The following contains discussions of rape and abuse.
Since its premiere on Hulu in 2017, The Handmaid's Tale has followed June Osborne, played by Elisabeth Moss, and those with whom her story intertwines through many different trials in and out of Gilead. Based on the novel by Margaret Atwood, the show tells the story of a dystopian future America (Gilead) that has fallen to the Sons of Jacob, an ultra-conservative political group of oppressors. It's a harrowing look at a nightmare future that has a lot of things on its mind in relation to the real world.
Over the course of five seasons, with TV of the streaming age, with an intricate plot and gutwrenching performances from its stellar cast. There are some truly standout episodes in The Handmaid's Tale as well, with some that are incredible from start to finish, making them the best in the entire series.
15 "The Word"
Season 2, Episode 13 (2018)
In the season 2 finale of The Handmaid's Tale, things come to a head as June's secret plans continue right under the nose of the Commander, and tensions continue to boil over in Gilead. Aiming to end the season on a high note, the writers bring the show's second batch of episodes to a cliffhanger ending. "The Word" sees June take matters into her own hands once more, continuing her storyline of asserting dominance over her own life in a world where the exact opposite is encouraged.
As the episode ends, audiences are left on the edge of their seats as they wonder if this escape attempt will finally be successful. What makes "The Word" so good among the rest of The Handmaiden's best episodes is how thrilling this episode is, and how much it engages with the audience, who don't know exactly what will happen in the end, setting up even more intrigue heading into the show's third season.
14 "The Wilderness"
Season 4, Episode 10 (2021)
Though The Handmaid's Tale season 4 received overall lower ratings than seasons past, the finale episode, "The Wilderness," very much fell in line with the best episodes in the series. The episode depicts June's attempt to keep Fred from being cleared of his horrific actions, going outside the law to make sure justice is met. Elisabeth Moss has continuously shown just how good she is in the series, and she shines in this episode.
This episode entertains an intriguing question as June is forced to choose between istering her own brand of justice or being content with what she has already achieved.
This episode entertains an intriguing question as June is forced to choose between istering her own brand of justice or being content with what she has already achieved. In the end, she makes a decision that comes back to haunt her in the final seasons of the series. Like all The Handmaid's Tale's season finales, "The Wilderness" does an excellent job at feeling satisfying in its own right while also dangling enough to want viewers coming back as soon as the next season premieres.
13 "Late"
Season 1, Episode 3 (2017)
The Handmaid's Tale started out incredibly strong, delivering one of the best episodes in its run very early on, hooking any viewers that hadn't already been fully invested in the series. The third episode, "Late," interweaves flashbacks with the current storyline, establishing an important history of Gilead while dealing with the aftermath of Ofglen's arrest, and featuring some extremely heavy moments in the process, something that The Handmaid's Tale excels at.
"Late" is one of the series' more difficult episodes to watch, but that certainly doesn't take away from its poignant storyline, which both builds the world of the series and keeps viewers' hearts racing as they ponder the fates of their favorite characters. While future episodes would attempt to recreate this tension, the series rarely gets as nail-biting as this, a testament to just how successful The Handmaid's Tale was so early on.
12 "The Bridge"
Season 1, Episode 9 (2017)
The trouble in this episode begins when Janine (played brilliantly by Madeline Brewer) is forced to give her baby to the family who raped her and held her captive. She's reassigned to the home of another Commander, which makes the permanence of the separation from her child all too real. This all culminates in Janine making a desperate decision to steal her baby back. The episode ends with a tragic choice that leaves viewers restless, adding on to the already harrowing circumstances the characters are in.
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Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale TV series has continued the story of June, aka Offred, beyond Margaret Atwood's novel, but what becomes of her in the book?
Meanwhile, June has decided she wants to be involved in Mayday, the underground resistance group trying to dismantle Gilead. She's tasked with picking up a message from Jezebel's, which means she has to convince Fred to take her. She's able to get the message, but her rash action leads Serena to begin to suspect that something is going on between her and Fred.
11 "A Woman's Place"
Season 1, Episode 6 (2017)
The Waterfords are hosting delegates from Mexico to discuss trade, and June is warned not to say anything that could tip them off to the humanitarian crisis occurring in Gilead. Serena Joy is reminiscing about her relationship with Fred and her role in the creation of Gilead as she yearns for the power she once held. All of this is happening just as June has begun a relationship with Nick.
