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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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When June was first captured and sent to the red centre, she was quickly met by Aunt Lydia who provided her first indoctrination lesson. She also has a tag pierced on her ear.

Offred returns home and Serena slaps her, furious about the proof she has discovered regarding the trips to Jezebel's with her husband. She then forces Offred to take a pregnancy test and it turns positive. Serena lashes out at her husband when he returns home, telling him both about the pregnancy and that he is not the biological father. She further drives her point home by claiming that he's weak and God would never want that weakness to be passed on.

Serena has a moment alone with Nick and breaks the news of her pregnancy. He comes over to feel her abdomen and they hold hands briefly before Nick excuses himself at the arrival of Serena. She tells Offred to get her coat and they head out on a long drive.

Moira is on foot trying to make her way to Canada. It's a hard journey but she continues to persevere. She reaches Canada and is presented with various documents that she will use to re-start her life, free once more. Some time later she is reunited with Luke.

Serena brings Offred to a house where Hannah is now living. She is kept locked in the car while Serena goes out and interacts with her. Offred can only see Hannah through window and the gate. Hannah heads back inside and Serena returns to the the car. She is sitting in the back while Serena sits next to the driver. There is a protective glass that keeps them separate from one another. Serena tells Offred that Hannah is doing well and that no harm will come to her as long as Offred cooperates and nothing happens to her new baby. Offred is enraged and begins to yell and rant at her but Serena only tells her not to get upset because it's not good for the baby.

Putnam is put on trial for his actions towards Ofwarren, to which he admits. Fred takes part in the judgement of his trial. He is willing to be lenient in the punishment but others take a stand that there have too many similar incidents and now he must be made an example of. Even Mrs. Putnam came and testified that she wanted her husband to receive the harshest punishment possible, due to her fear for his immortal soul to be judged by God. The punishment that he is gives is to have his left hand amputated. It is done in a proper, surgical manner with him knocked out with anesthesia as opposed to being hacked off with a blunt instrument while he is awake.

That night, Offred visits Fred in his study and implores him to protect her daughter from Serena. He asks if the new pregnancy is his and she says of course, and he responds with, "You do that so well." Offred goes through the package she picked up from the butcher and discovers that it is full of letters from women whose lives and/or the lives of their loved one have been torn apart by Gilead.

Fred has a bonding reconciliation with Serena, promising that they will all be a family together and Offred will be gone once they have the baby.

Aunt Lydia addresses the gathering of handmaids for another execution. This time they are to stone someone who has endangered a child. They are all given rocks and form a circle. When the convicted individual is brought forward, the handmaids are shocked to find it is Janine/Ofdaniel. The handmaids don't want to stone her and when Ofglen #2 breaks the circle, she is badly beaten and declares that she will not. Guards take her away but when Lydia blows the whistles to signal them to begin, none of them will make a move. Eventually Offred steps forward and when a guard threatens her at gunpoint, Lydia stops the man and says that the handmaids are her responsibility. Offred drops her rock and says "I'm sorry, Aunt Lydia" which is a phrase that they were all taught early on in their indoctrination. All of the other handmaids begin to drop their stones and say the same phrase. Lydia tells the women to go home and warns them that they will have to face the consequences of this defiant behaviour.

A black van comes to the Waterford residence to get Offred. Nick quietly tells Offred to trust him and go with them. As Offred is walking out, she whispers to her fellow captive Rita where to find the hidden letters. Fred and Serena are surprised by this unexpected arrival. They demand to know where she's being taken but get no response from the guards. June ponders how she doesn't know whether she's being led into danger or safety but is secure in her ability to do what it takes to secure her freedom.

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Ofwarren is part of a ceremony in which her daughter is officially presented to Commander Putnam and his wife since the baby no longer needs to breast feed from her. Putnam promises they will always cherish the child and Ofwarren struggles for a bit but eventually gives the baby over. Offred continues to be concerned about Ofwarren's mental health, as she's transferred to her new home where she takes on the name Ofdaniel. Aunt Lydia tells Offred that she is tougher than she thinks.

Alma secretly pulls Offred aside and speaks to her about the Mayday resistance group. She tells her that they need Offred to retrieve a package from Jezebel's. Though Offred is concerned about going back, she agrees to do it. Offred convinces Waterford to bring her to Jezebel's once again that very night, with Nick driving them there once more. Offred wants to get to the bar where the package is hidden but Waterford brings her straight up to the room.

