Spoilers ahead for The Handmaid’s Tale Season 4, Episode 6 “Vows”
After an extended wait, The Handmaid’s Tale returned to Hulu for Season 4, bringing fans back into Gilead in the process. It’s been an unprecedented season in many ways, and Episode 6 has broken new ground for the acclaimed series. June is officially free in Canada, and was seen reuniting with her husband Luke (O.T. Fagbenle). And now the actor has explained how this will affect the rest of Season 4.
After four and a half seasons, the newest episode of The Handmaid’s Tale finally accomplished the impossible: June got out of Gilead. She definitely put up a fight, revealing to Moira that she was scared to face Luke without Hannah. Actor O.T. Fagnbenle recently spoke to the new dynamic between the couple now that June is in Canada, saying:
He’s been desperate to connect with her and to have a teammate in trying to get their daughter back, but he kind of finds someone who’s really been damaged by what she’s been through and also grown in many ways — in her leadership and a desire for vengeance in a way. He has to contend with that and figure out a way to be with it or not be with it. That’s kind of key to their relationship going forward.
Looks like The Handmaid's Tale fans are going to have to keep tissues ready for the remaining four episodes of Season 4. Because while we’re all ready for Elisabeth Moss’ June to exhale now that she’s free from the terror of Gilead, that doesn’t mean she’ll be at peace. We’ll just have to wait and see how her various personal relationships shake out in the coming weeks.
O.T. Fagbenle’s comments to TV Insider help peel back the curtain on The Handmaid’s Tale Season 4. The cast and crew had only begun filming when the set was shut down, and the season was no doubt influenced by new health and safety protocols. We’ve been away from June’s posting as a Handmaid all season, and now we’re out of the country altogether.
June has become a different person as a result of her time on The Handmaid’s Tale. She’s now capable of things like murder, and has an endless supply of physical and emotional trauma to deal with. Later in that same interview, O.T. Fagbenle further spoke about how this trauma will serve as a block between Luke and his wife. As he put it,
A lot of what Luke has to try and figure out is who June is post these most traumatic experiences that she’s been through.
While Luke has been waiting years to finally reunite with his wife, it’s unclear how they’ll be able to connect after all that June has been through. Their first scene showed how uneasy the two characters are with each other, and this is a dynamic that should be fascinating to see play out on screen.
With June officially out of Gilead, there’s no telling where The Handmaids’ Tale will go next. June should be in for a marathon of reunions, including Emily and Rita. And with the Waterfords both in custody, she might get the chance to confront them as well.
The Handmaid’s Tale airs new episodes Wednesday on Hulu. In the meantime, check out the summer premiere list to plan your next binge watch.
