The Handmaid’s Tale Review: Vows (Season 4 Episode 6)

The Handmaid’s Tale Season 4 Episode 6, “Vows,” gives viewers one of the most hopeful episodes so far. Following the events of The Handmaid’s Tale Season 4 Episdoe 5, “Chicago,” this episode is full of heartbreak, but ends up being a story of migration and ultimately hope. 

Most of this episode centers around the reunion of June and Moira, and that’s exactly how it should be. The audience has been waiting for June to leave Gilead.

Her constant attempts to save Hannah, although understandable, have proven pointless. Moira’s comment that June might have more luck fighting from Canada makes sense. There will be more behind her there, and the monolith of June Osbourne will help her accomplish that goal.

June spends much of this episode concussed, and a lot of Moss’s acting comes through in the silent. June doesn’t see herself as important, but she has become a figure of great importance to everyone in Gilead. We are starting to see the myth of June Osbourne come up against the person.

That is a story we’ve seen time and time again, but it will also be essential to see change.

The irony here though, is that in getting June out of Gilead, more lives are in jeapordy. Oona knows this. She knows that helping June means putting her organization on the line. She also knows that June can potentially make more change happen. It’s one of the only factors I can think of as to why she would suddenly change her mind and protect June. 

Oona is doing a lot of good. As viewers we probably only saw a fraction of it, but she now gets to be yet another one of June’s messes. Ironic when you consider that Moira said that she feels guilty for getting out when June didn’t and that’s why she’s cleaning up her mistakes. The fact that June is what would end her relationship with Oona as well feels appropriate considering the way Moira has always prioritized June’s wellfare, but not fair. 

Much of the conflict on “Vows” is internal. We see June grappling with her forthcoming nuptuals to Luke, being uncertain about the future, and ultimately reuniting with him. The way that they embrace when she breaks down about not having Hannah, is a rewarding scene. However, what’s more rewarding is the moment June steps off the boat.

The moment that she takes to step onto the ground and revel in her freedom is breathtaking. The moment and mood is lighter, and there’s a sense of genuine hope for the first time in the series. 

This comes in part from the fact that we don’t return to Gilead at all on “Vows,” and instead stay with June. Yes, we see the refuges breaking down the fence and attempting to escape, and that is heartbreaking, but we spend most of the episode zoomed in on June and what she’s going though in those moments. June doesn’t have to be alone or fight a larger-than-life character anymore, and that’s what makes this plot work.

However, as the series ventures out of Gilead I also wonder about what this means for fans of the book. The last chapter of source material talks a future conference about Gilead and how it is unknown what happened to June. If June becomes a public figure then there’s really no reason for her to be unknown down the line. 

We don’t know where June’s new life will take her, but there is finally a glimmer of hope outside of Gilead. While we want to see her get Hannah and to have a happy life, there are likely a lot of steps in between. Let’s see what the rest of Season 4 has in store.

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 Season 4 airs news episodes every Wednesday on Hulu. 

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