Episode 607 – Shattered
After a shocking revelation, June spirals. Serena plans for a prestigious future.
Writer: Katherine Collins
Director: Daina Reid
This episode is appropriately titled “Shattered” after we just saw June’s trust in Nick obliterated at the end of the last episode. My TikTok followers have been having lively conversations and debates about how the last episode ended, head over to my video HERE and join in on our conversation!
In today’s episode, we pick up right where we left off in the closet with June and Nick, forced to face the fallout of Nick revealing Mayday’s plan to Commander Wharton. As June is processing, the scene is intercut with the raid at Jezebel’s. As a result of Nick’s betrayal, the women are rounded up and lined up in the showers. At the last second, the Guardian’s remove Janine from the line-up of women before they are all slaughtered with machine guns right in front of her. June is still reeling from her new reality when Wharton and Serena finally leave. Now that it’s safe, June and Nick exit the closet. He lets her know that Janine was taken away from Jezebel’s, and he will find out where they’ve taken her. He also says that he never told Wharton that women at Jezebel’s had anything to do with the plan, and that Wharton just wanted all of Jezebel’s gone, as if this absolves him of any guilt or complicity. When she asks if they’re all dead, Nick admits he never thought Wharton would do it. Nick has been so desperate for some sort of father figure that he wants to believe the best in his father-in-law. But Nick must remember that they are both still Commanders within the Gilead power structure, and they both have taken brutal measures to move their own agendas forward. June demands that Nick take her back to the Mayday headquarters in No Man’s Land.
As they get closer, June decides she has had enough of Nick and opens the door while the car is still moving, demanding he let her out. He finally stops and follows her out, yelling, “June, you know you never cared what I did unless it helped you…You pretend like I’m not a Commander or an Eye unless it suits you.” And he is right. She has always been able to set aside his role in Gilead, only seeing his love for her and the lengths he would go to protect her. She is now being forced to reckon with the reality of who Nick is and has always been. He then throws in her face, “You love me. What does that make you?” After a long look, she walks away ignoring his attempts to keep talking. Is this the end for June and Nick?
Lydia arrives at Jezebel’s, finding the showers left bloody from the massacre. She is devastated. She really thought she would be able to save them all by making them fertility center attendants. She, too, must face the brutality of who she is and the system she has helped create.
June arrives back at Mayday where Luke is there to welcome her with open arms. He says that they are trying to find out what happened with their plan, and June reveals that it was Nick who ratted them out, and that she was the one who clued Nick in on the plan. “I thought I could trust him.” Luke is bewildered, pointing out what Nick has always been. “You’re gonna run around like he’s some hero? Like he’s this fucking savior that you’ve been pining for ever since you got back? You think I don’t see it?” June is in tears but does not argue against any of it; she knows the truth. She admits she doesn’t know what to do anymore. Luke strikes back with “Don’t be in love with a fucking Nazi, how about that?!” This season is really focusing on June being forced to face the consequences of her own choices and seeing her blind spots.
Back at Nick’s house, Rita pays him a visit to make sure June got out safely. Unaware of what has gone down, she assures him that he will see June again; but he doubts it. Rita also says that he’s a good man and has always been, as long as she has known him. But he snaps back saying that they were both afraid of each other and would have crossed each other in a second to survive. This confirms how I’ve always felt about Nick: he’s a lonely opportunist, just fighting to survive, and June is the first person he has ever loved. He was never a part of the resistance, unless June asked for his help. He only did things against Gilead if it was to June’s benefit. Rita asks, “don’t you want to be a man who does the right thing?” And Nick dejectedly says, “I don’t get to have what I want…This is Gilead, the only person you should count on is yourself.”
The Wives in Boston have thrown a bridal shower for Serena. They start to talk down to Serena about New Bethlehem, stating it’s “tacky” and too radical. Serena defends the goals and practices of her community and gives credit to Commander Lawrence for its success. One of the Wives starts to say “Well, my husband says…” until Serena cuts her off asking “and what do YOU say? What are your hopes and dreams for Gilead’s future?” These women must remember that Serena tried to “improve” things for girls and women, and they saw her lose a finger over it. She announces that she will be starting a fertility center in New Bethlehem to help women have more healthy babies, asking isn’t that what Gilead is all about? Naomi replies, “Yes, but the present system works.” But unlike Naomi, Serena has been forced to confront the reality of what the Handmaids face. After stressing that there will be no Handmaids in New Bethlehem except for the retired Handmaids that go to work at the fertility center, the Wives are disgusted at the idea of them living amongst the rest of society. Serena defends the Handmaids, reflecting on what June has forced her to see. Naomi very passive aggressively says “Though I must say, it is refreshing to hear you give the matter so much consideration.” These women are no okay with Serena exercising so much critical thought, agency, and power.
Back at her house, Wharton arrives discussing their real estate plans. Serena is frustrated, telling him how dismissive the Wives were at the shower and how their husbands are also critical of their ideas in New Bethlehem. Wharton replies, “well then they need to be reminded who they’re dealing with.” Serena smiles, assuming he is referring to her, but it’s clear that he means himself. She suggests that a big wedding will remind them. Wharton says that it must be held in Boston then, with all the Wives, Commanders, Econopeople, Marthas, Aunts, and Handmaids there. Serena questions him about having Handmaids attend, but he says, “it won’t be a traditional Gilead wedding without the whole community in attendance.” Serena seems to accept that he is right. Though she must note that Wharton views the Handmaids as a central tenet of Gilead.
