10 saddest episodes of the handmaid's story

Based mostly on the seminal novel of the identical title by Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid's Story It's darkish by design. Set within the dystopian world of Gilead, June Osborne (Elizabeth Moss), now generally known as OfFred, joins the household of a commander and his spouse. She turns into his servant, a lady enslaved for the only function of bearing a baby for the household she serves. The present by no means shies away from portraying the horrors of this oppressive regimewith harrowing scenes showing in virtually each episode of each season.

Some The Handmaid's Story the episodes, nonetheless, handle to search out much more buttons to push, leaving viewers deeply unhappy and disturbed. With the loss of life of many beloved characters, scenes of torture and sacrifice, every season brings with it extra wrestle. Flashback scenes of how this complete actuality hit too near dwelling, particularly contemplating the present state of the world. However, even on this harsh actuality, a number of the characters are able to exhibiting unimaginable energy and the way far they are going to have the ability to go to outlive.

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S2.E2 "No Ladies"

The horrors of the colonies

This episode belongs firmly to Emily (Alexis Bledel), who's banished to a lifetime of harrowing handbook labor in the poisonous desert that's the Colonies. After his “experience” that left some individuals run over, viewers had no thought what occurred to this rebellious character, however within the second episode of season two, they lastly came upon.

Together with an all-new storyline that entails Marisa Tomei as a commander's spouse banished for "sins of the flesh," there are a collection of heartbreaking flashbacks that present Emily having to say goodbye to her household. Seeing the ache in Bledel's expressive blue eyes as she watches her household take the escalator makes what she finally ends up doing to Tomei's character a little bit extra comprehensible.

In the meantime, June, who escaped from the Waterford home, is hiding within the outdated Boston Globe workplace, assessing the state of the deserted constructing. She comes throughout discarded sneakers, unfinished espresso cups, and bullet holes within the partitions. The scenes of carnage that should have occurred right here can simply be imagined.

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S2.E12, "Postpartum"

Eden's loss of life scene

On the finish of the season, the stakes get increased and better. Whereas Serena (Yvonne Strahovski) tries to benefit from the pleased second with “her” new child child, June is stored away, informed to pump breast milk solely when essential. The ache she feels on the considered by no means seeing the kid that was created from her and Nick's love is insufferable, and the looming inevitability of her subsequent posting weighs closely on her thoughts.

Serena Pleasure's inner wrestle to let June return to her dwelling can also be tough to observe. The fleeting smile they share on the finish is stuffed with so many conflicting emotions, that not even the characters themselves know which of them to carry on to.

One of the vital tragic victims of Gilead's iron fist is Eden (Sydney Sweeney)going through trial for adultery. Her pure coronary heart and her blind religion on this oppressive system that created her is what makes her destiny that rather more painful. She doesn't consider she did something unsuitable and needed to deliver a baby into the world, simply as she was informed was her obligation. As she and her fellow sinner die in agony on the backside of the pool, the scene is stuffed with magnificence and anguish.

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S3.E9, "Heroic"

A maid on the sting

As June is ordered to sit down beside the physique of OfMatthew (Ashleigh LeThrop) who's being stored alive as a type of human incubatorshe slowly descends into insanity. Her guilt over being a part of what precipitated her fellow servant to lash out the way in which she did, in addition to the way in which her stays have been being handled have been an excessive amount of for the heroine in addition to the viewers. She needed to observe fixed invasive procedures that had no regard for the particular person she as soon as was.

The episode revolves round June's ideas, which change into much less and fewer coherent as she is compelled to observe her former strolling companion's physique carry the child inside her to time period. The allegory about what was occurring on display with the state of affairs in lots of locations all over the world can't be missed, and the realism of it makes the episode not simply unhappy, however extraordinarily scary.

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S5.E7 "No Man's Land"

June vs. June Serena

The 2 bitter adversaries are compelled into an unattainable state of affairs meaning they should work collectively in some of the dramatic episodes of The Handmaid's Story season 5. One strongly pregnant Serena Pleasure attempting to flee the oppressive household she is staying withand holds June at gunpoint in his getaway automotive.

As destiny would have it, this was the time she went into labor, and her life is now within the arms of the Handmaid she beforehand abused. Not simply hers, however her son's as properly. In an intense hour of tv, the characters should attempt to overcome the hatred that also burns between them, whereas June tries to avoid wasting mom and son.

Delivery itself is tough, particularly within the circumstancesand Serena's worry of getting her child taken away is deeply ironic, contemplating who she helped on the time. The fantastic thing about this exceptionally tragic present lies within the performances of its proficient solid. Any scenes between Strahovski and Moss are at all times intense, so having a full episode of those girls coping with their demons brings dwelling many feelings.

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S2.E10 "The Final Ceremony"

The painful reunion

There are various disturbing episodes of The Handmaid's Story, containing scenes that provoke emotions of dread, worry and loathing, however this one appears to have a couple of lined up, one after the opposite. From the opening scene of a dissociated Emily taking part in her month-to-month "ceremony", to the Waterford household making ready for the start, and naturally essentially the most tough to observe scene the place Fred (Joseph Fiennes) and Serena attempt to "induce" June's labor by sexually assaulting her.

