The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 Episode 5 recap: June makes a deadly return to Gilead

In The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 Episode 5, ‘Janine’, June finally returns to Gilead, but this time she’s working for Mayday – and she’s bringing Luke and Moira with her. What could go wrong?

Okay, that last comment is a little sarcastic, but no spoilers just yet. To refresh your memory, in Season 6 Episode 4, June kept butting heads with Luke and Moira about their plans to carry out the dry run on Jezebels’ penthouse. 

They’re preparing for a planned attack, targeting the extremist Commanders and setting off bombs in order for their rebel army to invade. The US government-in-exile is on their side now that international relations with Gilead have been improved thanks to New Bethlehem. 

By the end of the episode, June, Luke, and Moira had put their differences aside, and they’re now set to infiltrate Jezebels dressed as Marthas and let Janine know about their plan. Warning: spoilers ahead and some may find this content distressing.

June, Moira, and Luke head to Gilead

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The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 Episode 5 kicks off with the trio preparing for their entry to Gilead, with Luke dressed as a bakery deliveryman. They have a van, which will be used to smuggle June and Moira in. 

The Hulu show is known for its killer soundtrack, and this scene is no different, backed by Joy Division’s ‘Atmosphere’. 

In New Bethlehem, Nick may finally face consequences for his actions. Remember the Guardians he shot in Season 6 Episode 3? Well, one of them is still alive. 

High Commander Wharton tells Nick, implying he’s not taking the situation seriously enough. “That was an alarming breach of security son, on your watch,” he says. “You need to hold these terrorist rebels accountable.”

When Nick says there are no eyewitnesses, Wharton lets him know that the younger of the two Guardians is in a coma and is showing “remarkable signs of improvement.” Nick pretends he’s pleased, but on the inside he’s panicking. 

Aunt Lydia and Serena talk work and weddings

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At Serena’s house, Aunt Lydia pays her a visit and they have a tense exchange about the role of Handmaids in Gilead. 

Lydia has been appalled by how the Handmaids are treated after finding Janine at Jezebels, ignoring the fact that she was one of the most cruel enforcers of all. 

Serena’s the same, consistently downplaying how she treated June and the other Handmaids while married to Fred Waterford. 

Their respective delusions lead them to devise a new plan. Much like the fertility center in Canada, Serena proposes opening a similar facility in New Bethlehem, where they allow Handmaids to retire and become attendants. 

After landing on the idea, a huge bouquet of flowers arrives at Serena’s house. They’re from Wharton, with Lydia suggesting he’d be the ideal new husband for her – not because of their shared interests or character, but because a “healthy womb must never go to waste.” Classic Lydia. 

A change of plan 

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Luke, Moira, June, and Mayday coordinator Ellen touch down in Gilead. Ellen tells them the plan: June and Moira must get to the penthouse of Jezebels, let Janine know about the invasion, and then come back to the delivery stopoff point in two hours.

Luke and Ellen will be waiting to take them back to their base. And if you’re wondering how they won’t get recognized, in The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 Episode 3, we found out that the Marthas wear masks to avoid “tempting” the patrons.

When they get to Jezebels, they start looking for Janine and spot Angela’s drawing on her dressing table. One of the other women tells them Janine’s probably at the penthouse with the Commanders, including “that a**hole, Commander Bell” (Timothy Simon’s character). 

This leaves June and Moira concerned. “The Commanders aren’t supposed to be here today,” says Moira. June insists they have to continue with their plan, but they’re interrupted by Aunt Miriam, who tells them to get back to work. 

June says they were meant to be cleaning the penthouse to make sure it’s ready, and after a tense pause, Miriam tells them to go and “make it sparkle.”

June and Moira reunite with Janine

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They get to the penthouse, but Moira and June face another obstacle: a Guardian. He tells them to make it quick as the Commanders will be there soon. 

They head in and make it look like they’re busy preparing the room, when all of a sudden they hear Janine singing to the other girls to raise their spirits. 

