‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Season 5: Will June Be Arrested?
June took justice into her own hands in The Handmaid’s Tale Season 4’s explosive finale. But what does it mean for her future? Did she escape Gilead just to be sent to prison in Canada? Fans and cast members alike have weighed in on this topic since the finale on June 16.
[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5.]
Elisabeth Moss thinks June will fear being arrested in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Season 5
Fred Waterford was murdered by June and other ex-Handmaids in season 4 episode 10 of The Handmaid’s Tale. In the unforgettable episode (already being touted as one of the best season finales TV has seen in years), Nick delivered Fred to “no man’s land” so June could kill him. Commander Joseph Lawrence, June, and Mark Tuello coordinated Fred’s return to Gilead in exchange for 22 captive women. And despite his cries for help, Fred was killed in a salvaging.
In the end, June hung Fred “on the f—-ing wall” like she said she would. She and the other ex-Handmaids walked out the forest with blood on their faces, but a clear feeling of peace about them. June then went home to say goodbye to her daughter, Nichole. Luke looked at June’s bloody face in despair after realizing what she had just done.
“I know, I’m sorry,” she says to him. “Just give me five minutes with her, then I’ll go.”
This line confused fans. Is June going to leave to flee persecution for killing Fred? Is that why Luke is distraught? Elisabeth Moss says June will definitely fear arrest at the very least. She told The Hollywood Reporter:
“I don’t know where we pick up in episode one of season five. I will probably know in a few months. But she has murdered someone and, regardless of what Gilead thinks, that’s illegal in most countries. So, June thinks she’s going to be in trouble. (Laughs.)”
June could get away with Fred’s murder, showrunner says
June thinking she could get in trouble doesn’t necessarily mean she will. Gilead wanted Fred gone. And June, Emily, and the other ex-Handmaids killed him in unclaimed territory. Neither Gilead nor Canada could have the jurisdiction to arrest anyone for this. And Nick, being the head of the Gilead’s secret police force (the Eyes), could easily cover up who actually killed him. As showrunner Bruce Miller told Entertainment Weekly:
“The Eyes could make anyone disappear. That’s the whole idea behind Nick taking him into the woods and him not coming back — that’s what happens in Gilead. And how they got rid of him is also what happens in Gilead; it’s exactly what they probably would have done to him anyway.”
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Season 5 theories
Fans on Reddit think June will be OK. As one fan wrote:
“I think it would be hard to actually prosecute June and the Handmaids as the crime occurred in no man’s land where jurisdiction is murky. On the one hand the women clearly entered NML from the Canadian side, on the other this appears to be a Gilead-sanctioned execution given Nick’s involvement and Lawrence’s knowledge. Fred was a Gilead citizen (as, technically, are the former Handmaids) in Gilead custody, which would mean jurisdiction would probably fall on Gilead’s side, however they wanted Fred gone and I don’t think anyone really wants to question the Eyes method on making that happen. The only reason I could see them wanting to would be to make a play to return the escaped Handmaids, but Nick is the wild card.”
Referencing Luke’s reaction to June in the finale, one fan said they think Luke was in shock and not distraught that June made a choice that could send her to jail. They said:
“From what I’ve heard, it seems more likely that June was referring to ‘I’ll go’ in the context of her and Luke’s relationship. Like she’s assuming that her behavior leading up to this point is too much for their marriage to bear, and she’ll have to leave Luke and Nichole because of it. It’s not clear yet if that’s what Luke would actually want tho! I think he’s mostly really shocked in that final scene.”
Regardless of whether June is arrested or not, she has now committed herself to the fight against Gilead for good.
