Photo: Hulu

"Reprisal" is an entirely unique series that has been marketed as a revenge story. However, series star Abigail Spencer noted at New York Comic Con that this description might not be entirely accurate. "I think this might be a redemption story. I think that's the interesting thing for all of the characters. You really see everyone just trying to find where their future is going, to right a wrong."

When the series first opens, the audience is introduced to Spencer's lead character with two aliases, Katherine Harlow and Doris Quinn. Her story is not only central to the overall narrative, but also serves as a catalyst to many of the most interesting dramatic plot points.

Having watched the entire first season ahead of it's official premiere to the public, I've narrowed down three main points to convince enquiring minds to tune in and binge this compelling piece of art.

Photo: Hulu

VISUALLY STYLISH

The show merges various aesthetic styles and pieces including 1950's hot rods and burlesque houses, 1960's bikers, and 1970's muscle cars. There's also a bold visual presentation in various technical aspects. The club/burlesque house run by Joel (Rodrigo Santoro's character) has excellent production design with bold, warm colour palettes that lends itself really well to gorgeous cinematography. There is also a repeated use of dynamic effects, such as split screens and moving panels that at times make the show feel more like a comic book or graphic novel that has leapt off the page onto the big screen. The creative team working on "Reprisal" have a deep understanding that film is first and foremost a visual art form and take every opportunity to create a world that leaves lasting images in the viewer's mind.

Photo: Hulu

AMAZING WOMEN

Whatever artistic pieces you find yourself comparing "Reprisal" to, such as David Lynch, Quentin Tarantino, or old-school neo-noir films, one of the greatest strengths that sets "Reprisal" apart is the multiple leading women. In addition to Abigail Spencer, Madison Davenport (Meredith), Bethany Anne Lind (Molly Quinn), and Lea DeLaria (Queenie) all excel in their roles. Each of these female characters is more than the buzzword of 'strong'. Beyond that, they are interesting, dynamic, and different from one another. Each character undergoes a compelling journey that makes you root for them to survive. The world of "Reprisal" is a violent one, and though these women are not immune from this aspect, they're also not on the receiving end of that violence in an excessive or regressive way like so many other 'gangster' stories that precede them. It never feels gratuitous or simply done for the sake of it, but is executed in a manner that makes perfect sense based on the world they live in.

Photo: Hulu

MENA FREAKING MASSOUD

In the lead-up to the "Reprisal" premiere, Mena Massoud is one of the lead actors that has been tapped to do an extra portion of promotional media. During an interview with the Daily Beast, he revealed that he has not been given a single audition since Aladdin. It's an astonishing revelation considering that he played the titular role of a giant Disney blockbuster that grossed over a billion dollars at the box office. Yet somehow this news is not surprising to members of socially ostracised groups that are accustomed to being under-represented in Hollywood productions.

If there is any question as to whether Massoud can play a wider range of characters than a charming thief that can sing and dance, "Reprisal" squashes those doubts and then some. Massoud is the emotionally conflicted leading man in a realm similar to James Dean's persona. Ethan Hart is thrust into the world biker gangs, somewhat reluctantly, and struggles to make sense of processing the events that lead him to this point. It's a significantly more mature and dark character arc that Massoud plays beautifully. This is the type of rich material that he should be getting offered in numerous auditions. If Aladdin embodies childlike wonder, Reprisal digs deep into adult angst, and at the centre of it all, Massoud captivates and charms his audience.

"Reprisal" premieres on Hulu December 6.

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Normal People tracks the tender but complicated relationship of Marianne and Connell from the end of their school days in small-town west of Ireland to their undergraduate years at Trinity College. At school, he’s well-liked and popular, while she’s lonely, proud and intimidating. But when Connell comes to pick up his mother from her cleaning job at Marianne’s house, a strange and indelible connection grows between the two teenagers – one they are determined to conceal. A year later, they’re both studying in Dublin and Marianne has found her feet in a new social world but Connell hangs at the side lines, shy and uncertain. The series stars Daisy Edgar-Jones (War of the Worlds, Cold Feet) as Marianne, and Paul Mescal, in his first television role, as Connell. Lenny Abrahamson (ROOM, THE LITTLE STRANGER, FRANK) and Hettie McDonald will direct the series, with Abrahamson directing the first six and McDonald directing the final six. Adapted by Sally Rooney alongside writers Alice Birch and Mark O’Rowe, Normal People is a 12-episode 30-minute drama series. Normal People is an Element Pictures production (THE FAVOURITE, THE LOBSTER, Dublin Murders) for Hulu and BBC Three. The series is executive produced by Ed Guiney (THE FAVOURITE, THE LOBSTER, Dublin Murders), Andrew Lowe (THE FAVOURITE, ROOM, THE LOBSTER), Emma Norton (ROSIE, A DATE FOR MAD MARY), and Anna Ferguson (No Offense, Prisoners’ Wives) for Element Pictures. Sally Rooney and Lenny Abrahamson will also serve as executive producers. Endeavour Content will serve as the international distributor.

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Photo: Zimbio

"Reprisal" is a new Hulu drama with a femme fatal lead and neo-noir flair. The show made its presence known at New York Comic Con this month to premiere the first episode. The overall vibe of the screening was cozy, as the cast and crew sat in the middle of the room to watch with the rest of the fans in attendance. The pilot introduces a stylish world of gangs, mysteries, 1950's hot rods and burlesque houses, 1960's bikers, 1970's muscle cars, with the lead character Katherine Harlow / Doris Quinn (portrayed by Abigail Spencer) at the center of all the commotion.

Executive producer Josh Corbin gave an insight into developing the overall look of the show. "For me  it's creating a world that is era ambiguous. We don't know exactly where or why these elements exist. The show is about these characters reckoning with their past, chasing down their past, dealing with the sins of their past. We wanted to create a world [where] we don't know exactly where we are or when we are, and finding a fun way to let that play into the themes of the show. On top of that, we had a lot of fun. We draw upon all different sorts of aspects and eras of twentieth century pop culture. Thematically it works and we had a good time."

Finding the right direction for bringing the characters to life in a borderline surreal world such as this requires careful consideration from the lead actors. Abigail Spencer says that following Corbin's lead was important as well as pilot director Jonathan Van Tulleken. "They laid out the tone, the look, everything else, and I was a part of the painting. It is a large world and a lot of the characters don't cross until a certain point in the storytelling. We have a lot of conversations and you do a lot of experimenting because we want to be inspired by film noir, femme fatale, but we're also trying to do something new. That's what we're trying to create together and it's really inspiring because not a lot of people get this opportunity on television."

Renowned character actor David Dastmalchian is also part of the cast as Johnson, a member of the gang lead by Joel Kelly (portrayed by Rodrigo Santoro). Dastmalchian was drawn to the project because of the quality of the script. "I felt like the script was just dripping too. When I first got the script and I read it, I freaked out. I never read anything like this before and I know there's never been anything on television like this before. I said to Josh when I first got to meet him, 'This feels like David Lynch's driving a hot rod and Quentin Tarantino's driving and they're about to crash into each other and it's freaking amazing!' I'm thankful these guys wanted me in this wonderful cast along for the ride."

The show also shows a potential to draw in a younger demographic with talent like Mena Massoud and Madison Davenport. Massoud plays Ethan Hart, a young, newer addition to the gang with a type of brooding sensitivity reminiscent of James Dean. "I am very lucky because I think I have the easiest job adjusting to the world because the audience sees everything for the first time like Ethan does. I get to go on set and portray these emotions that I feel in real life which is like, 'What the hell is going on here? What the hell is this?' It's a fun ride. It's an amazing world that Josh and Jonathan have created and I'm just grateful to be a part of it."