Including to this, the cruelty of each Waterfords each time June tries to ask for even a modicum of kindness is a slap within the face. However as they select to name June a “deal with” after inflicting her bodily and emotional misery, she is taken to see her daughter Hannah (Jordana Blake) and was allowed to speak to her and even hug her. This reunion is nearly insufferable. From the juxtaposition of this reunion to the preliminary separation between the 2, to Hannah's response and the plea that June "ought to have tried tougher", there may be a variety of heartache on display with each beat.

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S1.E6 "A Lady's Place"

Silent Glimpses of Hope

A theme of longing and resignation dominates this episode. June and Nick start a harmful affair, and the lust and must be in one another's presence is tough for each of them to bear. Any scene when they're collectively is stuffed with ache for what might be and the worry they've of dropping what little love they're allowed to have.

The second of ardour they've earlier than June has to renew her duties with Fred looks as if the one escape they've from the fact during which they discover themselves. It's much more of a intestine punch when it seems that Luke (OT Fagbenle) is definitely alive. The opposite theme that evokes many emotions of unhappiness is the go to of the Mexican delegation, which appears to deliver a false sense of hope.

As June tries to clarify what it's actually like in Gilead, she is shut down and informed that at the very least the start charges are excessive. When Janine (Madeline Brewer) hopes to attend a sublime dinner for the maids, she is compelled to go away due to her look. All these little moments add as much as a variety of ache and unhappiness.

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T3.E6 "Household"

Washington in ruins

So many issues contribute to the darkish environment of this episode. The seemingly pleased household lifetime of Commander Winslow (Christopher Meloni) and his spouse (Elizabeth Reaser) exhibits what number of maids and ceremonies it took to fill their dwelling with so many youngsters.

Maids in Washington have their mouths coatedwhich looks as if a nasty sufficient idea till it's revealed precisely what's hiding beneath the material snout. There are such a lot of symbolic photographs on this episode, which is what makes it so deeply unhappy. Then there are the views of a post-war Washington DC, full with a decapitated Lincoln Memorial.

It's there that one other standoff between June and Serena happens, vitriol swirling between the 2 bitter enemies with each merciless phrase they utter. It's a nail within the coffin of any hope of loyalty between the 2 girls, and a really apt situation to reveal it. We are able to solely think about what occurred within the capital for it to fall into ruins like this.

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T4.E9 "Progress"

Private ache

With so many horrible atrocities occurring in Gilead in each episode, there's quite a bit to be unhappy about. However generally it's the silent moments between characters, the moments that present they're human once more, that harm essentially the most. Quite a bit occurs on this episode, with Fred getting a proposal to assist the US authorities, Serena fearing dropping her child after giving start, and Esther (Mackenna Grace) now a part of the Crimson Heart underneath the gaze of Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd).

As a part of an settlement, June and Nichole handle to satisfy Nick nose to nose. This loving household solely will get to spend a couple of moments collectively, and every of these moments is stuffed with unhappiness. From the 2 ex-lovers' eager for one another and their desires of operating away to Hawaii, to the truth that Nick even helps June discover Hannah, it's clear there's a lot love there that may't be explored. The ultimate straw is the cutaway scene of Nick placing on his wedding ceremony ring.

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S4.E3 "The Crossing"

The handmaids attempt to run

June was recaptured and confronted many alternative types of torture. Because of a variety of bodily abuse, verbal abuse and fixed psychological torment, she is taken to see Hannah. The sight of her beloved firstborn daughter in a cage is nearly an excessive amount of for a personality who has already endured a lot.

Elisabeth Moss is ready to convey this all-encompassing ache in an unparalleled method, and each time June must dig even deeper than she ever thought doable, the viewers is correct there together with her. This episode additionally sees many beloved characters die within the saddest method.

Because the maids the viewers has identified because the first season race towards freedom; With their arms tied however with a lot hope of their eyes, spectators are understandably rooting for them to make it to security. With flashback scenes of the ladies bonding on the Crimson Heart and reminiscences of every part they've been via collectively filling viewers with a momentary want for every part to be okay, a rushing prepare brings every part to a disastrous finish.

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S1.E3 "Late"

Merciless from begin to end

Going down very early within the collection, this episode introduced an extra emotional layer to the world of The Handmaid's Story. Ofglen, or Emily, who appeared to be a beacon of hope for Offred/June, suffers essentially the most on this specific episode.

Whereas the general public was nonetheless getting used to the horrible issues that occurred in Gilead, some very becoming flashback scenes confirmed the way it all startedand all these little moments have an air of familiarity that makes them scary. Nevertheless, it's the lengthy scene of Emily's destiny in The Handmaid's Story these are a number of the saddest minutes in tv historical past.

As she is taken away and convicted of "gender betrayal", she and her lover spend a short second within the van. With their mouths gagged and their arms handcuffed, the 2 can solely talk via their eyes. Alexic Bledel's efficiency is extra like her Emmy-winning efficiency, just like the silent scream she produces when she sees her companion unceremoniously hanged It's quite a bit to cope with.