The Handmaid's Tale Season 2: 6 Ups & 2 Downs From 'The Last Ceremony'

3. The Reunion Of A Lifetime

It was hard to keep watching The Handmaid's Tale after what we'd just witnessed, but things did show signs of improving for June in the latter half of the episode. And it all started with Commander Waterford's gift to the handmaid.

Fred sends June off with Nick, and the pair drove to a far out location where June was finally reunited with her daughter, Hannah. It was a pretty shocking turn of events, especially after the rape earlier in the episode, which makes us wonder what the Commander's true intentions for June really are. `

Even after all of the distress the handmaid endured during in this episode, it was the look on her face when Hannah ran away from her that was the most upsetting. The young girl remembered her mother, but she was also understandably angry that June didn't fight harder to keep her.

The writing in this scene is truly great. It would've been just as easy to have the soap opera-esque reunion where the mother and daughter run into each other's arms and all is right in the world, but avoiding this trope gave the moment between Hannah and June some real gravity.