HuluThe Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 Episode 7, ‘Shattered’, picks up in the immediate aftermath of Nick’s betrayal, but an explosive new mission begins to take shape.
In Season 6 Episode 6 of the Hulu series, Nick made a final play for June, proposing an escape to Paris with Nichole (aka Holly) to live their dream life together. For a moment, it looked like they would be endgame.
However, soon enough June discovers a horrifying truth: Nick told Commander Wharton about Mayday’s plan to target Gilead at Jezebels to save his own skin.
Not only did it betray her trust but it also leaves Mayday’s – and therefore America’s – future uncertain. Warning: spoilers ahead!
A massacre at Jezebels
HuluThe Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 Episode 7 picks up where we left off. In other words, prepare for utter devastation.
The pair are still in the cupboard at Serena’s home, as the full weight of Nick’s betrayal hits June. Cut between this moment are scenes of Wharton’s crackdown on Jezebels.
All of the women are ruthlessly rounded up by Guardians and made to stand in the shower. Janine, being the heroine she is, puts her arms across the girls, screaming, “Don’t do this.”
One of the Guardians receives a message to save Janine. She’s pulled from the group, kicking and screaming, before all of her peers are shot and killed.
Nick tries to explain his actions to June, arguing that he never said the Jezebel workers had anything to do with the plan and that he saved Janine. But for June, it’s the death knell of their relationship.
“Are they dead?” June asks, to which Nick replies, “I didn’t think he would do that.” That’s all she needed to hear. “Take me back,” she says.
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June and Nick are officially over
HuluWhen he drops her off, he tries calling after her but it’s clear she’s done for good this time.
June arrives back at Mayday HQ, where she finds Luke speaking with the group about their upcoming plans.
By the look on her face, he knows she found out about the Jezebels massacre – he just doesn’t know why it took place yet.
“We’re trying to find out what happened,” he says, but June just comes out with it: “Nick told them… I thought I could trust him.”
Luke is understandably angry. “He’s a Commander in Gilead,” he says. “He doesn’t give a sh*t about the resistance. He doesn’t want us to win. The only thing he ever cared about is you. And because of that, you’re gonna run around like he’s some hero.”
“I don’t know what to do,” June says, to which Luke replies, “Don’t be in love with f**king Nazi, how about that?”
Serena and Wharton plan the wedding of the century
HuluBack in New Bethlehem, Nick is not taking the breakup well. Rita pays him a visit, asking for help with her family, but he shuts her down. “This is Gilead,” he says. “The only person you should count on is yourself.”
Serena, meanwhile, is in Gilead being celebrated by Naomi and the other Commanders’ wives at a bridal shower. But she’s far from pleased.
Their passive-aggressive comments about New Bethlehem and her leadership clearly grate on her, proving they just aren’t ready for reform.
Later, she voices her concerns to Commander Wharton, who says the wives need to be reminded who they’re dealing with. “A proper wedding will remind them,” she replies.
As you’ll know from The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 trailer, Wharton and Serena hold a big celebration for their nuptials. The new plan is to move the wedding from New Bethlehem to Boston, and have the whole of Gilead in attendance – including Handmaids.
Commander Bell captures Janine
HuluElsewhere, Aunt Lydia returns to her office where she’s met by Aunt Phoebe, who tells her Janine was saved from the Jezebels massacre.
However, she’s been sent straight to the sadistic Commander Bell’s home as a Handmaid. Lydia’s over the moon, proving she’s still in denial about the horrors of Gilead.
When she pays the Bell home a visit, he won’t let her inside. “She’s not ready for public viewing,” he says.
Through a window, Lydia spots Janine bruised and beaten. She gives a heartbreaking wave before Bell’s wife yanks her away.
HuluBack at Mayday HQ, the mood is sour after the Jezebels incident, and June can feel everyone talking about her.
She catches up with Moira, who tells her to give herself a break. “He never gave you a reason not to trust him,” she says about Nick.
Now it’s time to air things out with Luke. June acknowledges that she didn’t think about how much she was hurting him when it came to Nick.
“I want you to be happy,” she tells him. “I want you to be with someone that deserves you.” Luke still wants to be with her despite everything, with June asking if Hannah is the only reason they’re still together.
Luke shakes his head no, saying it’s “not the only one,” and they hold hands. The choice has been made: Luke and June are endgame.
Commander Lawrence joins the resistance
HuluLater that day, Mark Tuello rocks up and he’s brought a guest… none other than Commander Lawrence.
