The Handmaid’s Tale – Season 5 Episode 9 “Allegiance” Recap & Review

Allegiance

Episode 9 from The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5 begins with Mark having a meeting with June along with Luke. It is revealed that Hannah’s Wife’s School is located in Colorado Springs. It was an old US Air Force Academy before becoming repurposed.

The girls are identified as thirty and destined to be saved. Mark’s task force plans to launch three separate aircraft. They’ve got a clearly defined flight route towards the campus, as well as are planning to parachute into. They’ve got plans to kill anyone who crosses their way with the commander Elijah commanding the army.

June is able to convince Mark to allow them to view the program as he perceives it later that evening and points out that unlike the other parents she actually provided them with information to use.

While this is happening, Serena holds baby Noah and keeps her calm as the Wheelers twirl her up and push her to breastfeed so that Mrs. Wheeler will be able to nurse Noah instead.

Serena takes a deep breath and tries to force smiles and it’s clear that she’s not content. She also tries to leave the Wheeler home and hopes to attend the event together with Noah to get more women to sign up for the fertility clinic she has pitched. Mr. Wheeler is willing to think about it but is pretty dismissive about his response.

Naomi Putnam is brought before Lawrence who decides that she should be rewarded for sticking aside her marriage to Warren for the longest time. She isn’t able to be a widower with children, and Lawrence recommends they get married to settle any disputes that might arise. It’s her decision, too and Naomi will not be bound to an American colony if chooses not to. Mrs. Putnam is in shock and mute as Lawrence is clearly unhappy with the arrangement as well.

In the evening the raid is launched and June arrives to observe the raid occurred. “You’re coming home.” She whispers. Unfortunately, while on the route, the planes get attacked. Gilead anticipating their mission, relocated their anti-aircraft guns to the front, destroying all three planes. There was no one who survived – not even Elijah.

Lawrence calls June the following day and then continues his plea for her to go to New Bethlehem. He also mentions Nick who is also there and says it’s a great deal and she should be taking the offer. But, he’s got conditions. He would like June to make the news and declare the mission to be a “foolish act of aggression.” June refuses, knowing that it will draw Gilead as the perpetrator in the entire situation. And then, she hangs up. Lawrence is crying at his feet.

June visits Mark and informs him that she’s finished with Lawrence and doesn’t even consider the idea of working with him in the near future. She’s committed to continuing her relationship with something else and is determined to do it differently. Mark suggests that they use Nick as their insider. Even though he was scared prior, it could be June that is the decisive factor here, and convincing Nick to join the team.

Of course, June heads over to meet Nick and asks him why he didn’t accept the invitation. It appears that Rose is pregnant and Nick sees Gilead growing and changing. “I wish the world would just go away, just for a little bit.” June is sad and goes on to inform Nick she does not want to cause trouble for Nick. The couple lingers, two of them expressing their love before breaking up.

In the morning the next morning, Mrs. Wheeler hits Serena repeatedly in the face and tells her to keep away from her husband, accusing her of being sexy. But, Serena is allowed to attend the meeting, but she’ll be in a group – she’ll be monitored by Mrs. Wheeler.

Serena is criticized in front of her peers and isn’t allowed to participate in any of the upcoming meetings. Serena can go to the back of the room without supervision and feed Noah since she purposefully did not bring an empty bottle. Serena is a runner. She is able to get a ride with someone else who speeds away.

After the battle on Gilead ground, the commanders gather to congratulate each one another on their backs and praise themselves for a job well done. Indeed, the Embassy representatives from China, Russia, and North Korea have also offered their own congratulations as well. Attention soon turns to June Osbourne however, as certain men debate about whether they should take charge of June for the last time.

As protests grow increasingly violent The crowd gathers to pay respect to the soldiers who died in their lives in Gilead. Unfortunately, some of the crowd begins to fire. June is able to grab Emma Elijah’s daughter and shield her from harm while diving into the ground. Bullets symbolically tear through the American flag.

Episode Review Episode Review

The plot is about to get going in a variety of ways, this season has been somewhat belated with its pace and the plot’s progression. Serena and June’s stories have been essentially through each other in parallel until the suspenseful chapter in which June abandoned everything and made a decision to assist her adversaries.

But, The Handmaid’s Tale has been good to watch this year, and the way it ended suggests that the next episode’s finale will be quite a shocker. With the show being renewed for the sixth time and the show’s producers confirming that the show will be tied to The Revelations, The Handmaid’s Tale is set to close things off with an explosion.

In the meantime, we see an end to the season between June and Nick and the show continues to offer symbolic visuals, particularly the one that ends with bullet holes that tear into the US flag. It’s not been the greatest season, but it’s been a good one nevertheless.