Gilbert Owuor plays Bash Branningan. "To talk about the opposite end of the spectrum compared to where Ethan comes into the world, the sets and the locations they chose and the sets they built, wrapping your head around what living in a place like this day to day would do was really helpful. Just the dirt and the grime, the harshness of it, what would it be to live in this place Day to day, year to year, just trying to make something of your life? Fighting against that really helped me find where the character was from."

Madison Davenport portrays Meredith, a burlesque dancer at the club run by Joel's gang. "The setting, the costumes, let me tell you it's really easy to be Meredith once you're sucked into that corset. That really makes things really real. The writing is so solid, the sets, everything, you feel like you're there and then once you get all into your character, your hair, your make-up, your costume, you're there."

"The world is very specific but..." begins Rodrigo Santoro. "I was blown away when I read the pilot the first time because there's so much humanity. It was just on the page. Yes, the world is amazing, it's new, we don't know what time it is, what is going on, but at the end of the day we're engaged with the characters. They're human and complex. Being in this world gave us a lot of freedom to play with it."

Davenport's first notable introduction involves an extensive dance sequence for a single take and involves her getting on and off different stages while executing precise choreography and removing various items of clothing. "It was a oner so I was basically doing the dance but so was the camera operator. It was like we were doing this lovely waltz and he was going backwards with the camera." Director Jonathan Van Tulleken chimes in from his seat in the audience to say that this particular sequence was shot thirteen times and that the take lasts for one minute and forty seconds. "Every article of clothing that came off had to go back on," adds Davenport. "But it was so much fun! Once you're in that groove, it feels like you're in a time vortex and it doesn't feel like a minute and forty seconds."

Spencer shares how her opinion of the show has shifted from the time that she was making it to now watching the finished product with an audience. "Actually just watching it now and watching it with you all, we've really been selling this as a revenge story. I just watched it and [now] I think this might be a redemption story. I think that's the interesting thing for all of the characters. You really see everyone just trying to find where their future is going, to right a wrong. I think this is going towards redemption because when something like that happens to you, when you are so broken, the strongest thing that you can do is rebuild yourself and try and change the future. I really think that that's the underlying path and it's cool because that is such a human element but placed in this hyperreal, fantastical world."

Santoro's character Joel displays an interesting juxtaposition in the pilot episode, from the ruthlessness of a gang leader to the softness of a doting father of a young daughter. "When we meet Joel now it's a very interesting place, torn between two opposite directions. He's actually trying to maintain order and peace in this violent, lawless world while trying to raise his seven-year-old daughter. It's such a contrast and he's learning to be a father while he has to deal with... I don't want to spoil anything but he's done some really interesting things in his past. He's got a massive internal battle which will evolve in the episodes. It's very challenging for me. He's nothing like me, I'm definitely nothing like that. It's such a blessing, the opportunity to play him."

"Reprisal" will premiere on Hulu on December 6.

Watch the New York Comic Con panel for "Reprisal" here:

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Photo: Just Jared

After the first season of "Castle Rock" proved successful in weaving a new interconnected universe from various Stephen King works, it was unclear how a new season would be able to match this level of continued adulation. Without the added boost of having names like Bill Skarsgård or Sissy Spacek in the series, as the cast of season two were largely reported to be new, the direction the show would take was left shrouded in mystery. The biggest announcement came when Lizzy Caplan was announced to be portraying Annie Wilkes, the antagonist from King's 1987 novel "Misery" who was popularised by Kathy Bates in the 1990 film adaptation. After the first episode of season two is screened in front of a packed room at Madison Square Garden, no one in the venue has any doubts that Caplan is equipped to portray the many nuances of this interpretation of the character.

"I love Annie, I think she's a sweet baby," jokes Caplan as she begins to address the audience. "The Misery version of Annie Wilkes, obviously the OG Annie Wilkes portrayed by the incomparable Kathy Bates, nobody can touch her, she's amazing. That Annie Wilkes, she's already very isolated. She lives in that house by herself. The first person that she really comes in close contact with over an extended period of time is Paul Sheldon. Our Annie is still out in the world. She has to interact with people. She has to work, she has to make money, and she has to take care of her daughter. That immediately gives her different layers. I think by the end of this season hopefully we will understand why Annie wanted to move to a house in the middle of nowhere by herself."

This season is set to explore Annie's side of the story, as the original novel was largely shown from the perspective of Paul Sheldon. This time, the narrative is focused on showing both Annie's perspective and her origins to how she came to be the character people are far more familiar with. Even the smallest character details in this version allow the audience to better connect with her. Executive producer Dustin Thomason shares about the use of Carly Simon music with Annie's scenes.

"One of the defining aspects of Annie in every form that we've seen her is that she's really a woman born out of her time. Annie's tastes are decidedly old-fashioned and I love Carly Simon. I also think that there's something about the way that she defined an age. It was that idea of Annie being stuck in an earlier age."

Watching Caplan inhabit this character is unsetting in the best way right from the start. The episode's first introduction of her is without dialogue for a minute or so. As a result, the audience is able to witness how meticulous the attention to detail is in getting the physicality of her performance just right, from her posture to her manner of walking. Caplan addresses this aspect when it's brought up during the Q&A.

"There's lots of descriptions in the book, fairly offensive descriptions about Annie's physical appearance and her size and what she looks like and she's a 'mountain of her woman' and all this. I'm not particularly tall. I'm not particularly physically opposing. The only kind of choice I had was to do something that looked unsettling and maybe a little bit off. I also felt like whatever the walk is, it just made me feel solid and grounded, feet on the ground. I don't know where it came from. I didn't know if it worked."

It worked. It really worked.

"Castle Rock" season two premieres on October 23 on Hulu.

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Eden's father is revealed to be the one that turned Eden and Isaac in to Gilead's law enforcement, eventually leading to their execution. June goes through Eden's belongings and discovers a Bible that Eden not only read from, but wrote notes in despite the fact that women are forbidden to read in Gilead. June brings the Bible to Serena and implores her to think of her daughter's future in Gilead, pointing out that she won't be able to be close to God if she can't even read his word. Serena is furious at June for yet again being defiant, but later comes around to the idea.

June gets into an altercation with Fred in which he strikes her and she hits him back, after which he yells further insults at her. She ices her face and later enjoys a private moment with Nick and Nicole in which she tells Nick she loves him.

Serena rallies other wives to her cause and they prepare an amendment which she proposes to the council that girls be taught to read the Bible, and even reads from the Bible in order to make her point. However, her proposal is rejected and Serena is punished for reading, with one of her fingers being cut off.

Emily prepares for her first ritual with her new household but Lawrence ends up dismissing her without going through with it. Aunt Lydia later visits her, saying that Lawrence said that the ceremony went well. It's unclear why he would lie about it but Emily says nothing about it. Aunt Lydia insults Emily, who follows her as she is leaving. Emily stabs her in the back with a kitchen knife and throws her down the stairs, kicking her repeatedly till she gets to the bottom of the stairs. Lawrence's Martha, Cora, discovers them and drags Emily into a room which she locks her in.

