The Handmaid’s Tale: Episode 5, Mayday, our review

New week and new episode of the first season of The Handmaid’s Tale aired yesterday on Hulu. Check out our review of “Faithful” and pay attention to spoilers.
Yesterday evening a new episode of the first season of The Handmaid’s Tale was broadcast on Hulu and while waiting to find the series on OCS on June 27th at 8:40 pm, you can already discover our review of episode 5 entitled “Faithful”. Since the beginning of the season, “Faithful” plunges us both into the terrifying present of Offred but also in the past of June and more precisely during his meeting with Luke. The theme of love and desire will thus recur throughout the episode, just like that of sex. The return of Ofglen, now Ofsteven, is part of it since Offred finally learns what happened to him and finds himself even more terrified. The homosexuality of the young woman was, according to the Gilead authorities, Incarnated in its genital parts which were thus removed . And if it’s something to shock anyone with a brain, it would seem that Commander Fred Waterford is not one of them. Offred’s interview with her commander, which she is going to see for the purpose of reprimanding her, makes her discover as much as we do a new facet not really sympathetic to the master of the house and serves as a hard reminder to reality : We must not trust anyone.
This observation is also verified when Offred finally gets a response from Nick who confirms that he is an Eye. Despite the threat he represents and the guilt towards Luke, Offred seems no more frightened than that. After a new forced relationship with him orchestrated by Serena Joy, it is of her own volition that she returns to see him at nightfall to offer us the first scene of consenting sex since the beginning of the series. Indeed the mistress of house puts the fertility of her husband in question and is ready to break the rules, like everyone else, when it suits her . The ceremony is thus doubled for Offred whose instrumentalization continues under cover of respect for Fred Waterford and of necessity for Serena Joy.
But in spite of a welcome return, it is very probable that we no longer see the old offred promenade. The act of courage mingled with Ofglen’s unconsciousness falls just after she has taught Offred her real name and that of the resistance network: Mayday. One can only imagine his frustration not knowing where or how to find its members . We suspect, however, that Offred will find a way and hope that she will not be caught. Episode 5 showed us a revolted and exhausted Offred of not being able to make her choices, and who therefore decided to make decisions, however risky they may be. Between her discovery of Mayday, Ofglen’s flashback, her confrontation with Fred and her relationship with Nick, the future seems uncertain for the young woman and one has only haste: See the next episode. Until then, know that The Handmaid’s Tale has already been renewed for a season 2 . And you, what did you think of episode 5?