The Handmaid’s Tale Season 4, Episode 7 recap: Home

The Handmaid’s Tale Season 4 takes us to a place we’ve never seen before–June (Elisabeth Moss) living a normal life. It’s actually quite jarring to see her in a non-Gilead world because it’s not like the flashbacks in which everything is still okay. This week, we see her in the present, in Canada, being treated like royalty because she is a huge asset to the Canadian and American governments.

In the past three seasons, we’ve seen June go through some exhausting things, so to see her take a 17-hour nap in this week’s episode was incredibly relaxing. I felt like I was the one getting that much rest. But of course, with this freedom comes a lot of difficulties. June isn’t the person she once was, and even if she is out of Gilead, the traumas of Gilead live within her. They won’t go away so quickly, and this episode is proof of that.

I must commend Moss for yet another incredible episode, one that is sure to put her on the roster for the next awards season. Her journey as June, especially in season 4, has been nothing short of traumatic, and I’m so in awe of her performance week after week.

And with that, let’s talk about June’s path to a potential recovery in Canada. And, of course, how Luke (O-T Fagbenle) and Moira (Samira Wiley) come together to get her there slowly and surely in yet another incredible episode of The Handmaid’s Tale Season 4.

The Handmaid’s Tale Season 4, Episode 7 recap: Canada–home sweet home?

As we’ve already briefly touched on, June’s now in Canada, and this week’s episode, “Home”, is all about getting her acclimated into normal society. That’s easier said than done, especially if you’ve come from Gilead. But others before have done it, and June will get there too.

But that isn’t going to be anytime soon considering June has been involved in more than one atrocity thanks to Gilead. Nonetheless, June tries to push through the pain and the trauma by settling down into life in Canada.

That includes taking a really long nap (yay!), trying to reconnect with Luke and be a mother to Nicole. But it’s a little too much, too fast, which becomes clear when she goes grocery shopping with Luke and Moira. The two of them have been around one another for quite some time now, and while June is the reason they know each other, June has been gone for a long time now.

You can sense June feeling left out of this life, and so it comes as no surprise when she has a panic attack in the middle of the grocery store. Sudden colors and images in the store trigger all her traumatic memories of Gilead in what is an incredibly riveting montage of memories past.

As the episode goes on, June attempts to bring together old friends for old time’s sake, but it turns into a reminder of where they all are coming from. Emily (Alexis Bledel), Moira, Rita (Amanda Brugel), and June celebrate the fact that they not in Gilead anymore, and that life is behind them. But June can’t help but ask about Serena (Yvonne Strahovski), who she knows is in Canada as well.

There’s this anger and rage within June as she learns about Serena and the fact that she is pregnant. I’ve never seen June in this way before, and Moss pulls it off seamlessly. Later that night, June asks the U.S. government agent, Mark (Sam Jaeger) to take her to see Serena.

It goes exactly as we would have anticipated with June finally telling Serena everything she’s ever felt. She even curses Serena and her future baby, hoping that Serena can feel a fraction of the pain she made her feel. It’s a jarring scene and one that I won’t soon forget.

High off the emotions of yelling at Serena, June returns home to promptly let out all that energy by having sex with Luke. It’s not exactly coming from a place of love, and I can see that becoming a huge problem as the episodes go on.

The Handmaid’s Tale Season 4, Episode 7 recap: Serena and Fred

After June’s frightening visit, Serena goes to visit Fred (Joseph Fiennes). Earlier in the episode, she had rejected his offer to team up now that June is in Canada too. The battle is going to get more difficult, and if they work as a team, they can take on whatever is headed their way.

Seeing June’s wrath and anger made Serena change her mind, and decide that teaming up with Fred is going to be the best way to go. They’re in a world of trouble (although you wouldn’t be able to tell with those luxurious accommodations), and if they’re going to get through it–they’ll need one another.

The battle is on!

What did you think of this week’s episode of The Handmaid’s Tale Season 4? Tell us in the comments below!