Ofdaniel has her first Ceremony night with her new Commander and becomes increasingly emotional and straight, eventually screaming at him to get off of her and retreating into a corner crying and pleading for Warren, claiming he's coming for her.

Offred has sex with Waterford, faking it the entire time. After he finishes, he brings Moira in, believing that Offred wanted to return due to a sexual attraction to her. Offred admits that they're friends but not like that. He allows them to catch up while he showers. Offred tells Moira about the package and asked her to retrieve it from her but Moira refuses, having been scared too much by her experiences to be willing to take a risk like that. Moira advises her to go home and do what they say. Offred is upset at Moira for giving up and being a coward, as well as going back on her promise that they'd find Hannah together. She pushes Moira to stay strong and fight but Moira still leaves.

Nick drives Waterford and Offred back home. Offred dreams of Moira, Luke, and Hannah before Serena wakes her and brings her to a nearby bridge. Ofdaniel is standing on the ledge after fleeing from her new home and sneaking into the Putnams to get baby Charlotte. The Putnams are there along with the Waterfords, Aunt Lydia, and numerous Gileadan guards. Lydia instructs Offred to go talk to Ofdaniel to try to save her and the baby she is holding, threatening to jump off. Ofdaniel has loudly accused Commander Putnam of taking advantage of her sexually and promising that he would leave his wife so they could all run away together and be a family. Offred talks to Ofdaniel to calm her, saying that they will all go out together and have fun once this is all over. Ofdaniel laments how no one will want to dance with her now that she has been disfigured. Ofdaniel asks Offred to jump off the bridge with her so they can all be free. Offred is able to convince Ofdaniel to give back baby Charlotte but Ofdaniel still jumps off the bridge afterward falling into the icy waters below. Mrs. Putnam takes the baby back while the guards are fish Ofdaniel out of the water and bring her to the hospital where she is in a coma. Aunt Lydia observes her sleeping form and calls her a "stupid girl".

Commander Putnam is taken into custody due to the accusations Ofdaniel made towards him when she was standing on the edge of the bridge. Serena attempts to comfort Mrs. Putnam and offers to help with the baby now that she is without her husband to help. But Mrs. Putnam refuses and tells Serena to worry about her own husband instead, saying everyone knows what happened with the first Offred and that men don't change. Serena returns home and heads to her husband's empty office.

Offred heads to the market, and is gives a package by the butcher that Moira retrieved from the bar at Jezebels and sent along to her. Moira kills a client at the brothel and steals his clothes and car which she uses to make her escape.

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Offred wakes in Nick's bed and ponders her affair and her conflicted emotions. She misses Luke but she also enjoys being with Nick and how it's the one good thing she has to enjoy when the rest of her life is hellish.

Flashbacks show Luke struggling to find work. A work counselor invites him out for coffee and tells him he isn't alone, inviting him to join a group called Sons of Jacob, with the promise of potential work. He was the driver and overheard the conversations that developed the idea for handmaids, the ceremony, etc. He was also the one that cut down the previous Offred from the ceiling after she killed herself. When her body was taken away by authorities, Serena says to her husband, "What do you think was going to happen?" Nick is eventually promoted to being an Eye when he reports a Commander for breaking protocol with his handmaids.

Commander Waterford brings Offred a dress and some makeup, also taking time to shave her legs in preparation for a night out together. Offred thinks to herself that this isn't the first time he's done this. Nick drives them out to Boston where they have dinner at an underground brothel prostitutes known as "Jezebels" work. Offred is shocked to find Moira working there but is overjoyed to have a brief reunion in the bathroom.

Nick gets alcohol from one of the brothel's Marthas by trading some drugs and pregnancy tests. The Commander brings Offred up to a room where the two seemingly have sex. She sneaks out of the room after he falls asleep and goes to search for Moira. When Offred finds Moira, she learns that Moira got the train and was working with some Quakers that were trying to help her escape but she ended up caught once again. Since she was deemed a corrupting influence, she wasn't brought back to where the other handmaids were held. She was given the choice to either be sent to the colonies or one of the brothels. She chose to stay at a brothel believing it to be a better, more free way of living than the colonies. Moira tells Offred to forget about escaping and that no one gets out of Gilead. Offred shares the revelation that Luke is alive and gives Moira her love, assuring her that they will get out.