Though she's unable to alert the diplomats to the horrors going on in the presence of the Waterfords, June manages to speak briefly to the Mexican President. She's unable to offer any aid, but her assistant es a message along to June: her husband is alive. It's the start of a complex storyline that would have a significant impact on the show going forward, especially early on in the series, as it continued to deliver incredible episodes.
10 "Women's Work"
Season 2, Episode 8 (2018)
"Women's Work" is centered around baby Angela's sickness and Serena's attempts to help her get better. If there's one thing Serena cares about outside herself, it's children, and she plans to do everything in her power for the baby's health, even if that means breaking the law she helped create. June convinces Aunt Lydia to allow Janine to see her baby one last time, as it seems she will die from her illness.
Elisabeth Moss has been nominated and also won multiple Emmy Awards for her role as June in The Handmaid's Tale.
Janine's presence ends up miraculously helping in Angela's recovery, but Serena will have to pay a price for going against her husband, marking a turn for the character that would alter the course of her arc for the rest of the series. It's a major test for both Serena and June, and Elisabeth Moss continues to deliver some of the best work of her career leading The Handmaid's Tale.
9 "June"
Season 2, Episode 1 (2018)
"June" is a violent opener for a season that somehow feels even more violent than the first. The audience picks up right where they left off, as June discovers that all the Handmaids who refused to stone Janine are being rounded up in a stadium, seemingly for execution. It's only a scare tactic by Aunt Lydia, who wants to frighten them into submission, but it's an obvious harrowing experience across the board.
Season 2 had an interesting task, as it marked the official departure from any published source material before Margaret Atwood released The Testaments, and it sets the expectations high right away with "June."
June is pregnant and goes to her first doctor's appointment. When she's given a moment alone, she escapes the hospital along a path that's been set up for her. Nick has found a way out for her and their baby, and June is on the run. Season 2 had an interesting task, as it marked the official departure from any published source material before Margaret Atwood released The Testaments, and it sets the expectations high right away with "June."
8 "First Blood"
Season 2, Episode 6 (2018)
Following a mental break that nearly resulted in a miscarriage, June is taken to a doctor, who informs her that both she and the baby will be fine in a less stressful environment. Serena, frightened about the baby she plans to steal, starts being unexpectedly kind to June, making everything a bit more unsettling. Meanwhile, Fred is overseeing the construction and unveiling of a new Red Center.
June tries to take advantage of Serena's brief kindness and asks to see her daughter, Hannah. Serena refuses, but Fred uses this as a way to try to get close to June by giving her a picture of the daughter she hasn't seen in years. Nick is forced to consummate his relationship with Eden, and Fred is involved in an attack on his new Red Center, orchestrated by Mayday. A lot happens in "First Blood" and it ends up being one of the most important episodes in season 2.
7 "Together"
Season 5, Episode 6 (2022)
The sixth episode of The Handmaid's Tale season 5 sees tensions continue to rise at around the halfway point of the season, setting the stage for an even more explosive and tension-filled second half. After being captured, June and Luke worry that they might not be able to escape Gilead's clutches once more, while Serena struggles to retain her control over her former ers.
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This episode continues to develop Serena and June's separate yet parallel storylines as each begins to struggle with their calling. And, as all the show's great episodes do, "Together" ends with a major shock as June and Serena are brought together once more. One of the biggest strengths of The Handmaid's Tale has been how it is able to navigate the complex character dynamics throughout, and "Together" is a perfect example of that.
6 "No Man's Land"
Season 5, Episode 7 (2022)
Following the surprise ending of the previous episode, "No Man's Land" quickly raised the stakes as Serena and June finally get some terrific scenes together. Though both are filled with seething rage toward one another, they are equally desperate and must work together to overcome surmounting odds. It's some of the best dynamics between them in the whole series, and highlights how important they truly are to the show as a whole.
This episode truly soars in its scenes between Yvonne Strahovski and Elisabeth Moss, whose characters are pushed to their limits in dealing with one another. The episode culminates with a surprising, though uneasy, reconciliation between the two, though many fans are not convinced that such a truce could ever last, something that continues to remain complex and tense moving forward through the rest of The Handmaid's Tale.