Janine recognizes June and Moira even with their masks on, and speaks with them quietly so the others don’t overhear. They tell Janine that they’re on a mission for Mayday and they’ve got a plan for next week. 

Before they can finish, the High Commanders arrive – including Bell and Joseph Lawrence (who’s there out of necessity rather than desire). Janine quickly tells June and Moira to get to room 618 and she’ll meet them there as soon as she can. 

Commander Bell asks for “Kitty” (Janine’s Jezebels name) and she heads over, pretending everything’s fine. 

Bell is his usual awful self, making June clean up his champagne spill and forcing her to dab his legs. Lawrence calls him a tool and tells June she can go, not realizing he’s talking to his old sparring partner.

Nick makes a tough decision

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Over in Gilead, Nick visits the Guardian he shot as he lays in hospital, and we find out his name is Toby. 

Nick pretends to be concerned, telling Toby’s mother he’ll watch over him if she wants to go home and rest, which she agrees to. 

After she leaves, Toby stirs. Nick pulls a blanket over him and asks, “Do you know me?” Toby strains his eyes open and sees Nick, at which point his heart rate goes up. However, it’s not because of Nick. Instead, he asks where his dog is, seemingly confused after his injury. 

This seems to convince Nick he doesn’t have to finish the job, but when he walks out the door, he changes his mind and turns back. If you know Gilead, you’ll agree that this is probably a wise idea. 

Lawrence gets some terrifying news

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Back at Jezebels, Lawrence speaks with the other High Commanders about his plan to expand New Bethlehem and reform Gilead, although one of them points out that they gave him “permission” rather than “support.”

“There is nothing we’ve ever done that has been more effective in normalizing foreign relations. We could accelerate the time table if we were to expand,” says Lawrence, explaining that he’s designated at least a dozen sites to place new settlements. 

The other Commanders seem interested and ask for him to send them the plans. Their chat is interrupted by Bell, who gets angry when Janine gives Lawrence a drink. He calls her a “slut” and tells her to stand to the wall and wait for “the belt.”

But Lawrence intercepts and says, “No, I’m taking her.” With some encouragement from the other High Commanders, Bell drops it and lets Lawrence and Janine go to a private room. 

On the way out, Lawrence calls Bell a “pig” and says, “No one here likes you and no one respects you.” It’s these small moments of justice that make The Handmaid’s Tale bearable to watch. 

When they’re alone, Lawrence apologizes on Bell’s behalf, but Janine tells him that he’s not a good guy – he’s just better than the rest of them. 

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She says she has to leave, but on her way out, she lets Lawrence know about a peep hole in the wall, one the Jezebels workers use to sneak a look at the “f**kheads” they have to deal with. 

Lawrence takes a look after Janine leaves, and overhears the High Commanders talking. And, well, it’s not looking good. 

None of them really believe in his plans for reform. In fact, they’re using the plans to lure all of the Gilead’s refugees back into their territory before clamping down, closing the borders, and reinstituting their horrifying traditions. 

“Lawrence will be the unwitting father of the second biggest coup in modern history,” says one of them, before Bell suggests he’ll use his high-powered father to ensure Lawrence ends up on the wall. 

Janine makes a map

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In room 618, June and Moira meet up with Janine and tell her the plan. They’re going to kill the Commanders in Jezebels’ penthouse, and they need Janine to clear the other women so they’re safe. 

She’s more than game, and she knows the other workers will be too. In fact, they’ve “had shivs (makeshift knives) made just waiting for a moment like this”. 

Janine draws them a map showing them how to get in through the Commanders’ secret elevator, tells them the keycode, and also gives them letters from the girls to their families, asking June and Moira to get them out “no matter what.”

When she goes to leave, June throws a curveball, telling Janine they can get her out tonight. Moira says they can’t as they need her to stay and help the other women there, but June insists, “Someone else can do that.”

Janine ultimately shuts down the idea, saying she couldn’t possibly leave her peers, and they stick to the original plan. Once she’s gone, June and Moira get into an argument.

