The Handmaid’s Tale Review: Testimony (Season 4 Episode 8)
The time has come for… the confirmation of charges against the Waterfords. The Handmaid’s Tale Season 4 Episode 8, “Testimony,” delivers more of what we’ve been waiting for, even if it is only the first act.
The confirmation of charges hearing against the Waterfords is a gratifying moment, but it also begins the start of another fight. June takes the stand and makes her voice heard, but the confrontation with Fred causes it to backfire.
This isn’t unexpected, because while we want to see justice we also need conflict. Gilead is still standing because it still has support, and the Waterfords’ arrest won’t change that.
It is still gratifying to see June recount all that has happened to her. Her presence in Canada feels like a light at the end of the tunnel, but as Moira has pointed out healing is a long road.
June is still guarded and still living in anger. She should be angry. She’s allowed to be angry.
When she involves Emily’s story, she’s now making decisions for someone else. Thrusting the former Aunt in Emily’s face isn’t the best way to heal, and it takes the decision away from Emily.
Remember, Emily has a similar story. You can say it’s even more traumatic since she saw her girlfriend executed in front of her before her clitoridectomy. We haven’t been with Emily every episode like we have June.
We’ve seen her anger and we saw her reunite with her family. Yet, her anger was directed more at Gilead as a whole, there wasn’t one specific person that she could target to try to find peace.
Aunt Irene may have been responsible for the abuse that Emily suffered, but Emily seems to understand that there’s something larger at work. When she confronts Jeanine in the Colonies she doesn’t talk about one person being the cause of her suffering. She names Gilead.
When she goes to talk to Irene and finds her hanging, it’s a solemn moment. Irene could have been a huge boon to understanding how Gilead works. Emily’s feelings are still valid and she deserved to see some justice for what was done to her.
The way that the moment is unpacked in one of the final scenes is interesting. The darker side of recovering from trauma starts to come out, and it feels like the tables are going to turn and June will become a righteous Aunt Lydia type. There’s something about how June is commanding and handling herself that’s starting to feel like one of the aunts.
There’s an interesting turn there and as the season progresses I’ll be very curious to see where this transformation goes.
Stray Thoughts:
- Anyone else really glad that Jeanine is still alive?
- Hearing Fred spins how Gilead is doing something good evokes a similar defense we’ve seen over time of people using the bible to justify their actions.
- Anyone else worried about what Luke will do once June tells him the truth about Hannah?
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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Lauren Busser
Lauren Busser is an Associate Editor at Tell-Tale TV. She is a writer of fiction and nonfiction whose work has appeared in Bitch Media, Popshot Quarterly, Brain Mill Press Voices, and The Hartford Courant.