Nick drives the Commander and Offred home. The Commander is reunited with Serena and Nick ends his affair with Offred, devastating her further. She asks why he's ending things and Nick says it's too dangerous to carry on or else they may end up on a wall. Offred says that being remembered by someone that cares is something meaningful. Nick tells her his name is Nick Blaine and he's from Michigan but Offred leaves, still angry. She begins to head upstairs but is stopped by Serena who presents her with a gift: a music box with a key she had as a child growing up. Offred thanks her and brings it upstairs to her room, where she scratches a message of her own into the wall: You are not alone.

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The story of Luke's journey after he was separated from June and Lucy is shown. After he sent them into the woods, he took a gun out from the trunk of the car and scrambles to try to load the chamber with bullets. Armed Gileadan guards in black vans drive up and shoot him once in the abdomen. He is loaded into an ambulance but it crashes off the road and flips upside down. He is spared from further injury due to his being strapped to a gurney. He frees himself and runs away with some supplies from the ambulance to treat his injury as well as a gun from one of the guards that was riding in it as well.

In a flashback to before they were chased down by guards, Luke and June met with a man, Mr. Whitford, who was supposed to help them escape. Whitford was a friend of June's mother. The three of them need to cram in and hide in the trunk while Whitford drive them out to a remote cabin in the woods where they are hiding out until Whitford can get them their visas to escape to Canada. A hunter visits them to bring the warning that Whitford has been caught and hanged by guards but he offers to help them get over the border.

Luke finds an abandoned home to take shelter in and passes out from his injuries. A group of resistance members who have all been classified as "undesirables" according to Gilead find him on their way to Canada. They initially don't trust him, believing him to be a Gilead guard. But when they see his injuries they agree he is on their side and bring him onto their bus. The group includes a Roman Catholic nun (Christine), a handmaid who escaped captivity, a gay man (Peter), and a daughter of a US army soldier (Lilah). Luke doesn't want to be part of the resistance but when they reach the next stop, one of the other survivors, Zoe, shows him some hanged locals that the Gileadan guards strung up from the rather of the church ceiling. They were punished for resisting Gilead. Luke is horrified and nauseated but once he regains his bearings he decides to join the resistance. They prepare to board a boat but Gileadan guards arrive and begin shooting at the party, killing several members. Luke and the mute blonde woman are able to survive and escape.

Three years later, they are both living safely in "Little America," a haven located in Toronto, Ontario. In the administrative office, countless missing person flyers are posted. Luke comes in to meet with a supervisor, bringing along a folder of information to help the cause. The woman asks him if he knows a woman named June Osborne. Luke identifies her as his wife. The woman hands him an envelope containing the message from June. It's the small slip of paper that reads "I love you so much. Save Hannah." The woman says the message was retrieved three weeks ago by one of their contacts in the Mexican government. Luke is overcome to learn that June is seemingly still alive and asks for a moment alone to deal with the emotions of this revelation.

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The handmaids are tasked with cleaning up the city in preparation of some Mexican delegates that will be visiting the city to create partnerships in trade and observe the mechanics of the Gilead cultural movement. The delegates will be visiting the Waterford home and they are determined to make a good impression. Serena warns Offred that she may be asked questions about their existence and that she must speak well of her circumstances. Serena recalls her life with Fred before the movement. They were still deeply religious and trying to have a baby.

Offred is brought in to meet the Mexican delegation, the head of which is a woman who asks Offred questions about her position as a handmaid. She maintains her composure and claims to have found happiness. The head, Mrs. Castillo, also asks the other wives of different Commanders about their lives at Gilead and all claim to be happy with it. Castillo references a quote, "Do not mistake a woman's meekness for weakness," which is from a book called A Woman's Place, that Serena wrote before Gilead. She was also a passionate speaker in the conservative culture movement and even was arrested for inciting violence. Fred had been encouraging of Serena's ideas and her interest in putting them together to write a new book. They were instrumental in orchestrating the Gilead takeover and believed they were doing God's work.

