The Best Episodes of The Handmaid's Tale
Last Updated: Jan 27, 2019
In a dystopian near-future, the totalitarian and Christian-fundamentalist government of Gilead rules the former United States amidst an ongoing civil war and subjugates women, who are not allowed to work, control money, or even read. Widespread infertility due to environmental contamination has resulted in the conscription of young fertile women—called Handmaids, according to biblical precedent—who are assigned to the homes of the elite, where they must have ritualized sex with the men in order to become pregnant and bear children for those men and their wives.
#1 - Night
Season 1 - Episode 10
Serena Joy confronts Offred and the Commander. Offred struggles with a complicated, life-changing revelation. The Handmaids face a brutal decision.
8.25
#2 - The Word
Season 2 - Episode 13
Serena and the other Wives strive to make change. Emily learns more about her new Commander. Offred faces a difficult decision.
8.20
#3 - The Last Ceremony
Season 2 - Episode 10
A frustrated Serena becomes desperate. The Commander tries to make amends with Offred. Nick pushes Eden farther away. Offred is faced with an unexpected reunion.
8.11
#4 - Smart Power
Season 2 - Episode 9
The Waterfords embark on a diplomatic trip abroad. Serena faces the temptation of life outside Gilead. Luke and Moira grapple with survivor's guilt. Offred seeks support from allies.
8.07
#5 - June
Season 2 - Episode 1
Offred reckons with the consequences of a dangerous decision while haunted by memories from her past and the violent beginnings of Gilead.
8.03
#6 - First Blood
Season 2 - Episode 6
Offred finds unexpected allies and obstacles in her search for a way to protect Hannah. The Commander prepares for the dedication of a new Red Center. Nick struggles with his new assignment.
8.02
#7 - Women's Work
Season 2 - Episode 8
A sick baby tests Offred and Serena. Janine finally faces Naomi.
7.99
#8 - The Bridge
Season 1 - Episode 9
Offred embarks on a dangerous mission for the resistance. Janine moves to a new posting. Serena Joy suspects the Commander’s infidelity.
7.94
#9 - A Woman's Place
Season 1 - Episode 6
A Mexican Ambassador visiting Gilead questions Offred about her life as a Handmaid. Serena Joy reflects on her marriage and the role she once played in Gilead’s inception.
7.94
#10 - Holly
Season 2 - Episode 11
Offred faces a grueling challenge alone as she recalls her life as a mother. Serena Joy and the Commander deal with the fallout of their actions towards Offred.
7.89
#11 - Postpartum
Season 2 - Episode 12
Offred is sent to a familiar place. Nick is rocked by Gilead’s brutal response to a crime. Emily is assigned to a mysterious new house.
7.85
#12 - After
Season 2 - Episode 7
An attack sends shockwaves through both Gilead and Little America. Serena Joy makes a dangerous choice in order to protect her family. Moira searches for someone from her past.
7.84
#13 - Baggage
Season 2 - Episode 3
Offred reflects on her relationship with her mother as she navigates her way through Gilead. In Little America, Moira tries to cope with the trauma she endured.
7.83
#14 - Unwomen
Season 2 - Episode 2
Offred adjusts to a new way of life. The arrival of an unexpected person disrupts the Colonies. A family is torn apart by the rise of Gilead.
7.81
#15 - Seeds
Season 2 - Episode 5
Offred spirals as a Gilead ceremony disrupts her relationship with Nick. Janine tries to adjust to life in the Colonies, jeopardizing her friendship with Emily.
7.77
#16 - Late
Season 1 - Episode 3
Offred visits Janine’s baby with Serena Joy and remembers the early days of the revolution before Gilead. Ofglen faces a difficult challenge.
7.75
#17 - The Other Side
Season 1 - Episode 7
Remembering her family’s treacherous escape attempt, a shocking revelation from life before Gilead provides a new perspective on Offred’s life.
7.73
#18 - Other Women
Season 2 - Episode 4
A baby shower provokes a troubling shift in Offred’s relationship with Serena Joy. Offred reckons with the choice she made that led her to become a Handmaid.
7.71
#19 - Jezebels
Season 1 - Episode 8
The Commander surprises Offred with a secret adventure in Gilead. Nick’s troubled past leads to his recruitment by the Sons of Jacob.
7.70
#20 - Nolite Te Bastardes Carborundorum
Season 1 - Episode 4
Punished by Serena Joy, Offred begins to unravel and reflects on her time with Moira at the Red Center. A complication during the Ceremony threatens Offred’s survival with the Commander and Serena Joy.
7.69
#21 - Birth Day
Season 1 - Episode 2
Offred and her fellow Handmaids assist with the delivery of Janine’s baby, prompting Offred to recall her own daughter’s birth. Offred draws closer to Ofglen while dreading a secret meeting with the Commander.
7.68
#22 - Faithful
Season 1 - Episode 5
Serena Joy makes Offred a surprising proposition. Offred remembers the unconventional beginnings of her relationship with her husband.
7.66
#23 - Offred
Season 1 - Episode 1
Offred, one the few fertile women known as Handmaids in the oppressive Republic of Gilead, struggles to survive as a reproductive surrogate for a powerful Commander and his resentful wife.
7.58