The Word

“

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

”

— Serena quoting John 1:1 from Eden's bible

The Word
Season 2
Episode 13
Air date	July 11, 2018
Episodes
Previous	Postpartum
Next	Night

The Word is the thirteenth episode of the second season of The Handmaid's Tale.

Synopsis

Serena and the other Wives strive to make change. Emily learns more about her new Commander. Offred faces a difficult decision.

Plot

While Offred and Rita are doing laundry, Rita confesses that she treated Eden badly. Offred reveals that she slept with Nick. Rita says that she should've tried harder. Offred continues to go through Eden's things. She finds a Bible. Offred goes to see Serena and shows her the bible and how Eden wrote notes all over it, indicating Eden knew how to read. Serena says that Eden has been hiding a multitude of sins. Offred is upset and asks Serena how she plans to raise Nichole. Serena says that she'll be raised properly and understand the Word of God. Offred says that she won't be able to read it, and leaves, still upset.

Nick is visited by Eden's father who apologizes for Eden. Fred asks if he has another daughter and he says yes, to which Fred replies that he should make sure that she is raised properly. Eden's father reveals that he was the one who turned in Eden to the authorities which leaves Offred looking shocked; she asks Fred what he'll do when they come for his daughter. He closes the door and slaps her. She slaps him back, harder. He grabs her by the face and shoves her down. Later, Rita helps Offred by giving her an ice pack.

 (Relationships/Nick and June)

Nick arrives and Rita leaves to give him and Offred some alone time, saying "your girlfriend is a badass" as she departs. Offred tells him that it's okay. They hear Nichole downstairs so both of them go to check on her; Rita is holding her but gives her to Offred. Offred in turn gives her to Nick and shows him how to hold her, telling him to look at what they made and that she loves him.

The next day, Offred, Emily, Janine and another handmaid are out walking when they pass by the Wall, seeing Eden and Isaac hanging from it. While talking about the young couple's fates, Offred tells the others that she found a Bible among Eden's possessions.

Emily tells them about how tonight is her first night doing the Ceremony with her new family. She also mentions that next week is her son's birthday; Offred says that they should celebrate and Janine talks about cake. Emily says that she's glad she got to see June again.

Serena is over at Naomi's house with the baby where she asks if she ever worries about her daughter's future and Naomi replies that she puts her faith in Gilead. Serena asks if other wives have opinions about this and Naomi says yes; Serena says she'd be interested in hearing them and Naomi agrees.

Emily goes downstairs but can't find anyone. She goes into the kitchen and rummages until she finds a knife which she hides in her clothes before entering the sitting room where she kneels position for the coming Ceremony, clutching the knife while she waits. Commander Lawrence enters, preoccupied with a ream of paperwork and tells her to get up, that he isn't going to do the ceremony with her. Emily is confused but she gets up and leaves.

Serena approaches the Council about an amendment, the other wives entering shortly afterwards to attend the meeting in support. She tells them about how they want to teach the sons and daughters of Gilead to read the Bible. Fred thanks them and dismissively comments that the Council will discuss the issue. Serena pulls out Eden's bible and begins to read; as she does, the wives look at each other uncomfortably and begin to leave. Serena's audience with the Council ends and Naomi tells her that she shouldn't have read in front of them. Fred arrives in the anteroom and thanks them for coming, dismissing them and clearly having no intention of acting on their petition. The other wives leave but Serena stays behind to talk to her husband. She tells him that she did this to set an example for their daughter. Fred agrees that she has done exactly that: two Guardians come to drag Serena away. She begs him for help but he just walks away, unmoved by her screams.

Aunt Lydia arrives to visit Emily after her first Ceremony with Commander Lawrence. Unbeknownst to Emily, Commander Lawrence lied to Aunt Lydia and told her that the ceremony went splendidly. Emily doesn't say anything so Aunt Lydia leaves, reminding Emily should consider herself lucky that God is kind to "even the most depraved among us". As she walks away, Emily produces the knife she still had secreted in her dress, stabs Lydia and pushes her over the banister. Emily goes after her and begins to kick her down the rest of the way. Cora arrives to see what the commotion is about and is shocked by what happened. She calls Commander Lawrence to come and see what Emily's just done, grabbing her and marching to her room where she tells her to stay, locking the door as she leaves. Emily begins to have a meltdown.

At the Waterford house, Offred opens the front door and lets Serena and Fred inside. Serena can barely walk so Fred guides her to their room. He tells Offred that they had a difficult day but that from now on everything will be better. Offred waits until he leaves before she asks Serena what happened; she silently unbandages her hand and shows her that they amputated a finger as punishment for reading. She says "I tried" and Offred sits on the bed and holds her hand.