June is nursing her baby when she notices the house across the street is on fire. Rita comes in and warns her that she and the baby need to get out immediately. Serena catches her while she is making her escape, but after making a long and tearful good-bye, she allows June to escape with the baby. June finds herself reunited with Emily, whom Lawrence dropped off himself at the escape van after discovering what Emily did to Aunt Lydia. When he is asked why he's allowing them to leave, he only says that he is getting himself in trouble.

But in a shocking turn of events, June decides to stay in Gilead at the last moment. June is determined to find Hannah and save her, so she gives baby Holly to Emily and tells her to call the baby Nicole in honour of Serena who allowed her to escape. She also tells Emily to tell the baby that she loves her.

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

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June is hooked up to a breast pump after having been found and rescued. Serena is overjoyed to have a baby to take care of. Aunt Lydia is upset that June doesn't seem to be able to produce enough milk to be delivered to the baby. June reminds her that she promised to take care of the baby. Aunt Lydia arranges for June to be able to see the baby in order to help induce lactation. Fred brings the baby for June to see and June requests to nurse the baby, who is now being called Nicole, but Fred turns her down. However, Aunt Lydia is later able to convince Fred that it's in the baby's best interest to let June back into the house since the closer proximity does increase June's lactation. Serena is furious at Fred overruling her wishes and orders June to stay away from the baby despite being back in the house.

Aunt Lydia brings Emily to a new household after being rejected by four other couples. The new household head she must deal with is Commander Lawrence, who is also referred to as the "architect of Gilead's economy."

June has a private moment with Eden, who admits she looks forward to some day being able to nurse a child of her own. June encourages her to find love wherever she can and assures her she has nothing to worry about in regards to Nick. Later, Nick approaches June to say how beautiful their baby is and how he wishes he could hold her. June admits to feeling the same way and indulges briefly in the fantasy of being able to take her baby and run away with Nick to Hawaii. Their moment is interrupted by Fred who is searching for Isaac, who never showed up to his shift. Nick reveals to Fred how Isaac has fallen into an affair with Eden, who is also missing. The pair have eloped, further angering Fred and Serena for their repeated brushes with scandals.

Commander Lawrence's wife Eleanor later approaches Emily, wanting to know her real name, and informing her that Lawrence was the one that created the Colonies. She becomes emotional and practically hysterical when he appears, outraged at him for what he has done. Lawrence locks his wife in her room for her to calm down and brings Emily downstairs where he interrogates her and reveals that he knows significant information about her past.

Eden and Isaac are caught by Gilead's officers. Nick has a private moment with Eden, who admits that she and Isaac love each other and that they want to be together. Eden asks for forgiveness an Nick in turn asks her to forgive him. They make peace with one another for their wrongdoings and part on good terms. Eden and Isaac are then brought out onto a diving board above a swimming pool while wrapped in chains each connected to a dead weight. A crowd watches and both refuse to admit any wrongdoing, nor do they ask for forgiveness. Eden recites 1 Corinthians 13 before both are pushed off the diving board and drown.

Serena and Fred are shaken by the deaths of Eden and Isaac, and are able to make peace with one another for the time being, with Serena even allowing Offred to nurse the baby.

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

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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.

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Emily's new life of returning to being a handmaid for a new commander shows her detached and despondent from her time in the Colonies. Her new commander collapses after performing the ritual on Emily. She kicks him and stomps on his crotch when she is left in the room with him while the wife goes to call for help.

June is out shopping with Eden and their new guard, Isaac, when she begins to experience contractions. June tells Emily and Janine about Moira making it to Canada, pressing them to have hope that they too will be able to make it to Canada someday and be free again. But the contractions become too severe for June to stay out and an ambulance is called to bring June home. A birthing ceremony is performed while everyone awaits the birth of June's child but it turns out to be too soon and all are dismissed.

After the false alarm, June begs Fred to be moved closer to her daughter Hannah after the baby is born but Fred becomes angry and orders her to leave, saying he has been too indulgent with her. June retaliates by implying that the child she is carrying isn't his and that he will never know what it is like to have a biological child of his own.

Fred and Serena conspire to induce labour so they can finally get June out of the house and the baby for themselves. June is ordered to come to their room where Serena holds her down and Fred rapes her.

Meanwhile, Eden experience a growing mutual attraction with the guard, Isaac. She sneaks out to meet him late at night and the two begin to kiss. Nick sees them doing so when he walks outside for a smoke and when Eden sees him watching she breaks away and runs back inside. She apologises profusely to Nick and begs for forgiveness, which Nick readily gives without displaying any real upset emotion against her for her transgressions. This further upsets Eden, who accuses him of being in love with Offred since Nick doesn't touch her unless he needs to and has never even kissed her (her kiss with Isaac was her first kiss). Nick denies any interest in Offred, saying getting involved with a handmaid would be suicide.

Fred makes arrangements for Nick to bring June to an empty house where she is granted a short visit with Hannah, who now goes by the name Agnes. The reunion is intense and emotional, as Hannah is clearly traumatised from being separated from her parents and the confusion of whether or not her parents still wanted her. She is living with new parents and June assures her that she will always be June's first baby. The visit is cut shorter than June would like but June promises her that she will always love her and tells her to enjoy life, to be careful, and to be safe, also asking her Martha to protect her.

Once June and Nick are left alone in the house, Guardians arrive to take Nick captive while June is left behind, having kept herself hidden in the house.

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

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Fred informs Offred that he and Serena will be travelling to Canada on a diplomatic mission. Nick will be accompanying them and another man has been assigned to watch over the house while they are all away. Serena later tells Fred that she would rather stay home since it's the third trimester, and likely also due to her wish to distance herself from him after he beat her, but she eventually agrees. Before leaving for Canada, Serena informs Offred that she will be transferred as soon as the baby is born, leaving Offred horrified.

After the Waterfords arrive in Canada, Moira points them out on the news to Luke. They meet with their local case worker and beg her to have Fred arrested for being a war criminal but she explains to them that there is nothing they can legally do but there are many protests planned against the Waterfords and the Gilead movement. As the Waterfords and Nick are driven through the city, Serena is reminded of her old life before Gilead.

Serena is approached by Mark in the hotel bar. He works as a spy for what's left of the US government and based in Hawaii. He offers to help Serena defect from Gilead and the opportunity to share her story the way she wants to. He points out that the fertility crisis has been blamed on women but many scientists have found that the origins of it lie in men and more women may be able to have children soon. Serena ultimately declines his offer but he politely points out that perhaps they'll get another opportunity to meet, also leaving behind his cigarettes and Hawaii matches for her.

Back at the Waterford's residence June watches in quiet contemplation as Rita tends to the household duties of preparing food for the residents. June privately tells her how Serena intends to have her sent away immediately after the baby is born. June also shares how she and Luke chose godparents for Hannah when she was baptised and asks Rita to be the godparent of her baby when it is born, wanting this child to have someone kind in her life. Rita points out how she herself has to live under harsh restrictions as a Martha and baptisms have been prohibited by the Gilead government but still promises to do whatever little she can.

Luke confronts the Waterfords when they arrive at their hotel for a US refugee protest while holding a photo of himself with June and Hannah, furious at him for raping his wife. Serena appears shaken by the experience but not nearly as much as Nick, who is also present for the encounter. Later on, Nick leaves to find Luke and tells him that June is pregnant and safe, also giving him the bundle of letters from women that have been enslaved in Gilead, hoping that Luke can do something good with them.

