The Handmaid's Tale Season 6 Premiere Asks The Show's Ultimate Difficult Question

"The Handmaid's Tale" season 6 premiere, "Train," was very reminiscent of the gut-churning visuals in Darren Aronofsky's "mother!" On the train to Alaska, Serena's true identity is revealed. Instead of taking her into custody, the police are willing to let the rageful female passengers tear Serena (and her baby) apart. The women are rightfully angry at Serena, who played a large role in creating the theocratic society that forced them into grueling labor and sexual abuse. It's a horrifying scene made even more intense by the claustrophobic framing, where the women claw straight into the camera and then smash the window glass. Although June has been frustrated by Serena's aid when she isn't feeling well, she still saves Serena by pushing her off the train.

Serena and June's relationship has been volatile and complex, to say the least. Serena has been easy to hate for all the repulsive things she's done to June: beating her, orchestrating her rape by Fred, forcing June to sleep with Nick in front of her to conceive, and refusing to let June breastfeed Nicole. Most painfully, she has repeatedly dangled June's daughter Hannah in front of her in order to keep June in line.

For most viewers, it was a delight when Serena started being treated like a Handmaid by the Wheelers, who attempted to steal her son Noah. But then the series threw a curveball, having both June and Serena personally squash multiple opportunities to kill one another. June even helps Serena give birth to Noah. June continues to offer compassion for Serena when saving her from the enraged mob. This forces us, as viewers, to consider how we feel about Serena. If June can show her mercy, can we? Most of all, does Serena deserve it?

Yvonne Strahovski, who plays Serena, told The Hollywood Reporter that any kindness Serena extends to June is ultimately self-serving: "Serena is going to continue to try to anchor herself to June because that's all she's got, and she's desperate. Her mama bear has joined forces with her inner manipulator, which makes for an interesting combination."

Serena spared June's life in season 5 because June was the only one who could help her during labor. In "Train," she watches over Nicole and helps June rest only because she relies on her strength. Serena's sheltered, comfortable life and fear of being exposed makes it difficult for her to fully navigate the harsh realities of the broken society she helped build. 

Serena has shown occasional remorse throughout the series, including her presentation for New Bethlehem in "Devotion": "I did terrible things because I felt powerless and so, exerted power over those around me." Becoming Noah's mother seems to have made her realize the unshakeable bond between mother and child, helping her understand why June's separations from Hannah and Nicole were so devastating. However, Serena's own motherhood does not absolve her of her past actions. She tries to use Noah as a protective shield against the women who beat her, but she never cared enough about their own children to protect them from any horror or violence.

Despite glimmers of self-awareness, Serena still has a devout faith and a lust for power as the face of New Bethlehem. That ambition may, in future episodes, have her doing whatever it takes to uphold this new, softer version of Gilead — one without all those pesky human rights violations and "spilled blood."

While we may still be conflicted, Yvonne Strahovski is more firm in her stance on whether or not Serena is going to ultimately change:

"I love being the bearer of great news and saying, 'I think she's going to turn out to be just a stellar person!' But I don't think she can. I don't think she has the ability to self-reflect and look deep inside herself to truly realize what she has done, because I think that would unravel everything and be too hard. She might be very smart, but she's not emotionally smart enough to really know that 'if I'm going to try to be a good and well-rounded human, I have to go backwards and look deeper into myself and do all that work.' I don't think she's capable."

Gilead is unquestionably evil, but the morality of whether we should forgive those who participated is murky. The tenets of Christian faith center on forgiveness, one that is limitless and even extends to the worst of your enemies. If June is able to fully forgive Serena for everything she's done, that would make her more Christ-like than anyone in Gilead. 

But even if you believe there's goodness in everyone, and Serena ultimately repents, maybe some actions truly are unforgivable. If we give into our rabid desire of seeing her suffer, are we just as bad as the Gilead leaders? In some ways, we are dealing with this in our current political climate, where the government is removing human rights with extreme policies, yet we may have family and friends who voted that way. We'll have to wait for the rest of the final season to see if Serena will atone for her sins or burn in the hell of her own making.