The Handmaid’s Tale Episode 304 review: God Bless The Child

In the latest episode of The Handmaid’s Tale, June makes the first step toward destroying the status quo in Gilead. The question is: Who will join her in the coming war?

There’s no doubting that a revolution is in the works on The Handmaid’s Tale. June (Elisabeth Moss) has been secretly plotting an insurrection against the Gilead’s leaders but she requires allies to make her dream a reality.

Warning! Spoilers for the latest episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale follow. Read on at your own discretion.

In Season 3, Episode 4 “God Bless The Child”, June begins eyeing possible candidates for allies in the coming war. She first looks toward the other handmaids but finds one who will clearly expose the plan before there’s ever a chance a coup will succeed so she holds her tongue. June remains silent until the Waterfords show up.

The conflict between Serena (Yvonne Strahovski) and Fred (Joseph Fiennes) has been secretly gnawing away at their relationship, making it extremely difficult for either of them to fulfill their duties. June, however, finds a way to appease them both while creating an opening of her own.

What this means is June has multiple allies she can potentially count on when her plan is set in motion. Fred Waterford is open to change, especially now that he’s seen the cycle of abuse perpetuated by Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) and others like her. And Serena, she wants to have a voice in the male-dominated society. June seeks the same but it’s Serena gaining influence that’ll make the difference.

While June can make plenty of rousing speeches and convince the other handmaids of a cause worth fighting for, her efforts will be for naught if no one with reputable standing supports her. That’ll require an entire household’s backing and June has fortunately gained both Serena and Fred Waterford’s favor.

Additionally, June’s refusal to let Aunt Lydia beat Janine (Madeline Brewer) to death with her stick has made the current state of affairs evident to Gilead’s Commanders. Despite their callous approach to the subjugation of women, even they were left appalled by Lydia’s actions during the night’s celebration. The old hag even had to excuse herself after maliciously attacking a handmaid — something no one ever expected Lydia to do.

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The important fact here is that Commander Putnam (Stephen Kunken) and his colleagues could add their support to a possible revolt against the Council. They all hold strong loyalties to Gilead but everyone has suffered at the hands of the tyrannical regime.

Speaking of hands, Warren Putnam had his hand and part of his arm amputated as punishment for adultery — per Gilead’s strict laws regarding adultery. He faced the accusations in stride but the end result was extremely harsh, and that may or may not factor into his decision to defect if June proposes such an alliance. Mrs. Putnam, on the other hand, might not be on board. Of course, the men in Gilead hold more standing than the women so his help would be a great help regardless of how Naomi feels.

Who do you think will join June/Offred in the coming revolution? Let us know in the comments section below.

The Handmaid’s Tale Season 3 is currently streaming on Hulu. New episodes are uploaded every Wednesday. For more on this Hulu Original, follow us on the Hulu Watcher Twitter Account @HuluWatcherFS or on the Hulu Watcher Facebook Page.