Aunt Phoebe (played by D’Arcy Carden) surprises Aunt Lydia with the news that the Bells have requested a dress & cloak for their new Handmaid. Uh oh. Aunt Lydia is confused since they are newlyweds. Aunt Phoebe reveals that Commander Bell saved Janine from the Jezebel’s massacre and wants her as his Handmaid. Lydia is overwhelmingly relieved to hear that Janine is alive. But she must remember what this means for Janine’s potential future.
Back at Mayday HQ, Moira approaches June as June admits that she had forgotten who Nick was. Moira reminds her that he never gave her a reason not to trust him and that she wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for Nick. June admits that that still doesn’t justify what she did, but Moira says, “No, but it makes it…I don’t now…understandable?” For me, that’s what most of June’s bad decisions come down to: they can’t be justified, but it is understandable to see how she arrived at some of those bad calls, even if they were wrong. We then get a cute exchange about how Nick isn’t hot enough for this, leading to my favorite line of the episode: “No one’s hotter than Rihanna.”
June heads outside to confront Luke. She begins to admit some of her own faults, and he tries to be understanding given all she’s been through, but she stops him. “Don’t do that. That’s no excuse. I don’t want you to stay with me because you feel sorry for me; I don’t want you to pity me.” June wants him to be happy and to be with someone that deserves him. Luke says he should want to leave her, but he can’t. June asks if he thinks that Hannah is the only reason they’re still together. He admits, “not the only one.” No matter what happens, June and Luke will always be family to one another. They’ve been through hell and not even June’s complex love for Nick can destroy that.
Lydia happily arrives at the Bell residence with Janine’s Handmaid dress. She asks how Janine, now “Ofpaul” is adjusting. And horrifyingly, Commander Bell says they have “been working on her adjustment all morning. She’s quite the firecracker isn’t she?” Aunt Lydia asks to see her, but Paul claims she is too tired. Lydia said that she will just see her at the Wharton wedding, but Paul says that she won’t be there either. “She’s not ready for public viewing at the moment” and shuts the door. Oh no. My stomach instantly sank upon hearing that. As Lydia walks away, she looks up to see a beaten Janine in the window. As Lydia raises her hand to wave, Mrs. Bell rips Janine out of sight.
June allows herself a tearful moment after recent events, until she sees Commander Lawrence drive up to Mayday HQ. Their leader confronts him, saying they should kill him for what he’s done, not realizing what happened. Mark Tuello arrived with him, letting her know that the Commanders want him dead too. He approaches June in private about finding another way to kill the Commanders. June is packing up her bag, saying that she can’t help him, and that Mayday won’t listen to her anymore. Lawrence then throws in her face that “Serena never quit. She clawed her way back into power; she’s about to become Mrs. Wharton, Queen of Gilead. Where are you gonna be June?” He paints a picture of Serena’s wedding being broadcast around the world with Handmaids present, not even allowed to meet her eye. “That’s alright with you? That’s the legacy? That’s the way June Osborne’s last chapter in Gilead ends??” She said it ended when the women at Jezebel’s died, clearly blaming herself. Lawrence reveals that Janine’s still alive but is now Commander Bell’s Handmaid. June responds with “I hope she kills him in his sleep.” June starts to walk away but stops. She slowly turns to Lawrence asking, “at the wedding…Did you say there were gonna be Handmaids?” Uh oh. I know June’s scheming face when I see it.
June gives Mayday the low down on how detailed Serena will be planning the wedding. June has seen how much a of a show Serena put on for Fred’s funeral. She knows that this will be just as elaborate. “While she is planning her perfect wedding, we will be planning, too.” Lawrence points out that the Commanders’ guards will be down, and June reminds them that Handmaids won’t be suspected because they had nothing to do with Jezebel’s. They will be veiled and anonymous, the perfect hidden army. Moira jumps at the idea and volunteers to go back with June, hiding amongst the Handmaids. June agrees to smuggle weapons in. Luke reminds everyone that the bombs they placed are still there, and that it would be a shame not to use them. Lawrence loves this. “Chaos, panic, confusion in the city…perfect time to bring in your military,” to Tuello. June knows that Serena will want extra Guardians at the wedding, pulling them from all over Boston and the border. June proclaims they will use all their friends, everyone that wants to hurt Gilead. We get a cut to Rita, looking at what appears to be poison…wedding cake anyone? June says they will be so busy eating and dancing that they’ll never see the Handmaids coming.
Lawrence pays Lydia a visit to let her know that he scheduled a meeting for her with the High Commanders in DC to discuss her Handmaid Reallocation idea; the perfect way to keep her out of June and Moira’s way. Aunt Phoebe is outside while they chat and gets a Guardian to go investigate a fake distraction so that she can sneak June and Moira inside the Red Center. We finally have a rebellious Aunt who says, “let the revolution begin.” Phoebe narrowly manages to miss run-ins with other Aunts and gets June and Moira safely inside. She says that the Handmaids are on board but won’t believe the plan until they see them, and that the Martha Network is ready and waiting to assist. She does bring up one wrinkle: Bell won’t allow Janine to come to the wedding, so she has not been clued in on the plan. June says she’ll handle it (though I don’t know how). Phoebe leaves them but runs into Lydia in the hallway. Lydia is heading out to DC, and Phoebe promises to keep the Handmaids on their best behavior. Lydia seems suspicious but moves along.
Moira is beginning to get nervous, asking why they’re there. June says for Janine and all the women, and Moira asks her to keep going and say “something leader-ish.” In a variation of Psalm 23:1-6, June lands on “The Lord is our shepherd; we shall not want. Though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil, for You are with us…You comfort us in the presence of our enemies. Our cups runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives, and we will dwell in the house of the Lord, forever. And please, dear God, give us the strength to murder those goddamn motherfuckers.” Moira responds with a resounding “Ah-fucking-men” as Heart’s Barracuda plays into the credits.