Nick and Offred continue their passionate affair. He steals a kiss when no one is looking. Offred visits the Commander in his office again and he excuses her when she is distracted and unfocused on what he is saying. She is about to leave but then apologises, asking if she can stay there with him. He summons her back and tells her to kiss him like she means it. She kisses him, still rather chastely, and he excuses her again to get some sleep. Offred aggressively brushes her teeth.

The handmaids are gathered to prepare for a party that will honour Gilead and put on a good show for the foreign delegates. Serena orders all the disfigured (because of the punishments) handmaids to be taken away. They are not allowed to attend the party, which even Aunt Lydia objects to but goes along with anyway, promising to bring Janine back a tray of desserts. The remaining handmaids are ushered in to the party.

After the takeover was enacted, Serena was shut out of the official government hearings that she helped bring about in the first place. At the party, she introduces the children of Gilead who are all brought in to be tools of propaganda for the movement. Another handmaid tells Offred that the trade deal is actually going to be about trading the handmaids, as they are what's considered most valuable in this society.

Offred visits Nick and vents her fears and frustrations regarding her circumstances. She angrily tells him not to call her Offred and he agrees to call her June in private from now on.

The delegates are preparing to leave and Offred tells the head the truth about the brutality of Gilead, the threats and punishments to do with the rules in place, and how she is raped every month when she is fertile. She was trying to escape but was caught first and had her daughter taken away. This life was not her choice and she pleads with them to do something. The Mexican ambassador reveals that there's nothing she can do to help with the situation, as her own country is dying with no new births in her own city having happened in six years. Offred insists that they are not objects to be traded, but human beings. The ambassador steps away to speak with the Commander. The assistant tells Offred that he doesn't know where her daughter is but reveals personal information her husband to prove that he knows him and that he's alive. He offers to get a message to him but they don't have much time for her to write whatever she wants to be sent to him.

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Offred continues to play Scrabble with Commander Waterford. He likes it when she flirts and she likes it when he lets her win. He even shares his alcohol with her and gifts her a woman's magazine. She is shocked, as they were said to have all been destroyed. It's now allowed for her to read but she says she is allowed with him. In a flashback, June recalls meeting her husband for the first time and the instant attraction that was there. In the present she is pondering if Nick is attracted to her.

Serena calls Offred outside and reveals some suspicions she has about the Commander being sterile. She wants to try having Offred be with another man to see if it will result in a pregnancy. Officially, it's forbidden but there are stories of other men being used to impregnate handmaids when the man is infertile. The Commander doesn't know about this plan but Serena wants to have Nick be the one to do it, since it's someone they trust and reveals that he has already agreed to participate. Offred begrudgingly agrees too, with Serena saying they will do it that day after the shopping.

At the grocery store, Offred and the other handmaids see that Emily (the old Ofglen) is back. Offred approaches her to see how she is doing. Emily is now known as Ofsteven and admits she was taken but is back now. She is now detached and isn't part of the resistance anymore, which is named "Mayday". She left after what happened to her, believing it to be too dangerous to continue helping. The new Ofglen warns Offred to not get mixed up in anything that will bring her down too, as she likes her new existence relative to her old life of being a drug addict turning tricks for a fix.

Serena escorts Offred to the adjacent property where Nick's room is. Offred ponders why this act feels more like cheating on her husband Luke then the ceremony sessions with the Commander. She remembers the first time she had sex with him. Nick gets on top of Offred and has detached, Ceremony-like sex with her. She briefly touches his arm during the act but Serena doesn't notice.

That night, the Commander has sex again with Offred and when he observes that his wife isn't paying attention to the act, he begins to stare at Offred and puts his hand on her thigh. She visits him later and orders him to never do that again because she could end up being sent to the colony or worse if Serena were to see. He apologises and agrees not to do it again. He offers her a drink, which she declines, and then the magazine again. They have a conversation about their philosophical ideals, with the Commander revealing that when they made changes to build a better world, they always knew that it wouldn't be better for everyone. He also reveals that Ofglen had genital mutilation surgery.

Offred leaves and is so nauseated by the conversation that she throws up in the kitchen. Nick comes in apologises to her for their earlier interaction, saying that when Serena asked him, he knew he couldn't say no. She asks him if he knew about what happened to Ofglen and whether he's an Eye and he says yes to both.

