The Handmaids Tale
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That was what Handmaids were for.
Like all great purveyors of internalized misogyny, Serena never reckoned with her own hypocrisy.
But thats a question for the likes of Phyllis Schlafly or Justice Amy Coney Barrett.
Hello again girls, gentlemen, gender traitors, unwomen, and any and all other Gilead misfits.
It is the June-Delivers-Serenas-Baby episode.
And anyway, who would she prefer?
A womans work is never done, forreal.
Are you in fucking labor?
she demands of Serena, who is still shakily pointing a gun at her.
Has your water broken?
How far apart are your contractions?
Serena only groans and says she cant go to a hospital because theyll find me there.
She thinks June is trying to murder her son, which is not that unreasonable a fear.
In between deep breaths, Serena and June are also sharing moments of connection in flashbacks.
Their relationship didnt start out wholly hostile, apparently.
Serena catches Junes glance and rolls her eyes in acknowledgement of their shared understanding that this is nonsense.
The jokes end when the delivery has complications.
June notices and pauses to shake her head sadly Ofclarence didnt survive.
Serena names him Noah, after the savior of humanity.
June asks if it was worth it.
Serena answers honestly that, at this moment, yes, it is.
But June seems to get that.
As long as were being honest, why didnt June kill Serena when she had the chance?
Why Fred and not me?
June says she didnt want to.
How Noah turns out, she warns, depends on what Serena teaches him is his to take.
After a few hours of rest and lactation, its time to go.
Serena is now very much a woman without a country.
She cant go back to Gilead for obvious reasons.
But she doesnt want to go to Canada, either, for fear of the Wheelers finding her.
As Handmaids do, she tries to give June her baby.
And she makes some solid arguments.
She knows Noah would be safe with June, for one.
Her pitch goes slightly downhill, though, when she starts comparing June to an avenging angel.
One: June is a person, not an angel with a sword.
Two: June obviously isnt going to just let Serena die.
She has had so many opportunities!
June is incapable of letting Serena die.
So she starts speaking Serena: Look at your baby.
You are the only person in the whole world that he knows.
You are the only familiar smell.
You are the only voice he recognizes.
Babies are not stray puppies, ya know.
That is Gods will.
They go back to Canada and get Serena into the hospital.
Hes arranged for Serena to get detained by immigration while child protection takes her baby.
Other Gileadditions:
Serenas line to June, Its like Im their Handmaid.
Because thats definitely where this is going, right?