If you remember, in The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 Episode 5, Lawrence overheard the High Commanders’ ultimate plan.
Using New Bethlehem to lure all of America’s refugees back onto Gilead soil, they’re going to stage a coup, reinstate the oppressive regime, and get Lawrence on the wall. In short, he’s pissed – and now he has nothing to lose.
He understandably doesn’t get the warmest reception from the rebel fighters, but Tuello points out that Lawrence wasn’t the one who exposed Mayday’s plan, and he’s on their side.
However, when he heads to June’s room, he finds her packing up her things. It looks like she’s ready to give up and head back to Alaska.
Lawrence tells her he always thought she was an “idiot” for trusting Nick. “I’d never let his smouldering gaze obscure my better judgement,” he says, which feels like a slight jab at the audience.
She asks him why he’s there, to which he explains, “I want you to get these people to find another way to kill those Commanders like you promised.”
June points out she doesn’t have any influence with Mayday anymore. He urges her to keep fighting, but she’s been done since the Jezebels massacre.
Even talk of Serena’s massive wedding and Janine’s imprisonment at Bell’s isn’t enough to inspire June to keep going.
However, just as she goes to leave, she has an idea.
June devises a new plan
Hulu“At the wedding, you said there’ll be Handmaids?” June asks. The scene cuts to June outlining a daring new plan to Luke, Moira, Lawrence, Tuello, and Ellen.
Only June could come up with this, as she’s the person who knows Serena best. “She’ll put on a huge show… she’ll micromanage every detail,” she says, pointing out that everyone important will be there.
“While she is planning her perfect wedding, we will be planning too,” she adds. Ellen is apprehensive, pointing out their failure at Jezebels. But Lawrence chips in to say it’s the perfect moment – Gilead just got a big win, meaning they’ll be arrogant and relaxed.
The Handmaids will be the key to the attack. They’re anonymous, they’re veiled, and they’re hidden – no one will suspect a thing.
June and Moira will head back too as undercover Handmaids. As June relays the plan, it’s cut between scenes of them prepping a series of knives that will be smuggled into Gilead.
“We won’t be able to extract you, not until it’s done,” says Ellen, but Moira says they’re going to see it through to the end and Luke chips in, “The bombs are still in place. It’d be a shame not to use them.”
What’s more, since Serena’s putting on such a show, she’ll be pulling as many Guardians in as possible. The Boston border won’t be as protected, making it easier for the rebel forces to invade.
Hulu“Chaos, panic, confusion in the city,” says Lawrence. “Perfect time to bring in the military.”
We see another flash forward as the wheels are set in motion, showing Tuello handing Lawrence a case to bring across the border, which he hands to Rita.
She opens it to reveal a series of vials containing what looks to be some form of poison or drug. As a former Martha, she is in charge of making Serena’s wedding cake, after all.
Meanwhile, June says, “We’ll use all of our friends, everyone and anyone who hates Gilead. Anyone who has ever been f**ked over by that place.
“Serena will make sure that all eyes stay on her. Her narcissism brought down one nation and it’s about to bring down another.
“Those Commanders and those wives will be so busy eating and dancing and having the time of their f**king lives that they will never see us coming.”
Let the revolution begin
HuluThe plan continues coming together in the final sequence of The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 Episode 7, as Lawrence finds a way to deal with Aunt Lydia.
He visits her at the Red Center, where he tells her she needs to give a speech about plans for the fertility clinic in New Bethlehem, which will house retired Handmaids, to the Department of Human Reallocation.
Since it’s in DC and tomorrow, Aunt Lydia will have to miss the wedding. She’s disappointed, but a bit of ego stroking does the trick.
Meanwhile, Aunt Phoebe heads outside, where Lawrence’s car is. After distracting the Guardian, she opens the trunk to find June and Moira inside.
But don’t fret – it turns out Phoebe is on their side. “Blessed be the fruit. Let the revolution begin,” she says.
HuluShe smuggles them into the Red Center and hides them in a basement for the night. They’re both understandably nervous being back in Gilead, with Moira asking June to say something “leader-ish.”
After a brief pause, June gives an update on a Bible verse: “The Lord is our shepherd, we shall not want. And though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil, for you are with us.”
She finishes with the badass line, “And please, dear God, give us the strength to murder those goddamn motherf**kers,” to which Moira says, “A-f**king-men.”
Episode 8 is going to be a banger. Find out when it drops with our guide to The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 release schedule. You can also catch up with our recaps of Season 6 Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, and Episode 6.