Aunt Lydia visits June to check on her. June shares how Serena has ordered her to leave the house as soon as the baby is born, which Aunt Lydia seems to very discretely disagree with, though she would never publicly say as much. June asks Aunt Lydia to look after the baby and keep them safe since the household can be rather difficult. June says that any man who would hurt a woman would also hurt a child so the baby needs protection. Aunt Lydia assures her she would never let anything happen to a baby.

Luke brings the letters home and goes through them with Moira and Erin. They decide to publish the letters to the media, prompting a public outcry that leads to the Canadians cancelling the rest of the summit and expelling the Waterfords from Canada. One of the Canadian women on the staff that had previously spoken cordially with Serena now shames her, saying she doesn't know how Serena can live with herself. While the Waterfords are driven to the airport, Serena is increasingly emotional. Moira manages to get to the Waterfords' car and holds up a sign that says "My name is Moira," which shows Fred that Moira managed to successfully escape from Gilead. He had previously known Moira as "Ruby" at Jezebel's.

When the Waterfords return to their home, Serena burns the Hawaiian matches Mark gifted to her. Nick also visits June to tell them that Luke and Moira are both alive and well in Canada. June tells him that Moira is Hannah's godmother and expresses happiness that Moira made it safely to Canada.

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

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June continues to help Serena on Fred's work for a few months while he continues to recover from his bomb injuries, as June used to work as an editor and is an ideal candidate to help Serena with the various documents. But the work is set to slow down since Fred will be returning home the following morning. However, Fred quickly shuts Serena out from his work upon his return.

Serena informs June that the Putnams' child, Angela, has fallen sick. Angela is Janine's biological child, and Janine refers to her as Charlotte. Janine is alarmed upon hearing that her baby is sick, a fact that June had tried to keep quiet from her so she wouldn't panic. Janine begs June to help her see her baby but June tells her that it can't happen. Janine responds that June sounds like "one of them."

Serena asks June what she thinks would be the best way to help the sick baby and June advises that the best treatment should be pushed forward, even if it is something against the law. Serena then proposes to Fred that the best neonatologist in Gilead (who was once the best in the entire nation) be permitted a temporary transfer to check on the baby since it's a woman now working as a Martha, since women are no longer allowed to work as doctors. Fred says that they must trust the will of God. When Serena tells June about Fred's decline of the proposal, June proposes that Janine be allowed to see the baby. Serena is against the idea at first but later decides to suggest it to the Putmans. Naomi Putman is against the idea but her husband Warren overrules her and agrees to let Janine visit, as there are all but no options left yet.

Janine is brought to the hospital and allowed to see the baby, but Aunt Lydia warns June that she will hold her personally responsible if anything goes wrong with Janine's visit. Secretly, Serena forges Fred's signature to transfer the Martha to the hospital for the day to check on the baby. However, the Martha is unable to find anything physically wrong with the child even after numerous medical tests. She advises that they all unplug the baby from the various machines it is hooked up to and try to make her feel safe and warm. Janine is finally permitted to go in and hold the baby.

Serena and June return home where Nick informs them that Fred is waiting to see them in his office. Fred has discovered that Serena forged his signature to temporarily transfer the once-physician, now-Martha. As punishment for her transgressions as well as getting June involved, he ritualistically beats Serena with his belt while forcing June to watch.

Meanwhile, Eden has been working hard to try to please Nick as her wife but once she rearranges his trunk and its contents, she uncovers the bundles of handmaids' letters he had recovered from June. Nick becomes angry and demands to know if she read them and she says she only placed them by his bedside. He orders her to never touch his belongings again and she agrees to abide by his wishes.

June tries to apologise to Serena for what happened with Fred but Serena furiously rejects the sympathetic gesture.

Finally, Janine is shown in the hospital with her baby, singing "I Only Want to Be with You" while partially undressed. The skin-to-skin contact and mother/child reunion have shown to do wonders for the baby's health as it is now happily gurgling while Janine gently bounces it.

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

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Ofglen's bomb at the Rachel and Leah centre leaves 31 handmaids, 26 commanders, and many civilians dead. Numerous others are left injured including Commander Waterford, who is visited in the hospital by Serena, Nick, and his other colleagues. The news of the attack reaches Canada, where Luke and Moira hear of it. Luke is confident that June is still alive while Moira is more determined to find answers, specifically regarding her fiancee Odette. Moira visits a refugee center to look through various records. Flashbacks show that Moira had been a surrogate for a couple before the war began and this was how she met Odette, who had worked as a doctor. Eventually, Moira discovers photographs showing Odette was killed.

While Commander Waterford recovers from his injuries, Commander Pryce takes on his responsibilities, vowing to hunt everyone down that was involved in the attack. He visits Offred to question her about who was involved with helping her run away but she insists that she was taken against her will and didn't see anyone responsible. Cushing doesn't believe her but leaves to continue his work on increasing security measures, including adding checkpoints and having guardians execute more people. Offred runs off to visit Serena and Commander Waterford at the hospital.

June tells Nick about Cushing questioning her about learning who helped her run away, frightened that he won't give up. Nick promises not to let anything happen to her. When she later returns home, she tells Serena about Cushing questioning her and Serena coaches her on how to appease him. Serena becomes alarmed to learn about the increased violence Cushing is implementing. Serena worries about the family's safety, especially the baby's. This prompts Serena to forge orders from Commander Waterford to get Cushing arrested for treason and apostasy.

Due to the high number of handmaids being killed, many fertile women are taken back from the Colonies in order to be handmaids once again, including Janine and Emily. They both have a reunion with June in the grocery store, where June discretely calls Emily by her real name and finally introduces herself as June. June whispers to another handmaid to introduce herself and numerous handmaids begin to follow suit, whispering their names to one another as a real introduction and form of quiet protest and action of solidarity. Some of these whispers are overheard by Eden.

Some time later, Serena enlists Offred in her secret plans to continue performing the Commander's work on his behalf while he is still recovering in the hospital.

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The doctor tending to Offred advises Serena that a harmonious home would be better for the child's well-being. Serena takes this under advisement and offers Offred the sitting room as an upgraded bedroom, which Offred accepts. Nick speaks to her in private about their relationship and Offred admits that she still thinks about their time together but says they can no longer be involved.

In a flashback, Serena is invited to a university to speak about her book "A Woman's Place" but is chased out of speaking by an angry crowd of protesters. On the way out, she and Fred are surrounded by more protesters but Serena still takes the time to address the crowd and make her points about the declining birth rate and women needing to procreate. She and Fred are on the way to their car when an unknown assailant shoots Serena.

In present day, Offred invites Serena to feel her abdomen to better experience the pregnancy experience. Serena continues to dote on Offred by inviting some other handmaids to have lunch with her.

Eden confides in Offred about how Nick has yet to consummate their marriage. Eden is suspicious that Nick may be a gender traitor but Offred assures her that this isn't the case, appearing quietly alarmed at Eden having such suspicions.

Serena shows Offred the nursery she has made for the baby and Offred feels brace enough to ask if she can see Hannah. Serena retaliates by ordering Offred to move back to her old room, prepared to humiliate her. Nick asks Offred what's wrong upon seeing she is upset and Offred tells him what has happened. She also warns Nick that he needs to have sex with Eden so she will not longer suspect him of being a "gender traitor". He is uncomfortable about doing so, as Eden is only fifteen. But Offred points out that he is not the only one in Gilead that needs to have sex with someone they don't want to. Nick decides to go ahead and have sex with Eden but only after telling Offred that he loves her.