“I can’t believe you just did that,” says Moira. “Now I’m the cold hearted b*tch that wouldn’t rescue her.” June replies, “I wasn’t thinking about you, I was thinking about her,” but Moira points out, “Exactly. You don’t give me a second thought.”

Their fight reaches boiling point when Moira accuses June of always putting her own trauma first, and they start battling about who had it worse: June as a Handmaid or Moira at Jezebels. 

However, the ice is broken when they start laughing about how ridiculous they’re being. They agree that if they start comparing their suffering then “those f**kers have won.”

The plan turns deadly

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Finally, Moira says, “I don’t hate you… I love you all the time, even if I don’t feel like it,” with June telling her, “I’m really sorry if I was a bad friend to you, okay?”

Once again, their chat is interrupted, this time by a Guardian. They pretend they’re just cleaning the room and go to put their masks back on, but the Guardian says, “Don’t do that. You have such pretty faces.”

The atmosphere drops, and Moira insists they “don’t want any trouble.” However, the Guardian spots the letters, stating, “Written materials? You’re in big trouble.”

He puts the map and the letters in a safe before pushing Moira on the bed, not realizing who he’s dealing with. 

Moira and June exchange glances before going into attack mode. Moira punches him in the face while June grabs the telephone cord. 

The trio get into a struggle before Moira jumps on his back and wraps the cord around his neck. As she strangles the life out of him, June proceeds to kick him in the balls, and soon enough he dies. Again, justice is sweet in The Handmaid’s Tale. 

There’s a bit of an issue, though. The letters and their map are locked away and they don’t know the keycode to the safe. And now they’ve got a body to get rid of. 

Serena’s getting married… again

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Over in New Bethlehem, Serena walks into a library where she finds Wharton. He’s set it up as a surprise for her, building a “safe space for the children of New Bethlehem to read, the boys and the girls.”

It’s all smiles from Serena, but as we said before, it’s probably too good to be true. Wharton is the one to watch in The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6. 

He seems in favor of the reforms, but is this all just a ruse to get Serena on his side? Time will tell. 

For now, she’s falling for it. For his pièce de résistance, Wharton unveils plans to name the place the Serena Joy & Gabriel Wharton Library, and then he pops the question. 

Serena is unsure, asking what they’ll do about their living arrangements and whether he’s okay with raising another man’s child (aka Noah). But Wharton gives her all the answers she wants to hear. 

Finally, she says she believes God brought her back to Gilead to change the country, to which Wharton insists, “Let’s change it together.” This is the nudge she needs, and she says yes. 

June and Lawrence reunite

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Moira and June manage to smuggle the dead Guardian to the warehouse in a laundry trolley and dump him in the incinerator. However, there’s a slight issue: they overhear on his walkie talkie that his absence has been reported and Jezebels is going into lockdown. 

But that’s the least of their worries. While this is going on, an alive Guardian finds Luke and Ellen waiting in their van. 

He makes them get out and asks what they’re up to, with Luke explaining that they’re picking up empty barrels from the kitchen. Thanks to the lockdown, the Guardian tells them to leave and come back tomorrow. 

Luke tries to convince him otherwise, which does nothing but earn him a pistol whip to the face. Ellen tells the Guardian they’re leaving and helps Luke back into the van. 

They escape with their lives, but that’s June and Moira’s ticket out of there. The pair see this unfolding, and decide to use the dead Guardian’s keycard to try and escape. 

Their odds aren’t looking good, but their bad luck is turned around when June spots Lawrence getting into his car. As he drives away, she jumps out in front of him and he lets out a sigh. “Oh, hell no,” he says. 

June begs Lawrence to help her and Moira get out. After much pleading, he begrudgingly opens the boot and tells them to get in. June asks, “Can you get us across the b–” but he shuts the door on them before she can finish. 

If Lawrence hadn’t overheard the plan to overthrow him, maybe he would’ve been more reluctant to help June and Moira. As for where he’s taking them, we’ll find out in The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 Episode 6.

Until then, catch up with our recaps of Season 6 Episode 1 and Episode 2, read about what happened to Emily, and check out what’s happening with the upcoming spinoff series, The Testaments.