‘The Handmaid’s Tale’: Elisabeth Moss Reveals the Exact Moment June Knew What She’d Do to Fred
The penultimate episode of The Handmaid’s Tale season 4 finds June Osbourne struggling with Fred Waterford’s impending freedom. But all that changes in the finale when she brings him to justice herself.
According to the series star and director, Elisabeth Moss, June didn’t pre plan Fred’s fate. And she recently revealed the exact moment that June decided what she would do to him.
[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for season 4 episode 10 of The Handmaid’s Tale.]
June confronts Fred in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ season 4 finale
In the last episode of The Handmaid’s Tale season 4, June (Elisabeth Moss) confronts Fred after learning he’s about to walk free. She pays a visit to the prison, where she finds the former Commander living a luxurious life, in a room stocked with books, drinks, and Cuban cigars.
Fred tells June that he understands why she gave such damning testimony against him in court. “I do understand that you had to frame things in front of the judge, and your husband,” he says. “There were discomforts in my house, I know, for both of us. More for you, of course. And for that I do have deep regrets.”
After June scoffs at his sentiment, Fred continues to offer her a sordid apology. “I don’t know that I was able to fully appreciate your situation until now,” he says. “As a father, to have my son taken away from me would be unimaginable. You must have experienced such terrible longing for your daughter. And, for that, I’m sorry. Truly, deeply sorry.”
June breaks down in tears after hearing Fred’s apology. She then tells him she didn’t think he would ever say it.
But Fred eventually meets a brutal end
In the thrilling final scenes of The Handmaid’s Tale finale, June confronts Fred once again after facilitating a deal to send him back to Gilead. With Nick’s help, she gets Fred alone in a wooded area in no man’s land. She summons a group of women (likely former Gilead prisoners) and proceeds to beat him to death.
She later sends Serena (Yvonne Strahovski) Fred’s mutilated finger and wedding ring. And in one brief scene, his decapitated body is seen hanging on a wall above the message “Nolite Te Bastardes Carborundorum,” which translates to “Don’t let the bastards grind you down.”
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ star Elisabeth Moss reveals the exact moment June knew she would kill Fred
After providing intel to Mark Tuello (Sam Jaeger), Fred was well on his way to freedom. But according to Moss, it was something he specifically said in his prison conversation with June that made her decide to kill him.
“When they have that scene together, and he apologizes to her, that’s the moment she knows,” Moss told TV Line. “With his apologies, he signs his death sentence — The fact that he feels remorse makes him human, which means that he knew what he was doing. And so that’s it. That’s the end for him.”
“The minute he apologizes, he’s not getting away,” she added. “She’s actually so grateful that he gave her the answer to what she needs to do.