In another flashback, the aftermath of Serena's shooting is shown. Fred uses his power and connections to kidnap the man he believes was involved in her shooting and brings both him and his wife into the woods where he shoots the wife in order to make the man feel the same pain Fred felt at seeing Serena in pain.

When Fred learns of the conflict between Offred and Serena, he visits Offred in secret to give her a photograph of Hannah. He then propositions her for sex but she turns him down, claiming that she's worried about the baby. She is only playing along to his interest in her for hers and the baby's survival and well-being.

There is a new Rachel and Leah Center set to be opened, with a construction and ceremony that will be overseen by Fred Waterford. As the preparations are being made, Nick arrives and asks Commander Pryce to be reassigned from the Waterford home and that Offred will be protected, which Commander Pryce agrees to after Nick says that there is much he hasn't told the Commander about Fred.

Serena sets about bossing Offred around again and even taking extra measures to humiliate her. Offred's only comfort is the photo of Hannah which she keeps hidden in her room.

At the opening ceremony of the Rachel and Leah center, Fred gives a speech to a room full of men. There are handmaids standing right outside the building as part of the ceremony. But Ofglen enters the building early and charges the stage and detonates a suicide bomb. Only the Handmaids standing outside are able to run away in time to get a safe distance from the explosion.

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Offred continues to be a subdued and submissive handmaid under the weight of all the accumulated traumas. She begins to burn the letters she had been keeping for Mayday and is caught by Nick, who becomes increasingly concerned about her shift in behaviour. Aunt Lydia continues to make regular visits to check on Offred's well-being. On one of her visits she encourages Serena to create a more harmonious environment in the house for the baby's well-being.

In the Colonies, Janine and Emily are finally able to talk to one another. Janine believes that God is protecting them through their struggles in Gilead, though Emily is far more cynical and non-religious in her views of their circumstances.

Offred begins to experience vaginal bleeding but does not inform anyone of this. Even Serena begins to find Offred's more subdued and obedient behaviour odd, likely worrying that this could also prove problematic for the baby. Nick tells Serena he is worried about Offred's mental state, suggesting that she may benefit from seeing a doctor whose job it is to deal with mental health. He denies Serena's questioning of whether Offred had asked him to speak up for her well-being and Serena becomes alarmed by Nick's concern for Offred. Serena subtly brings the issue up to Commander Waterford who decides to "reward" Nick with an arranged marriage at a Prayvaganza, which is a ritual where loyal Guardians are given a wife as a reward for their work.

Meanwhile Offred's vaginal bleeding continues to worsen and she hides it by lining her underwear with toilet paper. Only Rita, the housemaid seems to notice her physical unsteadiness and asks if she is okay, but Offred claims to be fine.

Offred accompanies the Waterfords to the Prayvaganza where many Guardians are married, including Nick to a woman named Eden. Offred is quietly emotionally shaken by this turn of events, as is Nick. Both steal secret glances to one another during the ceremony. Eden is brought home with the Waterfords so that she can move into Nick's room. When Offred goes upstairs to her own room, she discovers how significantly the vaginal bleeding has worsened but does nothing to all for help.

Janine organises a small wedding for a dying worker and her partner, which is officiated by another Unwoman who is a rabbi. Emily and Janine argue over Emily's attempts to keep Janine safe and alive, which she believes are being undermined by Janine's attempts to bring some sort of positivity to their dire circumstances. When the newlywed Unwoman later dies, the rabbit officiates her burial while she is buried in a cemetery covered with numerous crosses.

During a rainy night, Nick discovers Offred collapsed unconscious outside in the bushes of the Waterfords' house and saves her. She is immediately taken to a hospital, where she vows to her baby that they will both escape Gilead.

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June is brought back to captivity and has a new ear tag pierced into her ear. She is placed in a room where she is chained to the bed much like the captive handmaid she saw earlier in the season. Aunt Lydia visits her and brings a new handmaid gown. She gives her the option of staying in her current imprisonment where she will remain until her child is born and then she would be executed, or returning to the Waterfords. June chooses to return to the Waterfrods where she will be closely supervised by Lydia.

Publicly, the Waterfords have presented the facade that Offred's disappearance was the result of a kidnapping. But privately, Serena is furious at her for running away and corners her in her room, grabbing her by the throat before releasing her so as to not harm the baby. June warns her that as long as her baby is safe, so will Serena's.

Rita returns the letter she found to Offred and tells her she will not be involved in any further scheming. Nick is also shown to still be working for the Waterfords.

A baby shower is held for Serena in which prayer and a ritual binding are conducted between Offred and Serena. Offred learns from Alma that Ofglen had her tongue cut out for speaking up to save Ofwarren (Janine) when she was about to be stoned and ever since Mayday has been silent.

In a flashback, Luke's first wife Annie confronts June and asks her to back off from him, saying that they made wedding vows before God. Annie is insistent that she and Luke will be together. Luke is furious at Annie for bothering June and warns her to back off, having resolved to be with June and Annie's efforts are futile to break him up from June. Some years later, Annie spots Luke and June in a restaurant with their child Hannah.

After Offred upsets Serena once again, Lydia takes her out for a walk. Serena demands that Nick send Offred back to the Red Center, saying she can't have her in the house. Fred tells her she is strong enough to stick things out and that she shouldn't miss out on the pregnancy especially after all the months she's already missed.

Lydia bring Offred to a hanging corpse and it's claimed to be Omar's although his head is covered with a bag. She informs June that Omar's wife Heather is now a handmaid and their child Adam was give away to a different family. Aunt Lydia tells Offred these tragedies are her fault and Offred is quick to blame herself. Aunt Lydia warns her that the best chance she has to survive is to separate Offred and June as different people.

Offred's spirit is broken by the revelation of what happened to Omar and his family. She apologises to the Waterfords and asks to stay. She later prays to god that Hannah will forget about her and begins to ignore Nick, while adhering to the proper standards of being a handmaid.

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Moira is now living in Canada with Luke and Erin.

June finds different ways to preoccupy her time living at the Boston Globe offices. Over the course of two months she exercises in-between investigating the archives at the office which documents the early emergence of the Gilead movement. She thinks back to being a young girl accompanying her mother to a Take Back the Night rally. June is visited occasionally by Nick, and eventually he brings news that she is set to be transported soon. She is now reluctant to do so if it means escaping without her daughter.

Moira gives a tour to a new co-worker who quickly becomes overwhelmed and has a breakdown. He shares how he was in the army before the rise of the Gilead movement and then he was quickly transformed into a Guardian. It wasn't long before he was forced to hang bodies on the wall, including a man he had dated in college. She tells him about trauma counseling services they have available for him to use.

June is picked up by a driver who has been tasked with transporting her to a new location. Upon arriving there she meets a man named Omar who is supposed to bring her to another safe house near an airstrip from which she will be able to fly to Canada. He tries to leave without her after receiving a message that the safe house has been compromised but she stands in front of his van to force him to take her with him. He brings her back to his apartment where she meets his wife Heather and their son Adam. Heather is upset about the dangers of bringing June into the home but Adam is more welcoming, as he's a friendly young child more than happy to show his toy truck to June.

The following day, Omar, Heather, and Adam leave to go to church, warning her to stay quiet since the neighbors listen to everything. They promise to be back by two and June remembers her mother and how disappointed she was by June's career choices and her intention to marry Luke, having wanted June to become an activist like her. June is frightened when someone knocks on the door looking for the family so she goes into their bedroom. Upon hiding under the bed she finds a hidden Qur'an and prayer rug tucked into the bedsprings. 2 o'clock comes and goes and Omar and his family do not return.

