10 saddest episodes of the handmaid's story

Primarily based 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 often known as OfFred, joins the household of a commander and his spouse. She turns into his servant, a girl enslaved for the only real 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 seek out much more buttons to push, leaving viewers deeply unhappy and disturbed. With the demise of many beloved characters, scenes of torture and sacrifice, every season brings with it extra wrestle. Flashback scenes of how this entire 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'll be capable 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 guide labor in the poisonous desert that's the Colonies. After his “journey” that left some individuals run over, viewers had no concept 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 sequence 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 bit of 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In the meantime, June, who escaped from the Waterford home, is hiding within the outdated Boston Globe workplace, assessing the state of the deserted constructing.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 will need to have occurred right here can simply be imagined.

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S2.E12, "Postpartum"

Eden's demise scene

On the finish of the season, the stakes get increased and better. Whereas Serena (Yvonne Strahovski) tries to benefit from the comfortable second with “her” new child child, June is stored away, informed to pump breast milk solely when vital. 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 be tough to observe. The fleeting smile they share on the finish is crammed 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)dealing with 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 wished to carry a baby into the world, simply as she was informed was her responsibility. As she and her fellow sinner die in agony on the backside of the pool, the scene is crammed with magnificence and anguish.

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S3.E9, "Heroic"

A maid on the sting

As June is ordered to take a seat 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 best way she did, in addition to the best way her stays had been being handled had 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 grow to be much less and fewer coherent as she is pressured to observe her former strolling associate's physique carry the newborn inside her to time period. The allegory about what was taking place on display screen with the scenario 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 pressured into an inconceivable scenario which means they should work collectively in one of the vital 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 automobile.

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

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

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S2.E10 "The Final Ceremony"

The painful reunion

There are numerous disturbing episodes of The Handmaid's Story, containing scenes that provoke emotions of dread, concern and loathing, however this one appears to have just a few 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 at any time when 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 sort of 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 more durable", there may be lots of heartache on display screen with each beat.

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S1.E6 "A Girl'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 crammed with ache for what may very well be and the concern 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 truth by 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 disappointment is the go to of the Mexican delegation, which appears to carry a false sense of hope.

As June tries to clarify what it's actually like in Gilead, she is shut down and informed that a minimum of the start charges are excessive. When Janine (Madeline Brewer) hopes to attend a chic dinner for the maids, she is pressured to depart due to her look. All these little moments add as much as lots of ache and disappointment.

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T3.E6 "Household"

Washington in ruins

So many issues contribute to the darkish environment of this episode. The seemingly comfortable 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 linedwhich 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 ladies, and a really apt situation to exhibit it. We will 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 taking place in Gilead in each episode, there's loads 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 Purple Middle beneath the gaze of Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd).

As a part of an settlement, June and Nichole handle to fulfill Nick head to head. This loving household solely will get to spend just a few moments collectively, and every of these moments is crammed with disappointment. From the 2 ex-lovers' eager for one another and their goals of working 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 various types of torture. As a result of lots 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 sort of 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 means, and each time June must dig even deeper than she ever thought attainable, the viewers is true there together with her. This episode additionally sees many beloved characters die within the saddest means.

Because the maids the viewers has identified for the reason that first season race towards freedom; With their palms 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 Purple Middle and reminiscences of all the pieces they've been by collectively filling viewers with a momentary want for all the pieces to be okay, a rushing practice brings all the pieces to a disastrous finish.

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S1.E3 "Late"

Merciless from begin to end

Happening very early within the sequence, this episode introduced a further 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 quick second within the van. With their mouths gagged and their palms handcuffed, the 2 can solely talk by their eyes. Alexic Bledel's efficiency is extra like her Emmy-winning efficiency, just like the silent scream she produces when she sees her associate unceremoniously hanged It's loads to take care of.