‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Season 5 Recap: What to Remember Before Season 6

Commander Fred Waterford Is Dead

We know this went down in the Season 4 finale, but it’s been so long since the show’s been on-air that we thought it’d be best to remind you that the no-good, manipulative, treacherous Commander Fred Waterford (Joseph Fiennes) is dead. This means two things: Serena is a widow and June will never have to go by the name Offred again.

In a brutal act of revenge, June and a group of former handmaids beat him to death after Nick (Max Minghella) lured him into the forest.

Serena Is a Mother Now

The woman who stole motherhood from so many women is now a mother on her own, ain’t that something? That’s right, Serena is a mommy now. In Season 5, Serena, with help from June, gave birth to a baby boy whom she named Noah. She gave birth in a barn while hiding out in No Man’s Land, but when she becomes ill she’s forced to enter Canada illegally in order to get medical assistance. There, her child is taken away from her while in an immigration detention center. Noah is briefly given to the Wheelers, a Gilead-faithful family in Toronto. However, she eventually takes her baby and escapes after their attempts to force Serena into a handmaid-esque role.

Hannah Is Still in Gilead

Yes, sadly, June’s daughter Hannah is still being held captive inside Gilead. Since being taken, her name has been changed to Agnes. In Season 5, Nick tells June that, at just 12 years old, Hannah is already being prepped to become a wife in Gilead. And if the whole situation wasn’t depressing enough, Hannah’s memory of June has started to fade.

Luke Was Arrested

There’s no man who fights for June like her husband Luke (O-T Fagbenle), and he’s always willing to put his own life at risk if it means helping June get their daughter Hannah back. In Season 5, Luke and June try to escape on a train heading to Vancouver. However, police are hot on their trail after Luke murdered a pro-Gilead Canadian man who tried to kill June by running her over. In an effort to evade authorities, the couple’s tries to escape on a refugee train heading to “west.”

Serena and June Board the Same Train Heading West

Yeah, so that train…Serena’s on it. Just when June thought she’d somewhat distanced herself from Gilead, here comes Serena and her baby. This reunion between the duo happens at the end of Season 5. What a cliffhanger to leave fans dangling off of for two and a half years.

New Bethlehem: Gilead 2.0

You’d think Commander Lawrence would be done coming up with ideas after cofounding Gilead, but nope, he’s got more. His latest idea is a new, more liberal province within Gilead that he’s named New Bethlehem. There, there are no handmaids, hangings or cruel practices. For now, it’s stated as a safe haven for Gilead refugees, and it’s been created to level out the ongoing rebellions in Gilead.

Emily Left

In Season 5, viewers find out Emily (Alexis Bledel) returned to Gilead, seemingly in an effort to get revenge. Anything’s possible, but it is likely that we won’t see her again as Bledel shared that she’d be leaving the show ahead of the Season 5 premiere. And thus, her character was written out of the series.

In a statement obtained by TheWrap, she wrote, “After much thought, I felt I had to step away from ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ at this time. I am forever grateful to Bruce Miller for writing such truthful and resonant scenes for Emily, and to Hulu, MGM, the cast and crew for their support.”

Commander Lawrence Marries Naomi Putnam

In Season 5, Commander Lawrence and Naomi Putnam get hitched after her husband Warren Putnam (Stephen Kunke) was arrested and executed for raping and impregnating a handmaid named Esther outside of the ceremony.