The Handmaid’s Tale season three, episode 12 aired on Hulu today with the latest outing for the dystopian series. This episode straddles the world of Gilead and Canada as we see the aftermath of Fred’s (played by Joseph Fiennes) arrest and follow June (Elisabeth Moss) as she prepares the final stages of her plan. Here’s a quick recap of what happened in Sacrifice on Hulu.
What happened in The Handmaid’s Tale season 3, episode 12?
WARNING: This article contains spoilers for The Handmaid’s Tale season 3.
Episode 12 begins with June playing with a gun waiting for Gilead officials at the Lawrence household.
Viewers initially think the officials could be there to take June away for her murder of Commander Winslow (Christopher Meloni) in episode 11.
However, it becomes increasingly clear they are instead there to ask for Commander Lawrence’s (Bradley Whitford) help over Fred’s arrest.
When Lawrence reveals this to June he says: “Cheer up – Fred and Serena are toast and you just got away with murder, not a bad morning.”
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Episode 12 also shows viewers the aftermath of Fred’s arrest for war crimes in episode 11 as he and Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski) are reunited.
During the course of the conversation, it becomes increasingly clear that Serena gave Fred to the authorities in order to get June’s daughter Nichole back – a revelation that Fred is devastated by.
Later in the episode, Moira (Samira Wiley) brings baby Nichole to visit Serena in a supervised visit with the social worker in tow.
Moira is clearly unhappy with the scenario, repeatedly telling Serena that Nichole is June’s daughter, not hers.
“I am who I am and I have sinned plenty but you are the gender traitor,” Moira says to Serena in a particularly cutting moment.
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Fred also confronts Mark Tuello (Sam Jaeger) who was the man who persuaded Serena to escape to Canada before Luke (OT Fagbenle) comes in to visit him in his cell.
The tense meeting ends in blows as Fred tells Luke that June is no longer the person he married, adding “Gilead changed her. I changed her” before Luke punches him.
Meanwhile, back in Gilead the wives are praying for the safe return of Commander Winslow, who June killed in the previous episode.
When his wife (Elizabeth Reaser) admits she cannot raise six children alone, Eleanor (Julie Dretzin) says: “We can take the children with us. We can save all the children.”
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Nearly giving away June’s plan to get the children of Gilead out of the republic, this is a key turning point for her to realise that Eleanor may be a risk to her plan.
Eleanor increasingly unravels throughout the episode before viewers watch June enter her room to find she has taken an overdose.
Instead of turning around and running for help, June makes the decision to sit by her bedside and wait for her to die.
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The episode then cuts to June and the Marthas preparing for Eleanor’s service when Commander Lawrence enters heartbroken over her death and the pair reveal how they both feel guilty.
The final scene is the funeral as the penultimate episode ends with June and Lawrence gazing over Eleanor’s grave.
A promo for next week’s finale reveals viewers will finally see June’s plan to help the children of Gilead escape put into action.
The Handmaid’s Tale season 3 drops weekly on Hulu on Wednesdays and airs on Channel 4 in the UK every Sunday at 9pm.