June's Escape Took An Unexpected Turn On 'The Handmaid's Tale'

For a few moments at the end of "Baggage," it truly seemed like June would make it out of Gilead. She'd been hiding for months after escaping the Waterfords and the time had finally come to sneak into Canada thanks to a small plane operated by (presumably) a member of the resistance. Unfortunately June's plan was once again thwarted and she was dragged away by guards. So where is June being taken on The Handmaid's Tale?

It's difficult to say with certainty before Episode 4 airs, but those who break the rules in Gilead are usually subjected to one of two specific punishments. Like Emily, disobedient citizens can be declared UnWomen and shipped off to the Colonies after too many acts of rebellion. Execution is also terrifyingly common. All of the handmaids were threatened with death in Episode 1 if they put another foot out of line, which was an indication that their potential fertility was not always enough to save them. However, June is actually pregnant and children are prized in Gilead. That could keep June from being killed or sent to the Colonies, even though it won't protect her from other atrocities.

In the first episode of Season 2, Aunt Lydia showed June something intended to frighten her into behaving: the makeshift cell of a handmaid called Ofwyatt who had tried to kill herself after her rape left her pregnant. Ofwyatt was chained up in a facsimile of a bedroom straight out of a horror movie, always watched and unable to get away.

Ofwyatt's pregnancy had put off an execution, but she probably wouldn't be "safe" after the baby was born. The same fate could await June: she might be kept in confinement for the remaining six months until she gives birth, at which point her child will surely be handed off to the Waterfords. Then June could be put on trial like Emily was back in the first season, to face disfigurement or death. It seems possible based on what's happened on the show before, but there's no discounting Gilead's creativity when it comes to punishment. It seems like the government devises some new way to torture the populace every episode.

There are no guarantees when it comes to June's fate, though her death seems implausible, and not just because her pregnancy will offer her a momentary respite. The Hulu series was already renewed for a third season, according to The Hollywood Reporter, and they probably won't kill off their main character with another season set to go into production. There's always a chance they may decide to change up protagonists, but Elisabeth Moss is such a definitive part of The Handmaid's Tale that June will almost definitely survive for Season 3.

June had taken some serious risks to get to the airfield where a plane was waiting to take her to Canada, but the guards of Gilead weren't so easy to evade. Just like her attempted escape with Luke and Hannah before the series began, she got so close to being free before she was violently pulled back into the world she was trying so hard to get away from. Her options within Gilead were already limited, but they're about to become even more so; though she may not be killed, there are any number of grim possibilities awaiting her after she was yanked from the plane.

Episode 3 ended before viewers could see where June was being taken, but if we've all learned anything from watching this show, it's that things can always get worse. June is in for some even tougher times before she gets away — if she ever does.

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