In another flashback, June and Moira go through their training to become Handmaids at the Red Center. During a series of slideshows with images, they discover that Holly had been declared an Unwoman and was sent to the Colonies to be worked to death.

June takes one of Heather's Econowife outfits to disguise herself and leave the apartment in order to blend in with other Econowives on the street. She boards a train with a map hidden in her pocket. After getting at the station she deems to be the right stop for her mission she veers off the path and heads into the woods. She is resigned to the fact that there is no way for her to rescue Hannah yet and proceeds to the airstrip that Omar had told her about.

Moira has a night out at a club and hooks up with a random woman in the bathroom. She gets the woman off but stops her from reciprocating afterwards, saying she is good. The woman introduces herself as Caitlin and says to let her know if she changes her mind, and Moira gives her a fake name, Ruby. She then returns home to the apartment, where Erin makes her laugh upon revealing she is no longer mute.

June makes it to a plane where the pilot is suspicious of whether she is really who she claims to be but convinces him of the truth by showing him her ear injury. Another fugitive arrives and the pilot prepares to fly them out by hiding them in the cargo hold in the plane's undercarriage. Unfortunately, the plane is intercepted before it can take off. Guardians execute the pilot and then apprehend June and the other fugitive.

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June is transported to the former headquarters of The Boston Globe, which is another safe place that's been arranged by Mayday. She is told that she must stay there for a couple days and if she is still there then another transport will come to bring her to the next location.

Emily is revealed to have been taken to the Colonies, a place where disobedient and lower-class infertile women (referred to as "unwomen") are forced to perform the hard labour of digging on highly toxic land. Many of these unwomen become sick from the chemical exposure, and Emily does what she can to help them.

A flashback of Emily's life begins after the attack on the Capitol Building and the White House. She works at a university where her boss, Professor Dan, informs her that she will not be teaching the following semester at the university. Instead he gives her a lower position in an effort to keep her hidden so she won't be criticized or attacked for her sexual orientation. Professor Dan is also gay, so he is not taking these actions from a homophobic place, but merely because he thinks he is doing what will keep Emily safe.

Nick visits June at the Boston Globe and she becomes angry at him when he tells her she will need to wait for several weeks before it will be safe enough to leave since numerous parties have been sent out to find her. Nick decides to give her keys to a car and a gun, if she really feels that she's better off trying to escape early, but after getting into the car she changes her mind and comes back inside where she initiates sex with him.

In another flashback into Emily's life, Professor Dan is hanged at the university with the word "faggot" spray painted underneath him. This prompts Emily to try to emigrate to Canada with her wife Sylvia and their son Oliver. But they run into some trouble at the border when their same-sex marriage is no longer recognised by the government, meaning she is no longer able to leave the country Sylvia. Through the line of questioning it's also revealed that she is the biological mother of Oliver. Sylvia is able to leave with Oliver due to her being Canadian.

A commander's wife is brought to the Colonies and the unwomen are entirely unwelcoming to her, with the exception of Emily who decides to befriend her. Emily learns that the woman was sent to the colonies for committing a "sin of the flesh" which happened when she fell in love with a man that wasn't her husband and she had sex with him. The woman starts to get sick from the chemical exposure and Emily give her some tablets which are later revealed to be poison that kill her. Emily blames her for "holding a woman down while her husband rapes her." After the woman dies, the unwomen are warned that they will be subjected to consequences for this death. Janine arrives at the Colonies, where Emily briefly greets her before Janine is dragged off to go through whatever protocol newcomers must go through.

June arranges a memorial for the Boston Globe employees who were executed at the newspaper's former headquarters and prays to God to send an angel to watch over it.

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Offred and numerous other handmaids are taken to Fenway Park and made to believe that they will be hanged as punishment for their disobedience. But just as they're seemingly about to be hanged, the whole scene is revealed to be a charade to frighten them into compliance.

In flashbacks throughout the episode, June's life with her husband Luke and daughter Hannah are shown. The time period is after the conservative regime had started to gain power and they struggle to cope with the effects of it. Hannah is admitted to the hospital when she comes down with a fever at school. June has to leave work to go pick her up and upon reaching the hospital, one of the workers questions June about if she had medicated Hannah to try to bypass the school's fever policy and other questions to ascertain if she and Luke are fit parents. Later, June brings Hannah home where Luke is watching a news story about the Capitol building and the White house being attacked by terrorists.

During another punishment, the Handmaids are forced to kneel and hold a rock with their arm extended out for a tremendously long period of time while they are rained upon with no cover from the cold. When Aunt Lydia learns that Offred is pregnant, she is excused from completing her punishment. Offred is brought inside to change out of her wet clothes and be tended to in order to ensure that her baby is cared for.

Aunt Lydia brings Offred a meal but she refuses to eat it. Aunt Lydia warns her that all of her friends that followed her disobedience will be punished while Offred will be exempt due to her pregnancy but Offred still refuses to eat. Aunt Lydia brings Offred to a prison room to show her another pregnant handmaid, Ofwaytt, who is chained up after she attempted to kill herself with drain cleaner. Offred relents and agrees to eat, but Aunt Lydia torments her by bringing in all of her friends and has them burned with a gas flame one by one while Offred finishes her meal.

Offred attends a pregnancy check-up where Serena and Fred each visit her in the medical room, separately. Serena threatens her to behave herself and be obedient before Fred also enters the room. The first ultrasound shows an image of the embryo in development, although it's too early to be able to hear a heartbeat. Serena is more polite to Offred after getting to see the image of the embryo, having been emotionally moved by the experience. As Offred is finishing her check-up, the last guard to leave the room addresses her as "June," much to her shock. As she begins to put her belongings back on, she finds a key that's been left for her with a red square on the end of it inside one of her boots. She finds another door in the room marked with a red square and exits that way. She follows a series of red squares left behind that lead her to a van parked underneath the hospital. Upon getting inside, the van drives her away.

Fred uses his status to order a highly resourced search for Alfred after she goes missing.

The van brings June to a safe house in Back Bay. The driver tells her to wait in the entry way, saying that someone will come for her. She hugs him and thanks him before he leaves. It's Nick who emerges to meet her and she embraces him. He warns her that people are looking for her and tells her to get undressed to change out of her handmaid's dress. He also tells her she'll need to cut her hair to further her disguise. He tells her that he's set up a place for her to stay until it's safe enough to sneak her out of the city. June burns her handmaid's dress before cutting off her hair and then cutting the red cattle tag out of her ear.

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The teens prepare to fight their parents. The dinosaur shows up and Gert's father shoots it with a tranquilizer. Chase tries to blast them with the fitstigons but Tina's staff protects it. Molly tries to pick up a heavy barrel to throw at them but Jonah shows up and blasts her with power of his own to knock her down. His body is glowing and despite please to not hurt the kids, he blasts them to send them all flying back. The kids get up and move forward again to try to stand their ground. Gert removes the tranquilizer from the dinosaur, who walks forward with her to line up with the other teens. Karolina tells the others to go, saying she'll hold Jonah off. They object, Nico in particular, but eventually relent and leave. Jonah glows completely, a bright white light to match Karolina's more pink shade of glow. He blasts her and then she blasts him back. Their beams of light are pressed up against one another until a hole forms between them. The teens who are still running away take cover when a large blast comes rushing by them, knocking out the street lights.

