June being summoned under mysterious circumstances, then, doesn’t exactly portend good things.
(Nick, ever the loyal driver, is also along for the trip.)
“Offred, I’ve given it some thought,” she says.
Credit: George Kraychyk/Hulu
“You’ll be leaving the house as soon as the baby is born.”
“I think we’ve all had more than enough of one another, don’t you?”
June’s heartbroken, but on that point, she can only nod her head.
Luke, understandably, is overcome with rage.
Fred’s in Canada on official business and the Canadian government will hear him out.
The episode’s most striking scene comes next, and it’s virtually wordless.
At one moment, for no particular reason, she audibly gasps.
(Fred’s discomfort is a joy to watch there.)
Serena tries laughing it off.
Back at the hotel, she waits for an elevator beside a mom and her daughter.
Serena offers them the first trip, and says, “Blessings to you.”
It’s her standard form of greeting.
They look at her like she’s insane.
She moves to the bar, ordering a glass of Riesling before a man smoking cigarettes approaches her.
One could mistake his interest for flirtatiousness, but Serena’s too familiar with the gawking.
She shakes it off.
“I’m afraid I didn’t pack for the beach,” she quips.
“So far, all you’ve offered me is treason and coconuts.”
What the man responds can’t help but sting: “That’s not your child.”
As for the fate of that child: June is struggling to come to terms with it.
It wasn’t my fault."
Luke finally locks eyes with Fred and goes after him, shouting, “You raped my wife.”
They all see the picture Luke is holdingthey know exactly who he is, Nick included.
That night, Nick heads to the bar where Luke is drinking his pain away and sits beside him.
Luke recognizes him and tries running him off but Nick doesn’t budge.
“I know June,” he confesses.
“She’s my friend.”
Luke recognizes in Nick a humanity and realizes he’s there as an ally, not an enemy.
Nick is there on a mission, howeverto finally put those letters from Jezebel to good use.
He gives them to Luke and leaves, promising to look out for June.
Or maybe they can.
(Seriously, the ridiculously timely real-world parallels of this episode are almost eerie.)
June is overwhelmed by the news.
Their emotional reality is unendingly complicated.
And Nick does the right thing.
But June isn’t considering Airbnb reviews anymore.
She’s charged with optimismand hope.
