

 

With such a multi-faceted and sympathetic character like Lawrence, it’s really hard to believe that he was pretty much the puppet master of this entire civilization. How could someone who seems so cultured and cares so much for what is left of his family have an idea to make a sexist and cruel place like Gilead?

 

LIVING IN THE PAST IN AN APOCALYPTIC AMERICA. OLD TIMES ARE BROUGHT BACK.

He could have just come up with his New Bethlehem idea much sooner, and stopped forcing women into the medieval times. Stealing people’s children? Forcing young women into a barbaric and disturbing rape ritual to give childless couples, children.

 

SIDE BY SIDE ON THE WALL.

As we learned, the commanders are being dicks yet again and see Lawrence as that he is squandering all of his power. They agree while being perverted, aggressive, weirdos in the brothel, to put him on the wall of hanging bodies.

 

LAWRENCE’S RIDICULOUS MARRIAGE.

 

While hiding June and Moira away in the basement, Mrs. Lawrence (who reminds me so much of Coco from AHS), comes down the stairs and starts talking about how they should redecorate it down there and asks what he is doing. Lawrence spins nonsense and lies, and says he agrees, and she goes back to bed.

Crisis averted.

 

MEANWHILE, NICK IS FORCED TO MAKE A DISTURBING DECISION.

 

To prevent himself from being exposed, Nick has no choice but to put down the poor Eye soldier whom he severely injured, even though he is just a kid, and his mother spoke to Nick about having a family and a little brother. This one almost felt gross because of his age and the memory loss.

 

It seems like he had some type of brain damage last episode as he was talking about finding his dog.

While I understand this was necessary to do, I still feel like Nick is just off the rails right now.

 

TWO REGULARS, ONE NICK IN A BROTHEL.

Creepy McCreepster is all over Janine, and unfortunately, he spots Nick in the brothel and immediately blabs to Wharton. Nick is running out of lies, though he does have a proper poker face. It’s starting to all catch up with him. While I am in no hurry for him to get caught anytime soon, it does seem a little far-fetched that these people wouldn’t catch on to him sneaking around much earlier.

Wharton, of course, is already starting to see it–but there has been plenty of time to expose him.

 

WHARTON AND HIS TWO-FACED FACADE TO SERENA.

 

As much as Wharton is a slime ball, I am surprised he decided to sink this low. I thought he had some class, but it looks like it was just all a facade. Smoke and mirrors as usual. So putting Lawrence on the wall brings all of their new progress to a standstill. He will be in major trouble with his new fiancée, Serena, who treasures journaling and wearing modern clothes.

 

JANINE, WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?

 

And quite frankly, I’ve had it with the whole storyline where someone wants their baby back because some dumb random noble family adopted them and is ready to train them to be monsters just like them. We have that storyline with Janine Lindo (Madeline Brewer) and her also flip-flopping Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd).

 

 

And now, because Nick was forced to spill the beans about the planned escape of the girls (and the murder of the Commanders) to Wharton, the brothel has been shut down. So, where does that leave Janine? Where are the other girls going to go?

 

While we assume they are going to the fertility clinic, we don’t really know what the hell is happening to them.

 

I have always absolutely adored Aunt Lydia, and I’m so glad she is stepping back into her maternal roots with the girls. I do hate that she smacked Janine, but I like how she is trying so hard to advocate for the women amongst a sleazeball pool of entitled men. She really is trying to make amends, and her morals are higher than worshipping the commanders.

 

THE DOMINOES START TO FALL WITH WHARTON AND NICK.

 

After meeting with June, Nick instructs her to avoid the rain in his vehicle but to go to Serena’s if he’s more than a few minutes late to avoid being spotted.

 

Back from his Washington trip early, Wharton suspects that Nick is losing his way within the Eyes. While his lying is airtight, Nick is starting to unravel, and his excuses are getting poorer by the minute. Wharton knows that the last time Nick visited the kid, he mysteriously ended up dead.

 

Then he visited The Brothel, which was posed as a question of whether he cheated on his wife, Rose, or not. Rose, as spirited and intelligent as she is, is yet another random chess piece in Nick’s love triangle. At this point, I almost wish Luke and Rose would get together because of how ridiculous this entire thing is.

Wharton buys it, but he knows Nick is slipping. He manipulates Nick into telling him about the brothel’s escape within a week.

With no end of the conversation in sight, June leaves for Serena’s in the pouring rain.

 

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH SERENA AND HER BIPOLAR MORALS?

 

It just feels out of character more than anything. Even though Bradley plays the role with heart and a comedic snark that this show heavily needs amongst all the weird sexual Commander’s and their general misogyny. It is difficult to watch Commander Wharton pursue the ever naive Serena Joy (widowed, Waterford, Yvonne Strahovski), who seems to flip-flop between being a decent, intelligent person, to lusting for power and notoriety.

 

It’s infuriating. Especially how she was treated before with her son and forced to give him up, and only nurse him. Perhaps it’s payback for all of the times she was so horrible to everyone else.

 

TEAM SERENA OVER JUNE.

 

Granted, I’ve always loved Serena. She’s different. She always seemed like someone in the wrong place at the wrong time, but there are quite a lot of horrible things she brought on June and anyone else, and also horrible things she endured herself.

I feel like her marriage is going to be for power only; there is no love there. It is a transaction, a trade of sorts. But she is also being utterly ridiculous by digging her own grave.

 

RITA RETURNS. SHE HAS BEEN REUNITED WITH HER FAMILY.

With a desperate greeting, Rita and June once again reunite, thanks to Serena’s doing. June is trying to get everyone wrapped up in Mayday, which Rita politely declines in favor of staying with her sister.

 

THE CLOSET AND THE BETRAYAL.

 

Wharton makes a surprise visit to Serena’s, which leaves Nick and June hiding in a closet. Unfortunately, he lets Serena know that Nick spilled the beans on the girls’ escape. June looks on, stuck in the darkened space, sadly. Where is this going to get them? I have no idea. I wish she would pick one man or the other.

 

WHAT WE LEARNED.

• This love triangle has to GO.
• Serena, choose your freedom. You’re already in a mess.
• Nick, make an actual plan because you’re failing.
• June, please, PLEASE stop playing the special card. You’re not.
• Janine, take Lydia’s help. Eat the cookie. She’s trying. You’re kind of being bratty.
• Wharton, please. Just go away.
• Rose, you deserve better, girl!
• Commanders, get over yourselves.
• Lawrence, CONTINUE TO EXIST, PLEASE. Your sarcasm gets me through.
• Moira, stop getting mad at June 24/7, even if she deserves it. it. More screen time, please!

This show is absolutely amazing, everyone knocks it out of the park, but there are a lot of repeated plot points and odd characterization within the writing.

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About the author: Katie Harden is a professionally repped New York-based/bi-coastal musical theater, entertainment journalist, and indie film actress. She is proudly part of the Actor’s Equity Association/SAG-E and frequently interviews colleagues, friends, and celebrities, along with reviewing television and movies. Find her at the bottom of a can of Arizona sweet tea or in the ocean!

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