The Handmaid’s Tale Review: The Last Ceremony (Season 2 Episode 10)

On The Handmaid’s Tale Season 2 Episode 10, “The Last Ceremony,” as June’s due date nears, Serena’s hostility towards her escalates. The Commander’s attempt to make amends culminates in his cruelest act yet.

We’ve watched Serena’s disenchantment with Gilead’s status quo grow. She clings to the impending birth of June’s child, hoping motherhood will sequester her resentment over the power she no longer holds, not just outside the confines of her home, but also within its walls.

Gilead’s social hierarchy is built on the dehumanization of its inhabitants. June’s defiance, her ability to conceive, her compassion, her intelligence, and her familiarity with the Commander all contribute to Serena’s resentment. But it’s the intimate nature of Serena’s own relationship with June that continues to cause her to unravel. Serena is jealous, and her feelings stem from her own self-loathing.

June’s subversive behavior is an attempt to exercise her free will. June didn’t ask for any of this, but Serena did.

If there is any hope that Serena’s trip outside the confines of Gilead will reignite the compassion she demonstrated on The Handmaid’s Tale Season 2 Episode 8, it is all but eradicated when Serena not only encourages the Commander to rape June, but also ignores June’s pleas for help. She takes satisfaction in collaborating with her husband to orchestrate the act itself.

Rape is not about sex; it’s about power. The ritualized ceremony viewers witness throughout The Handmaid’s Tale is for the purpose of procreation, but it’s also a means to perpetuate the patriarchal society and continued subjugation of women.

The rape scene on The Handmaid’s Tale Season 2 Episode 10 is so brutal not only because June refuses to be complicit, but because the Commander’s and Serena’s motives are so insidious.

It isn’t about expediting June’s birth. It is about breaking her down. Serena and June usually detach themselves emotionally during ceremonies, but this time, the horrific brutality of the rape isn’t sanitized.

It appears the Commander feels remorse or guilt over the incident when he arranges for June to reunite with Hannah, but this is open to interpretation. When he enters June’s room, he makes no apologies, nor does he ask about her or the baby.

When he says, “I’ve planned a surprise for you. I think you’ll like it,” it’s reminiscent of the fashion magazine, or the trip to Jezebels. “Treats” like these hold no appeal for June, yet he seems to equate them with sending June to see her daughter.

The motives behind the Commander’s change of heart are debatable. He’s able to be magnanimous once he exacts his revenge. He puts June in her place by proving his so-called virility. It’s possible that the physical assault isn’t enough to satisfy him.

The Commander is always dismissive of — and even annoyed by — June’s requests regarding Hannah. He either sends her on a mission that can’t possibly have a happy outcome because he thinks it’s merciful or to punish her for telling him he’ll never understand what it’s like to have a child of his own flesh and blood.

As June prepares to leave, the Commander’s parting words are so ominous: “You deserve this.” 

Even if this outing is a mea culpa, the end result is as cruel as the rape. June realizes there’s no way to explain her absence in a way Hannah understands. All June can do is say goodbye, and, of course, the Commander knows this.

Hope is a dangerous thing in Gilead, and this episode leaves June with none, whether by design or divine intervention.

What did you think of this episode of The Handmaid’s Tale? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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The Handmaid’s Tale airs Wednesdays on Hulu.

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