THE HANDMAID’S TALE Season 4: Slowly Gains Its Confidence Back

The last time we saw June (Elisabeth Moss), Gilead’s number one public enemy, things are both looking good and very bad. Good because she managed to send around 80 children from Gilead to Canada, and bad because it looks like she was going to die while doing her mission. But of course, no one surprise at this point, June didn’t die. She lives to fight for another day after her fellow handmaids perform an impromptu surgery and bring her to a safe house owned by a 14-year-old wife, the unpredictable Mrs. Keyes (Mckenna Grace).

The first two episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale’s newest season take place in this safe house. And for a little while, it looks like the show is just gonna repeat its previous two seasons, focusing on June as she’s experiencing a monotone Groundhog day-like life in Gilead while being subjected to so many tortures — a frustration that’s been expressed by so many people since the show’s sophomore season. But even though some of it is true, that the show still has repetitive storylines, there’s also big progress that happens this season. Instead of only zooming in on the horror in Gilead, much like season two and three, season four decides to delve even deeper into June and the resistance’s fighting spirit as they try to bring down Gilead once and for all. And for a show largely known for its unbearable bleakness, that’s a pleasant surprise.

A Warm Welcome

The warmest welcome of the season, however, is the way the show examines the meaning of freedom and the traumatic impact of Gilead that the characters have to face. In June’s case, she’s changed from someone who wants to bring justice into a cold-blooded killer. Rita (Amanda Brugel) may say in one of the episodes that Gilead has brought out the best in June, but she’s not exactly correct. Instead of doing exactly what she sets out to do in the beginning, trying to save her daughter Hannah (Jordana Blake) and bring down Gilead strategically, June, time and time again, takes the wrong step, killing people just for the sake of killing them without thinking of the consequences.

It’s her friends Janine (Madeline Brewer) and Alma (Nina Kiri) who, in the end, keep trying to reel June back in anytime she does something stupid and dangerous and remind her about what she needs to do if she wants to survive and reunite with her daughter. But June being June, of course, doesn’t listen. In fact, throughout the first half of the season, she keeps being selfish and putting everyone in danger. At first, this may seem a little frustrating, but the show has done a marvelous job at justifying June’s actions and making us understand why she does what she does. And Moss is always up for the job in bringing sympathy in between June’s rage.

While June’s efforts at putting her revenge plan into action is always thrilling to watch, the season’s most intimate moments happen in Canada. Rita, who has just arrived, is having a hard time enjoying her new life. She questions her faith and herself and even struggles to enjoy a simple life pleasure. Emily (Alexis Bledel) hasn’t been doing so good either, she’s still finding it tough to be intimate with her wife. And while Moira (Samira Wiley) has seemed like she’s re-integrated herself really well into society, there’s still some kind of trauma and guilt that she harbors inside. Every one of these women has had to endure Gilead, but even with the freedom offered by their new home in Canada, the trauma and the horror are still haunting them every day. It’s fascinating to see the show delves into this territory even deeper this season.

The Nitty Gritty

While much has improved compared to the previous two seasons, this season of The Handmaid’s Tale still has some narrative flaws, and the biggest of them is the lack of focus. There are at least four storylines that the show focuses on in season four: one revolves around June, one is about the ex-Gilead women in Canada trying to rebuild their lives, another one is a not-so-interesting legal drama involving Fred (Joseph Fiennes) and Serena Joy (the always excellent Yvonne Strahovski), and then there’s also a plotline focusing on the notorious Aunt Lydia (Ann D0wd), Joseph Lawrence (Bradley Whitford), and Nick (Max Minghella), yet not all of them coheres completely.

Some key characters are just sorta there, without much to do. And while the actors, especially Moss, Dowd, and Strahovski, always give memorable performances, it’s hard to fully understand what’s the motivation behind their characters this season. That the pace between one storyline and the others does not always feel entirely in tune makes the season all the more flawed. The writers seem to struggle to bring all the storylines into one because they feel reluctant to drop some of the plots that do not feel that important to tell anymore.

Yet, in spite of all those shortcomings, The Handmaid’s Tale remains one of the most beautifully shot and directed shows right now. And perhaps, that, along with the performances from the actors and the thrilling sensation of watching June trying to destroy Gilead, is enough to keep you hooked this season.

What do you think will happen to June this season? Let us know in the comments below!

The first three episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale season 4 premieres this Wednesday on Hulu.