The Runaways hide out in the woods. Nico wants to do everything they can to save Karolina but the rest of the group is more skeptical before deciding they should work together to find her. Their parents are pondering how they've been played by Jonah, Leslie, and Karolina being at the epicenter of everything going on. The Yorkes admit they didn't know about Molly's abilities. Tina admits that Leslie was at the lab that took out the Hernandezes. She didn't know what Leslie was going to do but didn't do anything to stop her. The parents don't want their children to be in danger and decide they need to figure out this plan is really all about.

Jonah has 'kidnapped' Karolina, who has been brought back to the church where she is hooked up to the machine that tended to his health needs when he was sickly and in need of sacrifices to rejuvenate him.

Nico asks Chase about his hooking up with Gert and he admits that it's complicated because he really likes her. They're at a store looking for disguises, with Molly not far off looking at sunglasses and wigs.

Alex had been looking for a laptop to use and Gert was looking after her dinosaur which is now named Old Lace. The team reunites and votes against Gert, saying they can't bring Old Lace with them because it's too dangerous to keep when they need to be staying hidden as they move from place to place. Gert speaks to Old Lace in private, explaining why they need to stay apart for now. She instructs Old Lace to stay hidden during the day and only hunt at night, promising they'll reunite when things are calmer.

The Runaways approach a worker, Vaughn, from the Church of Gibborim to ask for his help to find Karolina, saying she's in trouble. They point out how young people go missing every year like clockwork and Karolina is next if they don't do something. He doesn't want to betray the church despite his concerns for Karolina. Donning their disguises, Chase and Molly get on one of the recruiting buses for the Church of Gibborim.

The Yorkes discover something is in the hole Jonah is having them dig that is alive, and inform Leslie of this when she approaches them as they work. Leslie didn't know about it, as Jonah has been keeping secrets from her too.

Vaughn recognises Chase and Molly and helps them by bringing them into the back areas to try to find Karolina. When they find her, they must take off running to get away from church employees. Nico tells Gert how Chase said that he really likes her and Gert is somewhat taken aback by the information. Alex finds a car and gets everyone rounded up, including Chase, Molly, and Karolina once they get outside. Leslie is revealed to have approved Vaughn to help the Runaways rescue Karolina. She assures him that she is still in charge of the church.

Alex's parents had confront Jonah about the safety of the kids at the church and Alex overheard them say that they will find him themselves. The teens make it back to their hideout in the woods but Alex slips away to use a payphone in town to call Darius for backup, claiming that the enemy of his enemy is his friend. Their deal is that Alex will tell Darius everything he knows about Pride in exchange for hundreds of dollars that Alex needs to by a gun to protect himself and his friends.

The parents, minus the Wilders who are sticking to finding Alex themselves, all meet. Leslie apologises for her deception and admits that she was indirectly responsible for Amy's death and is unsure of Frank's loyalty to be able to be brought in to their circle. She says that when Amy found something confidential it set off the alarm and Jonah wanted to talk to her, to scare her into keeping quiet. She tried to send a text to Amy to warn her to get out but it didn't work, clearly. Leslie believes Jonah killed Amy. The Minorus are outraged but the remaining parents have no choice but to work together to be able to kill Jonah.

Jonah meets with Frank and they plan their next move while observing Victor's body. Jonah needs another sacrifice.

Alex returns to the group while his father is at home telling his wife he needs to make a call that will ensure the kids get to safety. Then they as adults will be able to go to war against Jonah. The Runaways head to a bus station, prepared to go on the run. Gert is outside while the others are inside looking at the schedule. She hears a banging in the nearby dumpster and finds Old Lace is hiding inside eating some discarded scraps. Gert runs inside to let her friends know that Old Lace is back but then they all see a news story that is claiming they are wanted for Destiny's murder. A nearby man also watching the story recognises their faces from the screen so they all get outside and take off running.

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Ten years ago the Hernandezes were working with some strange rocks that glow and move. They call the Steins to show them some of their findings but after the call the Hernandezes find they are locked in the room with a bomb that detonates. Molly was with them in the room that exploded but survives due to her holding one of the strange rocks which gives her the super powers that have since manifested. Leslie is revealed to be the one that set up the bomb and afterwards she calls Tina to tell her she handled it. Right after the call, Tina burns her hand on a pan she was cooking food in.

In the present, Gabriela discovers that Molly has snuck out. Nico tries to check on Amy's phone but is interrupted by her father who says that her mother has allowed him to move back home and now they will seemingly try to mend their relationship. Since her father likes to spend time in Amy's room to get some comfort so Nico has to wait to be able to check on the phone.

Karolina talks with Frank who doesn't want the kids putting themselves in danger going against Pride and wants to handle things himself.

Janet implores Chase to not make waves regarding Victor's absence, which she has already given an excuse to the public for. She assures him that Jonah is invested in Victor's survival and Pride is working hard to help him but now Chase needs to be careful. The teens are still angry at Chase, Alex in particular. Chase tries to apologise to Alex but now the group has no idea of what their next step is. Alex proposes they call themselves the "Runaways" in memoriam of all the people they haven't been able to save. They all decide to go to the upcoming school dance since according to Gert, if there's nothing left for them to do then they might as well just dance.

In a flashback to fifteen years prior, Tina returns home and finds that Jonah has sent the babysitter home and is playing with a young toddler Amy. Nico is just an infant. Jonah ominously warns Tina that raising girls is easy until they're teenagers which is when they turn on their mothers.

In the present, Jonah wants to use Geoffrey's drilling company to dig a hole deep underneath Los Angeles. He assigns the other Pride members to keep the job on task. Darius is monitoring the area by paying off one of the guards but the guard comes out to tell him he and the other employees have been fired. Darius says he has been twenty years to find out what Darius has been up to.

Molly sneaks back to the school to meet the group and shows them the VHS tape she found. Alex directs them to a place where they find a tape-player and on it they find a video of Molly's parents that tell her about Pride. Pride is planning on digging something up deep in the city and that they had been led to believe they were finding a renewable energy source but with the research they've been doing they are concerned that digging in deep to retrieve what they're after will cause cataclysmic seismic events. They warn Molly that if they're watching this they weren't able to stop it themselves and send her their love, imploring her to stop Pride and apologising that they couldn't be the ones to do it. The group speculates that this could've been the reason Molly's parents died and become renewed in their motivation to stop their parents. They realise that the work they're claiming to do on the school has all been a front for this one goal. Though they're just teenagers, they know they need to stop this because no one else will. They decide to still go to the dance as it will be the perfect cover to investigate the drilling site.

Frank confronts Jonah with what he knows about Pride.

Nico shows Alex the text from Amy's phone that warned her about some unknown man finding out what she was up to and to get out. They try to speculate on who she might've been involved with but are interrupted by Robert coming in reminding them to come out so Tina can take pictures of them. When they're alone again Nico insists to him that she's no longer romantically interested in him because of his keeping secret what he knew about Amy. He's still interested but she remains firm in her resolve.

The Steins call Graciela to check in on Molly and are alarmed to find out that she ran off. Graciela reveals how the Hernandezes didn't trust them enough to leave the key with them and insists that they leave Molly alone. The Steins ponder on how the Hernandezes must have known that they would end up in a compromised position and that they must've been up against the same battles they are now fighting and lost. Their train of thought is interrupted by Jonah who calls to insist that Pride comes over for a group meeting.

