'The Handmaid's Tale' Season 4 Episode 6: Will Luke forgive June for returning without Hannah to Canada?
Spoilers for 'The Handmaid's Tale' Season 4 Episode 6
Since the first season, whenever June Osborne (Elizabeth Moss) had the opportunity to escape the horrors of Gilead, one person held her back. Her daughter Hannah. From a child to a teenager, Hannah has now grown up over the years as June served different commanders. She doesn't seem to recognize her own mother anymore. Commander Lawrence and Commander Blaine also used Hannah to get information from her.
Yet, when the bombs rained down in Chicago and June lost her only companion Janine (Madeline Brewer) to the chaos that ensued, she momentarily lost her sense of reasoning. She couldn't for quite some time even believe that it was in fact Moira (Samira Wiley) who stood in front of her. In fact, she kept saying that they needed to find Janine. When Moira's team lead tells her they need to pack up and return to Canada if they ever wanted to come back, Moira convinces June to return to Canada with her.
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Moira begs, pleads and manipulates June into believing that it would be easier to fight for Hannah were they to get some help from the Canadian and whatever is left of the US Government. However, one recurring thought that June has throughout their sail to the Canadian waters is what her husband Luke (OT Fagbenle) would say. She birthed a daughter who was not his, but he continues to care for Nicole as if she were his. Would this man really blame June was returning without Hannah?
We all know that June stayed back a number of times despite the best opportunities to escape because she did not want to leave Hannah behind. However, Hannah seems to have changed entirely into a young girl of Gilead who was scared of her own mother. Aunt Lydia definitely used this fact to get some information out, so if June were to be captured again, who is to say that Hannah wouldn't be used?
So isn't it better for her to go to Canada where she would have a better chance at fighting the powers of Gilead? She has done as much as possible, including killing many commanders just before she had been recaptured resulting in a huge loss for the top rungs of leadership in Gilead. She tried her best, and that is what Moira keeps stressing on to ensure that June doesn't feel guilty about having left her daughter behind.
However, in the middle of the night, June decides to take a lifeboat and row away to Gilead, so that she could return to her daughter. However, it is Moira who stops her. Once before, Moira had to leave June behind and this time, she is not ready to. She instead wants to go back to Gilead with her if possible. Only then does June realize that she needs to think about all of this with a clear head. She is also scared of what Luke would do if she returned without Hannah and this fear plays a huge role in her not wanting to leave Gilead as well.
So Moira convinces June to take a chance with Luke and that is how, after three long and disruptive seasons of the show, we see June escape and arrive in Canada. When Luke sees her, she is initially happy, but soon, her expression switches over to worry and Luke sees the change in her clearly. Before he could say anything, June says she doesn't have Hannah with her. She continually apologizes and even explains that she tried, but Luke doesn't give her a chance to be worried about any of this, Instead, she is hugged and all her worries are put to rest. She can step into Canada without feeling guilty, and find a way to bring her daughter back.
With Serena and Fred Waterford in Canada, will June find an opportunity to use her former Commander in the free country?
'The Handmaid's Tale' season 4 will stream on Hulu on Wednesdays.