Offred goes downstairs into the kitchen where Fred is shouting for Rita. She tells him that she can't believe he let them do that to Serena but he coldly retorts that they all have roles to play and that Serena needed to be reminded of hers. Fred offers to allow Offred to stay in the house with her baby and that they could try again but for a boy this time; Offred replies, "go fuck yourself." He tries a different tack and changes the focus to Hannah, suggesting that if Offred acquiesces to his demands, she'd be able to see her more. He tells her to think about it as he goes back upstairs.

Commander Lawrence walks into Emily's room and asks what they're going to do with her. He grabs her and puts her into the car, asking if she likes music. They drive off with a 1980s hit single playing loudly; Emily looks increasingly agitated and eventually asks him to turn it off.

Offred is feeding Nichole when she hears a commotion outside, a house across the street has caught fire. Rita enters and tells her that friends and other Marthas can get her and the baby out but that they need to leave now. She instructs Offred to go past the greenhouse all the way to the corner of the yard where people will be waiting for her. Offred hugs Rita and then leaves.

Fred is still working in his office with the music turned up, oblivious to the commotion outside. When he sees the flashing lights through the windows he finds Rita and demands to know what's going on but she tells him she doesn't know. Suspicious about the unusual turn of evens, he rushes upstairs to check on Nichole. The baby is not in her crib, so he runs to Offred's room to find it empty, a familiar message written on the wall: "Nolite te bastardes carborundorum", the first Offred's pseudo-Latin joke for "don't let the bastards grind you down."

Nick has followed Fred who now turns to leave, telling him to put together a search party, but Nick shoves him back into Offred's room. When Fred looks about to push back, Nick reveals that he is armed and impassively states, "it's too dangerous out there. We'll stay here."

Serena is in the greenhouse and spots Offred with Nichole and moves to stop them, but Offred convinces Serena to let them go, saying that Gilead is not a safe place to raise the child. Serena asks to hold the baby one last time, and Offred agrees. Serena says a blessing to the baby before handing her back to Offred who gives a similar blessing to Serena before she leaves. Offred goes from Martha to Martha, six in total, each cautiously guiding her across the back of their yards to the drop-off point where a resistance organisation will help her escape Gilead. They lead her to a tunnel under the train tracks where she waits. She remembers when she sang to Hannah and shows the Polaroid photograph of Hannah to Nichole, telling her that she's her sister and she'll meet her one day.

June sees a car arrive in the tunnel which flashes its headlights several times. She approaches and sees Emily talking with Commander Lawrence. The two friends embrace but Emily is confused and asks what is happening; Lawrence glibly answers, "I'm getting myself in deep shit!" but June is more informative and tells Emily that she's getting out of Gilead; right on cue, a truck carrying armed men arrives. Commander Lawrence drives away and Emily climbs into the back of the truck. She motions to June to get in too, but June gives the baby to Emily, telling her to call her Nichole and to tell her that her mom loves her. June then shuts the door and the truck drives away with Emily watching from the window screaming her name, reminiscent of when she was driven away from her girlfriend's execution. June pulls the hood of her cape over her head, and with a determined look on her face, walks away into the darkness.

Cast

Starring

• Elisabeth Moss as June Osborne
• Joseph Fiennes as Fred Waterford
• Yvonne Strahovski as Serena Waterford
• Alexis Bledel as Emily Malek
• Madeline Brewer as Janine Lindo
• Amanda Brugel as Rita Blue
• Ann Dowd as Lydia Clements
• Max Minghella as Nick Blaine
• O-T Fagbenle as Luke Bankole

Guest Starring

• Bradley Whitford as Joseph Lawrence
• Ever Carradine as Naomi Putnam
• Stephen Kunken Warren Putnam
• Julie Dretzin as Eleanor Lawrence

Additional Cast

• Stephen Tompa as Mr. Spencer
• Birgitte Solem as Putnam Martha
• Angela Vint as Leah
• Genevieve Adam as Wife #2
• Chris Gillett as Commander Grinnel
• Adrian Walters as Commander Horace
• Victoria Fodor as Martha Cora
• Beatriz Yuste as Neighbouring Martha #1
• Katherine Cullen as Neighbouring Martha #5
• Lesleh Donaldson as Neighbouring Martha #2
• Vicki Kim as Neighbouring Martha #3
• Sacha Stewart as Neighbouring Martha #4
• Raven Riley DuPorte as Hannah (3 years old)

Uncredited Cast

• Caitlin Benton as Emily's partner
• Cyndy Day as Commander's Wife

Gallery

Music

• "Itchycoo Park" — Small Faces, Ofjoseph's first ceremony.
• "Walking on Broken Glass" — Annie Lennox, Cmdr. Lawrence's groovy vibes.
• "Burning Down the House" — Talking Heads, end credits.