The teens all arrive at the dance. Molly waits in the car with the dinosaur and advises Gert to go 'get' Chase and live her truth. She meets Chase inside and she opens up about often feeling invisible at school. He points out how she always thought he was an idiot but she admits she never actually though that and only said it because she felt ignored. She brings him to a back room so they can have one last dance before the world ends. He tells her he always saw her and the two have sex. Nico, Karolina, and Alex are waiting in the car with Molly and are wondering why Chase and Gert are taking so long. Nico and Karolina head back into the dance to look for them but Karolina takes the moment of privacy to kiss Nico, admitting her feelings for her. Right after, a disheveled Chase and Gert emerge. They all head out, not acknowledging any of the unresolved issues in their romantic entanglements.

Jonah has Pride gathered and informs them of all that their children know and how they've been conspiring against them for weeks. Jonah confronts each of the adults for their transgressions against him and he reminds them that the consequences of questioning his leadership will be severe. He asks them where their children are, skeptical of the cover story of them going to the dance. The parents return to their homes to find all the missing supplies, including the staff, the fistigons, the dinosaur, and the key card to the digging site.

Darius is waiting in a restaurant near the digging site with his pregnant wife. He confides in her about his determination to find out what is going on. She warns him that she doesn't want to raise this child alone. Darius says how he has seen things like a glowing girl, super gloves, and super strength. He wants to take whatever is going on away from Geoffrey. He plans to wait out in his car to keep an eye on the digging site, and she leaves to head home and get some sleep.

The teens arrive at the digging site and reaffirm their friendship, despite the conflicts they've experienced. They agree to all work together to stop the drill. A security guard says that Alex's father isn't in charge anymore but the Church of Gibborim is. Karolina tells the guard to call Frank, who confirms her cover story but is revealed to have Jonah in the car and is working with him. The teens are let into the construction site where Chase and Gert begin to work on the drill. Gert tries to claim that their having sex was simply the result of them being teenagers with hormones caught up in the moment. Chase uses his fistigons to destroy the drill while Molly pushes a large truck into the hole. Nico uses the staff to try to fill the hole but the adult members of Pride arrive and Tina uses her advanced knowledge to summon the staff back to her. The parents insist that everything they've done has been to protect their children but the teens insist on fighting back, with Molly revealing her glowing eyes and Karolina removing her bracelet to reveal her hyper-glowing states. The adults are all shocked by the display, with Leslie saying she didn't know about this but it is what she was afraid of.

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Victor is bleeding out after Janet shot him. The other members of Pride arrive to provide medical attention to him.

Alex reveals to Nico how he had been helping Amy before she died. He uncovered that her mother had hacked Amy and had ben monitoring her keystrokes, causing her to be frightened. Kincaid had tracked her down and urged her to admit what she did because her mother would find out regardless. Alex and Nico have a falling out due to Alex keeping Amy's secrets from her, as she's never recovered from the trauma of losing her sister.

Molly is sent to live with her relative, Graciela, and is devastated by the feeling of being seemingly discarded and abandoned. The Steins are also summoned by Janet with a single word that is code for a disaster: "tsunami".

Chase is sent upstairs to patch up while Pride works on helping Victor. They are adamant about not calling the police as Janet was having an affair and shot him with a gun given to her by her lover, Robert, and it would only lead to disastrous things. Chase pleads with his mother for answers about his father's rapid mood swings. Janet has compassion for Chase still having love for his father despite everything.

The Steins try to give Victor medical help while the other members of Pride refrain from calling Leslie, believing it only cause problems since they feel she is too close to Jonah. Chase tries to call Gert to talk but she misses the call since she's spending time with the dinosaur. Chase calls Karolina next and she picks up. He tries to ask her to come over but changes his mind, not wanting to get her involved despite his wish to not be alone. Karolina then calls Nico to say that she thinks something is wrong. Karolina also calls Gert, who tells her how Molly has been sent away. Gert notes that Karolina doesn't want to be alone with Chase because he kissed her and she likes Nico, who likes/liked Alex. She agrees to come along and after the call is surprised and pleased to find that Chase had called her first.

Leslie arrives to help Victor by bringing Frank along, believing he'll be able to heal him with his new gloves. For some unknown reason, his healing powers don't fix Victor but send him into a coma instead. Jonah arrives and Leslie denies having been the one to call him. Tina is revealed to have been the one to call him, thinking there was no other option. He tells Pride to set up the devices and wants Victor to be revived in the same manner he himself gets revived. He orders the group to have Janet be sacrificed since she was the one who shot Victor.

Gert and Karolina show up to Chase's house where Gert picks the lock so they can get inside. However, Gert's dinosaur has followed her there. They bring the dinosaur along as they head further inside to find Chase. Chase has a confrontation with Frank but Karolina shows up and intervenes, telling Chase to go upstairs where Gert is already waiting. Karolina stays behind and tells Frank everything she knows about Pride, wanting her to stay good and uninvolved in the horrible things Pride have done. Chase is frightened when he returns to his room and sees the dinosaur but Gert assures him she can control the dinosaur.

Graciela gives Molly a mysterious letter containing a key and a message to find her stuffed elephant. Graciela recalls how she once lost her elephant at a train station so she decides to check the nearest train station to follow the lead. She sneaks out that night instead of waiting till morning.

Janet is alarmed at the prospect of being forcibly sacrificed for Victor. She tries to convince them to not put her in and Jonah says that he doesn't care which one of them gets sacrificed but someone has to do it. They begin to argue, especially when Jonah threatens the lives of their children. Dale pulls the gun on the group that Janet had used to shoot Victor, not wanting his daughters to be put in danger till Geoffrey pulls out a gun of his own, forcing Dale to disarm. Jonah says either Janet will go in the box or Chase will. She agrees to go but then Robert speaks up, wanting a moment alone to talk to her. He tells her to say goodbye to Chase or else he will never have the closure. But when she steps away, Robert puts on a fistigon and insists that he will be the one to go in the box. Jonah declares that he's fine with Robert sacrificing himself but Tina refuses to let him die and uses her staff to destroy the pod. Leslie and Tina nearly come to blows since Victor is the only one that can make a new box but Jonah breaks up the conflict, saying they will resolve the matter at a later point. Victor will be kept somewhere same until they can find another way to revive him. Robert apologises to Tina for all that he is done to betray their relationship, moved by her significant sacrifice to save him.

Nico is at home snooping through her sister's belongings again and finds a bag of her things which include her old cellphone. She retrieves footage of their parents performing a ritual and sends it to Alex.

Janet checks on Chase and assures him that Victor is being taken care of. Chase still wants another chance with his father once he has healed.

Molly arrives at the train station and finds a locker that her key unlocks. Inside is a VHS tape.

Alex tells Nico he has determined that their parents don't want to perform these rituals but they still don't know why they do so. Chase, Gert, and Karolina arrive and both Chase and Karolina agree that the footage shouldn't be shared. Chase thinks that if their parents are exposed his father will die while Karolina thinks that Frank will be able to help them. Chase attacks Alex and destroys his laptop.

At Nico's home, Amy's phone turns back on from being charged. A text message pops up from an unknown caller saying that "he" has found out and that she needs to run. In a flashback, Amy is shown to be trying to gather up some belongings while she was erasing her hard drive but an unknown person arrived and daughter her in her room.

Marvel's Runaways is available for streaming on Hulu with new episodes premiering each Tuesday.

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