The Handmaid's Tale S02E11 "Holly" Recap

Nick has been taken from the house by Guardians, leaving June alone and afraid. She searches for a way to make her escape by going through the various areas of the house. She eventually finds a car in the garage that she can use to drive away and begins to pack up some items from the house to help her survive whatever comes next. But she realises that she will need to change out of her red gown or else she will attract too much attention.

In flashbacks, a young June goes through various phases of her life. At one point, she is pregnant with Hannah and Luke is helping her to prepare for her upcoming book release. Later after Hannah is born, June brings her to school for the first time and struggles with the overwhelming emotions that come when she has to leave her there.

After Serena and Fred realise that Nick and Offred are missing, they arrive at the house to search for her. She hears them viciously arguing with each other about Fred claiming Offred needed kindness while Serena points out that he raped her yesterday, with Fred responding that this action was Serena's idea in the first place. Serena angrily proclaims that she has given everything up for him and this cause they created, when all she ever wanted was a child. June finds a shotgun and appears to consider shooting Fred and Serena from upstairs where she is hidden but ultimately spares them. Fred and Serena leave without finding her.

June tries to escape in the car but finds that the garage door has frozen shut and is unable to get it open even when using the car to ram into it repeatedly. She goes back inside and goes into labour, experiencing a flashback of being pregnant and talking with her mother and Moira, discussing various options for how she will have the baby.

June lays down in front of the fire, and passes out while in labour. When she wakes, she is covered in blood but the baby has yet to be delivered. She first goes outside to shoot the gun in the hopes of attracting some attention so help will come to rescue her baby. She goes through the painful contractions and delivers her baby while remembering how Luke and Moira were with her when she gave birth to Hannah. While alone with her newborn baby, she declares that her name is Holly, name after her mother. It's then that some lights start to come in through the house windows, which indicate that a car has arrived at the house.

The Handmaid's Tale is available for streaming on Hulu.