The Handmaid’s Tale: What we want to see in the second season finale

The Handmaid’s Tale — “Night” — Episode 110 — Serena Joy confronts Offred and the Commander. Offred struggles with a complicated, life-changing revelation. The Handmaids face a brutal decision. Offred (Elisabeth Moss), shown. (Photo by: George Kraychyk/Hulu)

We’re hoping against hope to see: June permanently part ways with the Waterfords

I doubt very much June will escape Gilead in the finale, but I would love to see her get away from Fred and Serena Joy. Even by The Handmaid’s Tale standards, they seem particularly terrible.

She’ll have to wean the baby eventually, right?

And yet…

We expect to see: More excuses for June and the Waterfords to stay under the same roof

…the series is extremely adept at creating ways for June to get out of tight spots as well as reasons for June, Nick, Serena Joy and Fred to remain in the same orbit.

Nick somehow managed to avoid being executed or imprisoned by the Guardians. Plus, anyone can tell he’s in love with June. June is an in-demand handmaid in spite of running away twice and openly defying Aunt Lydia. Fred barely bothers to conceal his lust for June, but hasn’t lost his coveted post in Gilead’s government. Serena posed as her husband and issued orders on his behalf.

If any other family in Gilead was involved in this much ungodly drama, they’d all be killed or packed off to the colonies. At the very least June and Nick would be reassigned to separate districts.

Somehow I just don’t see that happening in the next ep.

We want to see: Serena lose Holly/Nicole

In a perfect world, June would be reunited with both her daughters and Luke, go into therapy and live (relatively) happily ever after in Canada.

But since that’s not going to happen anytime soon, if ever, I would be satisfied if June’s baby was taken from Serena. The powers that be could say that she and her husband aren’t truly faithful or some such nonsense. Even if Serena was a decent person, she’s not currently in the right head space for motherhood; she’s hanging on by a dwindling thread.

I don’t need to remind you that Serena is not a decent person. After all the damage she’s done to June, herself and all women it would just make karmic sense if the baby she’s so longed for was taken away on account of a law Serena herself helped write.

It’s nothing less than she deserves.

We’re hoping against hope to see: A small sign of happiness

Neither The Handmaid’s Tale nor the novel it’s based on is a happy story — we’ve all probably accepted that on some level.

However, the series does have the capacity for pure, unadulterated joy: Luke learning his wife and daughter are alive; Moira escaping Gilead; June receiving news about Luke and Moira and their work to get her back; a postpartum June cuddling Holly for possibly the only time.

The Handmaid’s Tale would be betraying its audience and itself if the finale was full of happiness and light. That simply isn’t going to happen. But a brief reprise from the doom and gloom would be much appreciated.

Next: The Handmaid’s Tale S2E12 review: Postpartum

The season 2 finale of The Handmaid’s Tale will begin streaming on Hulu July 11.