“The Handmaid’s Story” season 6 premiere, “Practice,” was very paying homage to the gut-churning visuals in Darren Aronofsky’s “mom!” On the prepare to Alaska, Serena’s true identification is revealed. As an alternative of taking her into custody, the police are prepared to let the rageful feminine passengers tear Serena (and her child) aside. The ladies are rightfully indignant at Serena, who performed a big function in creating the theocratic society that pressured them into grueling labor and sexual abuse. It is a horrifying scene made much more intense by the claustrophobic framing, the place the ladies claw straight into the digital camera after which smash the window glass. Though June has been annoyed by Serena’s assist when she is not feeling effectively, she nonetheless saves Serena by pushing her off the prepare.
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Serena and June’s relationship has been risky and sophisticated, to say the least. Serena has been straightforward to hate for all of the repulsive issues she’s carried out to June: beating her, orchestrating her rape by Fred, forcing June to sleep with Nick in entrance of her to conceive, and refusing to let June breastfeed Nicole. Most painfully, she has repeatedly dangled June’s daughter Hannah in entrance of her so as to maintain June in line.
For many viewers, it was a delight when Serena began being handled like a Handmaid by the Wheelers, who tried to steal her son Noah. However then the sequence threw a curveball, having each June and Serena personally squash a number of alternatives to kill each other. June even helps Serena give start to Noah. June continues to supply compassion for Serena when saving her from the enraged mob. This forces us, as viewers, to think about how we really feel about Serena. If June can present her mercy, can we? Most of all, does Serena deserve it?
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Serena’s mama bear joins forces along with her internal manipulator
Yvonne Strahovski, who performs Serena, advised The Hollywood Reporter that any kindness Serena extends to June is in the end self-serving: “Serena goes to proceed to attempt to anchor herself to June as a result of that is all she’s obtained, and she or he’s determined. Her mama bear has joined forces along with her internal manipulator, which makes for an fascinating mixture.”
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Serena spared June’s life in season 5 as a result of June was the one one who may assist her throughout labor. In “Practice,” she watches over Nicole and helps June relaxation solely as a result of she depends on her power. Serena’s sheltered, comfy life and concern of being uncovered makes it tough for her to completely navigate the cruel realities of the damaged society she helped construct.
Serena has proven occasional regret all through the sequence, together with her presentation for New Bethlehem in “Devotion”: “I did horrible issues as a result of I felt powerless and so, exerted energy over these round me.” Changing into Noah’s mom appears to have made her understand the unshakeable bond between mom and baby, serving to her perceive why June’s separations from Hannah and Nicole have been so devastating. Nevertheless, Serena’s personal motherhood doesn’t absolve her of her previous actions. She tries to make use of Noah as a protecting defend towards the ladies who beat her, however she by no means cared sufficient about their very own kids to guard them from any horror or violence.
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Regardless of glimmers of self-awareness, Serena nonetheless has a religious religion and a lust for energy because the face of New Bethlehem. That ambition might, in future episodes, have her doing no matter it takes to uphold this new, softer model of Gilead — one with out all these pesky human rights violations and “spilled blood.”
Serena might by no means discover redemption
Whereas we should still be conflicted, Yvonne Strahovski is extra agency in her stance on whether or not or not Serena goes to in the end change:
“I like being the bearer of nice information and saying, ‘I feel she’s going to transform only a stellar individual!’ However I do not assume she will. I do not assume she has the flexibility to self-reflect and look deep inside herself to actually understand what she has carried out, as a result of I feel that may unravel all the things and be too onerous. She is perhaps very sensible, however she’s not emotionally sensible sufficient to essentially know that ‘if I will attempt to be a superb and well-rounded human, I’ve to go backwards and look deeper into myself and do all that work.’ I do not assume she’s succesful.”
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Gilead is certainly evil, however the morality of whether or not we must always forgive those that participated is murky. The tenets of Christian religion heart on forgiveness, one that’s limitless and even extends to the worst of your enemies. If June is in a position to absolutely forgive Serena for all the things she’s carried out, that may make her extra Christ-like than anybody in Gilead.
However even for those who imagine there’s goodness in everybody, and Serena in the end repents, perhaps some actions actually are unforgivable. If we give into our rabid want of seeing her undergo, are we simply as unhealthy because the Gilead leaders? In some methods, we’re coping with this in our present political local weather, the place the federal government is eradicating human rights with excessive insurance policies, but we might have household and buddies who voted that means. We’ll have to attend for the remainder of the ultimate season to see if Serena will atone for her sins or burn within the hell of her personal making.
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