The Handmaid's Tale season 5 recap: All to know before season 6 arrives

The Handmaid's Tale season 5 was made available between September 14, 2022, and November 9, 2022. It introduced a lot of developments that laid the ground for the show's next season on Hulu on April 8, 2025.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for The Handmaid's Tale season 5. Readers' discretion is advised.

To begin with, after June and Luke encountered harsh resistance from Gilead backing Canadian citizens, the two took Nicole and made a run for Vancouver. However, June and Luke become separated as Luke chooses to turn himself in to the authorities for assaulting an individual who had attacked and injured June before.

On another hand, when June, now estranged from Luke, gets on the train for Vancouver, she overhears the wails of a baby on the train. When she approaches the sound, she discovers that the baby is Noah, the child Serena had given birth to with June's assistance recently.

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What happened to June Osborne in The Handmaid's Tale season 5?

The Handmaid's Tale season 5 was a rollercoaster ride for June Osborne. In the first episode of the season, she returns to her family after having killed Fred Waterford in No Man's Land with the help of several other women who had been wronged by Gilead's oppressive structures.

While she momentarily rejoices in the satisfaction of killing her oppressor and s*xual offender, she is soon overcome with a sense of guilt. Acting on the emotion, she decides to turn herself in to the authorities. However, she goes scott-free as Waterford's killing took place in No Man's Land, a place not under Canada's jurisdiction.

Henceforth, throughout The Handmaid's Tale season 5, June encounters several obstacles after Serena managed to gain a following of Gilead sympathizers in Canada. This is followed by extreme pushback for June and her family from certain Canadian citizens and factions.

By the end of the season, things become so serious for June and her family that they have to make the difficult decision of moving away from their home in Canada. They are advised to move to Vancouver by Mark Tuello; however, only June makes it to the train there, as Luke is arrested on account of having killed an individual who ran over June and injured her arm.

The season ends with June on the train to Vancouver with Nicole in her arms.

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What happened to Serena Joy in The Handmaid's Tale season 5?

Serena Joy's character also went through a rollercoaster of experiences in The Handmaid's Tale season 5. Now pregnant, at the beginning of the season, Serena is angered by June's audacity of having killed her husband, Fred, and seeks revenge.

However, in the absence of getting justice, she seeks a different route. She goes to Gilead and urges a ceremonial funeral for Fred, which is broadcast on television. Just to tip June off, she brings up Hannah, June's long-lost daughter trapped in Gilead, and makes her a part of the ceremony. Although Serena gets her say in the ceremony, she is not left with much choice regarding her stay at Gilead.

She is sent back from there and is urged to set up an office in Canada, representing Gilead's ideals. She also manages to develop a strong base of people who align with Gilead's agendas. June makes several attempts to attack Serena, but when she finally has the chance, she hesitates as she is pregnant.

Following the attack, Serena is moved into the Wheelers' house, where she is subjected to a treatment nearly similar to what handmaids are subjected to in Gilead. She feels trapped and controlled but is unable to move out of her situation. She eventually manages to escape, leading to June aiding in her childbirth.

However, while she is in the hospital, Luke calls the police on her, and her child is taken from her and placed under the Wheelers' care. They are the same people who got her out of jail, but on the account that they exercise full control over Serena and baby Noah.

With no other option, Serena takes Noah and flees from Canada by the end of The Handmaid's Tale season 5. She finds herself on the same train to Vancouver that June is on.

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All episodes of The Handmaid's Tale season 5 are currently available for streaming on Hulu.