‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Showrunner Says Serena Will Walk ‘Free’ in Season 5
In The Handmaid’s Tale, Serena Joy Waterford (Yvonne Strahovski) is one of the most despised antagonists. During the show’s fourth season, Serena discovers she is pregnant. While this is something she always wanted, it is clear from her past actions that Serena does not deserve to raise a child of her own.
Some fans might be hoping that Serena’s son will be taken away from her. But in an episode of Eyes On Gilead: A Handmaid’s Tale Podcast, showrunner Bruce Miller hinted Serena will no longer face trial and will be “free” in season 5 of The Handmaid’s Tale.
[Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers for season 4 episode 10 of The Handmaid’s Tale.]
Serena Joy Waterford’s life changed in the season 4 finale of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’
In season 4 episode 10 of The Handmaid’s Tale, “The Wilderness,” Serena makes plans to settle down in Canada with her husband, Commander Fred Waterford (Joseph Fiennes). Fred took a plea deal to guarantee freedom for himself and Serena. And Serena hopes to put their troubling legal history behind them to raise their son.
Later that episode, Mark Tuello (Sam Jaeger) sends Fred back to Gilead as part of a prisoner exchange, unbeknownst to Serena. Fred is then killed by June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss) and other former Handmaids.
During one of the final scenes of “The Wilderness,” Serena attempts to video chat with Fred, not knowing he is dead. Outside her holding cell, a package containing Fred’s finger and wedding ring is delivered to her. Fred’s death leaves Serena’s fate in season 5 of The Handmaid’s Tale unknown, as her freedom and security depended on his plea deal.
Bruce Miller thinks Serena will have freedom in season 5 of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’
On June 28, Miller appeared in an episode of Eyes On Gilead: A Handmaid’s Tale Podcast. When asked about Serena’s status in Canada, the showrunner clarified Serena is not able to seek asylum in the country.
“Well, not necessarily because she came over under a different kind of agreement rather than, she didn’t ask, she didn’t say ‘I’m a citizen of …’ You have to say ‘I’m a citizen of the U.S., and I’d like asylum because I’ll be in danger.’ None of those things really apply,” Miller said.
Serena will not be able to seek asylum because she is a founding member of Gilead and does not claim to be from the U.S. However, Miller thinks she will be “free” at some point during the next season of The Handmaid’s Tale.
“She’s got a different status, but her status basically is that she’s fulfilled her deal with the ICC by bringing them Fred,” Miller said on the podcast. “And now that she’s been processed, as soon as she gets through with the signing the papers of getting out and also gets the approval of Mark Tuello, the people she made the deal with, she’s free. But she might be free with, you know, free is a very interesting word, but free with support is very different than free.”
He continued: “She doesn’t have a page to her name or an outfit to her body. She doesn’t own anything like June back in Gilead. So free is interesting in that case. But she has no charges pending.”
Serena will always make the ‘logical’ choice in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’
As fans of The Handmaid’s Tale have witnessed, Serena will always choose whatever option benefits her. She does not have loyalties to anyone but herself. On Eyes On Gilead: A Handmaid’s Tale Podcast, Miller confirmed that Serena will always pick the “logical” choice.
“She’ll do the thing that’s logical for her, the best thing for her. So, you know, I guess if you’re a spider, you don’t spin your web someplace nice and cozy. You spin it somewhere where the flies are going to fly, even if it’s unpleasant for you.”
Fans can watch all four seasons of The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu.
