Since it's premiere on Hulu, The Handmaid's Tale has followed June and those her story intertwines with through many different trials in and out of Gilead. Based on the novel by Margaret Atwood, the show tells the story of a dystopian future America (Gilead) that has fallen to the Sons of Jacob, an ultra-conservative political group of oppressors.
The Handmaid's Tale has been critically acclaimed, winning a Golden Globe, three Emmy's, and a BAFTA. It's quite popular with audiences as well, and here we've compiled the top 10 episodes of the series (so far), according to IMDb ratings.
10 A Woman's Place (Season 1, Episode 6) - 8.8
The Waterfords are hosting delegates from Mexico to discuss trade, and June is warned not to say anything that could tip them off to the humanitarian crisis occurring in Gilead. Serena Joy is reminiscing about her relationship with Fred and her role in the creation of Gilead as she yearns for the power she once held.
All of this is happening just as June has begun a relationship with Nick. Though she's unable to alert the diplomats to the horrors going on in the presence of the Waterfords, June manages to briefly speak to the Mexican President. She's unable to offer any aid, but her assistant passes a message along to June: her husband is alive.
9 The Bridge (Season 1, Episode 9) - 8.8
The trouble in this episode begins when Jeanine (played brilliantly by Madeline Brewer) is forced to give her baby to the family who raped her and held her captive. She's reassigned to the home of another Commander, which makes the permanence of the separation from her child all too real. This all culminates in Jeanine making a desperate decision. She steals her baby back and stands on the railing of a bridge, threatening to jump and kill them both. June is able to talk her into giving her the baby, but Jeanine jumps off the bridge anyway.
Meanwhile, June has decided she wants to be involved in Mayday, the underground resistance group trying to dismantle Gilead. She's tasked with picking up a message from Jezebel's, which means she has to convince Fred to take her. She's able to get the message, but her rash action leads Serena to begin to suspect that something is going on between her and Fred.
8 Women's Work (Season 2, Episode 8) - 8.8
"Women's Work" is centered around baby Angela's sickness. If there's one thing Serena cares about outside of herself, it's children, and she plans to do everything in her power for the baby's health - even if that means breaking the law she helped create.
June convinces Aunt Lydia to allow Jeanine to see her baby one last time, as it seems she will die from her illness. Jeanine's presence ends up miraculously helping in Angela's recovery, but Serena will have to pay a price for going against her husband.
7 June (Season 2, Episode 1) - 8.9
"June" is a violent opener for a season that somehow feels even more violent than the first. The audience picked up right where they left off, as June discovers that all of the Handmaids that refused to stone Jeanine are being round up in a stadium, seemingly for execution. It's only a scare tactic by Aunt Lydia, who wants to frighten them into submission.
June is pregnant and goes to her first doctor's appointment. When she's given a moment alone, she escapes the hospital through a path that's been set up for her. Nick has found a way out for her and their baby, and June is on the run. Season two had an interesting task, as it marked the official departure from any published source material before Margaret Atwood released The Testaments.
6 First Blood (Season 2, Episode 6) - 8.9
Following a mental break that nearly resulted in a miscarriage, June is taken to a doctor, who informs her that both she and the baby will be fine with a less stressful environment. Serena, frightened for the baby she plans to steal, starts being unexpectedly kind to June. Meanwhile, Fred is overseeing the construction and unveiling of a new Red Center.
June tries to take advantage of Serena's brief kindness and asks to see her daughter, Hannah. Serena refuses, but Fred uses this as a way to try to get close to June by giving her a picture of the daughter she hasn't seen in years. Nick is forced to consummate his relationship with Eden, and Fred is involved in an attack on his new Red Center, orchestrated by Mayday.
5 Smart Power (Season 2, Episode 9) - 9.0
In "Smart Power," the Waterfords travel to Canada to open trade negotiations. There, Serena is met with a cold reception from Canadian citizens, but meets a government official who offers her freedom in exchange for secrets about Gilead. Yvonne Strahovski does an amazing job of making audiences feel sympathy for her, even as her actions on the show prove time and time again that she is a monster.
When Moira spots Fred on TV, she tells Luke he's the one raping June, and they catch Nick's attention when they protest the Waterford's arrival. Nick finds Luke later and gives him the letters June got at Jezebel's. Luke releases them, and their contents quickly turn the last sympathetic ears against Gilead, forcing the Waterfords to leave empty-handed.
4 Night (Season 1, Episode 10) - 9.1
"Night" is the culmination of a great first season in one fantastic episode. Serena has discovered Fred's relationship with June, and, of course, takes it out on June, who finds out she's pregnant. The Handmaids are told they must stone Jeanine to death for putting her baby's life in danger, which they refuse to do.
Led by June, they each drop their rocks and passively resist the punishment. The end of the season is similar to the end of the book, with Nick telling June to trust him as she's taken into the back of a van, completely unsure of her future.
3 The Last Ceremony (Season 2, Episode 10) - 9.1
The Handmaid's Tale is a great show, but it's often difficult to watch. This is especially true of "The Last Ceremony," which contains particularly brutal scenes. Serena is angry that June hasn't had the baby yet because she wants her out of her house. What she and Fred do drives Fred to feel he must do something to make amends with June. He has Nick take her to see Hannah.
Elizabeth Moss is heartbreakingly perfect in the scene where June speaks to her daughter, who was just five when they were separated. Watching her have to let her child go again is one of the most emotional moments on the show, so far.
2 Liars (Season 3, Episode 11) - 9.3
Season three has June deciding that her purpose, while she's stuck in Gilead, will be to free as many children as she can. She has Commander Lawrence take her to Jezebel's, where she's told there's a contact who can help her procure a plane. The trip turns out to be highly dangerous, and June kills a man to avoid rape, complicating her efforts to remain discreet in her planning.
Meanwhile, Fred and Serena are taking a joy ride to the Canadian border, where they think officials will help them steal back the baby they took from June. It's a trap, and in one of the most feel-good moments of the show, Fred and Serena are arrested for their many, many crimes.
1 Mayday (Season 3, Episode 13) - 9.4
The season three finale marked a high point for fans, as it had June and her allies pulling off the biggest rescue mission yet for Mayday. The tension increases throughout the episode, as various complications occur that throw the success of the plan into doubt.
The children are ultimately transported safely to Canada, but June is shot while trying to distract a guardian. Serena betrays Fred for a chance to have a relationship with June's daughter, but is finally arrested herself and stripped of all privileges when it's revealed the role she'd really played in June's torment. Fans are once again left with a cliffhanger and wonder where season four will pick up.
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