'The Handmaid's Tale' season 3 sees Serena and Fred rebuild their relationship and future in Washington DC, where does that leave baby Nichole?
'The Handmaid's Tale' season 3 episode 7 dealt with multiple storylines and that included Serena Joy's (Yvonne Strahovski) strong desire to build a home where she could see her daughter Nichole grow up. It is visible in the way she strolls through a house that once belonged to a happy family. As she comes across a cradle, the yearning she has for her baby is palpable and that is probably what drove her to team up with her husband in the first place.
However, in recent episodes, it has become clear both Serena and Fred Waterford (Joseph Fiennes) are ready to give their life together, a second shot. They step out on a date, Fred promises to bring Nichole back home, despite it being politically expedient to leave her in Canada. Serena is not easy to deceive, and that is why she is able to address the elephant in the room with ease when she asks Fred about the political significance of Nichole.
Fred's promise to bring her back no matter what, reignites her trust in him. It happens in steps, beginning with how she tells him about wanting to build a new home, confiding in him about her thoughts and the last step is at a place where the other wives are discussing how their husbands get credit for all their work. She looks at him while the other wives are discussing their husbands in jest, of course, because anything else would not be acceptable in Gilead.
She feels a desire for the husband who chopped her finger off as punishment. Also, this is the first episode in a while where we are not reminded of Fred's past transgressions which allude to how Serena may actually be moving forward in life after all.
The two then dance together and it begins as a lovely waltz and moves into tango and the high commanders in DC and their wives have looks of clear discomfort. After all, tango is too sexual, unacceptable according to Gilead's standards. As the music comes to a stop, Fred and Serena come to their senses and look around.
Fred might be a tad bit uncomfortable, but Serena looks satisfied. Is this an indication of who has the upper hand in their relationship? It is highly possible, considering how Fred felt in Serena's absence. This will also have a clear impact on the resistance (if it were to happen anytime soon).
Take, for instance, the gravity of Nichole's situation. If Fred and Serena agree to keep Nichole in Canada, it will help him reach the top rung of commanders in DC. However, this would mean Nichole would be used by Gilead to bring Canada to curb and as a result, this would affect Canada's policies about a refugee from Gilead's being deported.
This is something Moira and Emily are fighting against in Canada. If Fred kept his promise and was to bring Nichole back to Gilead, he wouldn't continue to be in the good books of Commander George Winslow (Christopher Meloni). Serena too might become a pariah in the wives' social circles. After getting accustomed to being welcomed as one of them, will she be fine with giving it all up for Nichole? This will also put an end to her search for power in Gilead. We will have to see which path the two will decide to take.