June and Luke are revealed to have been having an affair, as Luke was already married. But what was meant to be casual developed into them falling in love and Luke agreed to leave his wife for her.

Offred visits an open-air market and spots Ofsteven, whom she questions about the resistance group, Mayday. She tells Offred to find Mayday and be the one to help them, as she can no longer be the one to do so. She reveals that Emily is her real name but Offred is pulled away before she can share hers too. Emily steals a car and begins to drive around before she is surrounded by guards. She backs up and hits one and runs him over, killing him in a vibrant display of blood and flesh being sprayed. Then she's pulled out of the car and taken away in a black van. The new Ofglen walks Offred home and promises her things will be okay and that they'll look out for one another.

That night, Offred thinks about how Emily couldn't have everything taken away. She still had the will to fight even after such horrific treatment and mutilation. She then sneaks out and goes to Nick's place. He lets her in and the two have passionate sex.

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Offred has been banished to her room for thirteen days. The door isn't locked but she knows the consequences will be worse if she disobeys. She goes into the closet and discovers a Latin phrase scratched into the wall which reads "Nolite Te Bastardes Carborunorum". She theorises that it's a message for her from the previous Offred.

In a flashback, June and Moira speak to each other in the toilet and plan to escape. The punishment for them to be writing is revealed to be the loss of a hand or at the very least a finger.

Rita, the housekeeper, finds Offred lying down in the closet where she is staring at the written words and Offred claims to have fainted. Serena brings Offred to the hospital to have a check-up, with Nick driving the car. Offred is elated to finally be able to step outside where there is fresh air despite the heavy rainfall.

In another flashback, Aunt Lydia instructs the handmaidens on the logistics of "Ceremony" that they will be participating in each month where they lie between the legs of the wives of the husbands that will rape them to try to conceive a child.

At the hospital a physician examines Offred. He invites her to speak freely about her circumstances but she refrains from doing so. The physician speculates that the Commander may be sterile since most of 'those' men are. The physician offers to impregnate her, saying that the Waterfords will blame her for a lack of pregnancy and not him. She declines the offer, saying it's too dangerous but thanks him. He leaves her to ponder what will come next.

On the drive home, Offred angrily beats on the car windows and shouts out her frustrations. Nick says nothing until they arrive, where he tells her he's sorry for what's happening to her. When Offred returns to Serena, she apologises profusely and pleads to be let out but she is ordered to go back to her room where she speaks to the carved words, asking how to survive Serena's wrath.

In the past, June lured Aunt Elizabeth to the bathroom by claiming a toilet has overflowed. Moira threatens her with a shiv and they bring her to the basement. After taking the Aunt's clothes, they tie her up to keep her from alerting the others of what they've done. Moira threatens the Aunt but ultimately leaves her unharmed, saying to always remember that she didn't enact revenge for what the Handmaids have faced. Moira is dressed as the Aunt and brings June with her out of the facility. They are searching for a way to Boston, where there are safehouses they can find shelter in. They head to a train station and Moira stops to ask a guard for directions. June is approached by a different guard that is suspicious of her being alone, since handmaids always travel in pairs. The correct train arrives and Moira is able to board but June is not. June smiles knowingly at June to ensure she doesn't harbour any animosity to her for being able to get away while she could not. June is brought back to the facility where he feet are whipped as punishment.

At the ceremony, the Commander is unable to get himself aroused and leaves without any sexual contact. Serena follows after him, offering to help him. Her attempts to arouse him are ultimately unsuccessful and Offred is excused back to her room.

The Commander wanted to have another game of Scrabble so Offred secretly goes downstairs to play, having surmised that the Commander needs to connect to be able to perform. When she finds a book on Latin in the Commander's collection, she asks him about the meaning of the Latin phrase she had found scratched on the wall. She wonders if her predecessor had also been invited to this room and if something bad happened to her. He tells Offred the phrase means "Don't let the bastards grind you down". Offred wins the game and is invited to play again the following night after the Ceremony. The Commander reveals that the previous Offred is dead and that she killed herself by hanging from the ceiling because she found life unbearable. He doesn't want Offred's life to also be unbearable. Offred plays up how hard it has been to be locked in solitary confinement, musing how she may feel inclined to give up if she stays in there much longer. The Commander proceeds to release Offred from her punishment.

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