The Handmaid's Tale (2017–…): Season 2, Episode 8 - Women's Work - full transcript

Previously
on The Handmaid's Tale...

Fred. Everything is being
taken care of. You just rest.

What are you doing?

I'm not allowed to have these.

Nick, have you ever helped
the Commander submit warrants

to the Consular of Divine Law?

Yes, ma'am. Those documents need
the Commander's signature.

I know the Commander
will forgive my trespasses.

- Hi!
- Oh! Jeez!

Jesus. How are you here?

There were so few Handmaids
left after the bombing,



they brought some of us back
from the Colonies.

Isn't that nice?

Commander Cushing turned
our streets into a war zone.

These are drafts
of new security orders.

You're an editor.
Read over these for me.

I'll need a pen.

Know it sounds funny.

But I just can't stand the pain.

We do our work in the evening.

She writes, I read.

This is the new normal.

And an offense to God.

In another life, maybe we
could've been colleagues.

And in this one, we're heretics.



I was already
on the naughty list.

An adulteress, a "fallen woman,"
as Aunt Lydia used to say.

But this is new territory
for Serena, I think.

How does she feel about falling?

She seems pretty fucking happy.

Do you miss working?

It's a small sacrifice to make
to be welcomed back into God's grace.

I do truly detest knitting.

To be frank.

You're really a good writer.

Thank you.

I won't forget your help.

How's it look?

Good. Better.

I think you can still swap
these two paragraphs and, I don't know,

you can adjust the opening
if you want.

Otherwise, it's ready
to go to the hospital in the morning.

That won't be necessary.
The Commander can read it here.

He's coming home tomorrow.

Praise be.

Praise be.

It's beautiful.

When you see it every day,
you forget.

The Lord has truly blessed us.

Rita, did you pick up
the heirloom russets?

Yes, Ma'am.
They're already baking.

Don't overbake them again.

Offred.

Well, well, well.

What an unexpected welcome.

Blessed day to you all.

Blessed day.
We're all very glad to have you back.

Welcome home, sir.

Rita, I did miss your cooking.

Thank you, Sir.
I'm making all your favorites.

Commander Waterford.
I made this for you.

From me and Nick.

This is lovely.

From the happy couple.
Thank you both.

Our... Divine miracle.

Glad to see you looking so...

Healthy.

We are all grateful
for your recovery.

Praise be.

I'm ready to take
on the world again.

Let's get you settled, then.

Do you think
he liked the present?

I'm sure he loved it.

Everything is just
as you left it.

Today's work,
and tomorrow's schedule.

Essential meetings only.
I had Nick postpone the rest.

There's no need
to jump right back into it.

You've taken
so many risks for me.

I can't thank you enough.

Now,

I'm sure you'll be glad that
things are back to normal.

I also left a first draft
of your agenda for the Canadian trip...

For your presentation
to the committee.

I'll take a look.

It was nice
working with you, too.

- Hey.
- Hi.

Mrs. Waterford
must be so relieved

that the Commander's back home.

Uh-huh.

You won't have to spend
so much time going to the hospital now.

Yeah, no.
I'll be a lot busier now he's back.

I understand.

Here.

Thanks.

You're welcome.

I was thinking maybe I could
spruce up our house and make it homier?

Sounds good.

What colors do you like?

I like yellow.

It's so bright and cheery.

My mother says,
"happy home, happy husband."

Whatever you want.

Praise be.

Uh-huh.

Oh, and get more honey.

Eden borrowed it.

I doubt I'll ever see it again.

She's trying.

Yeah, she is.

God give me strength.

Is everything all right,
Mrs. Waterford?

Yes, fine.

Baby Angela isn't well.

Probably just
fighting off a cold.

But Naomi could use the support.

Well, I will keep the...
Family in my prayers.

Hi!

Blessed be the fruit.

May the Force be with you.

How are you feeling?

- I'm fine.
- Yeah?

You'll probably get
to the cool part soon.

The baby's foot pushes out
of your stomach like in Alien.

Charlotte used to do that
all the time.

You haven't seen Alien?

No, I just thought
the sequel was better.

You're nuts.

Blessed day. We have citrus.

This is the last week for
wheat bread for this season.

So, Fred's back?

Praised be His mercy.

Thank God you're pregnant.

My posting's great.

It's just the Ceremony.

No blow jobs.

Seriously, it's like
a blessing from God.

Being raped is not a blessing.

Shh.

Fuck him! The real
blessing was that bomb.

Anyone helping Gilead
deserves to be blown apart.

If Emily knew that I helped

cover for the Commander
with Serena,

would she want me dead, too?

I can't say I blame her.

Stay in Gilead long enough

and it starts to eat you
from the inside out.

That's one of the things
they do.

They force you to kill,

within yourself.

- Oh, no.
- Dear God. No.

It's a sick baby.

It's the baby...

His baby is sick.

I heard it's Angela.

The Putnams.

What?

My Martha said.

Your Martha's wrong!

It's not Charlotte.

Hey, hey, hey.

It's okay. We should just pray
for whoever's baby it is, right?

Yeah.

- Come on.
- Yeah.

It's all right.

Let's pray.

Why would they say
that about Charlotte?

Why would she say that?
I know it isn't her.

- Get back!
- It's okay. I've got her.

She's fine. Come on.

She's fine.

I just don't understand
why they would say

something like that about her.

- Okay, come here.
- It's not her. She's not sick.

Come here, I'm gonna tell you, okay?
But I need you to stay calm.

Mrs. Waterford went to
the Putnam house this morning.

The baby is not doing well.

- Oh, God!
- But I don't know

how serious it is.

Why didn't you say anything?

Because I didn't
want to upset you.

What's going on?
What's happening to her?

She's fine! I've got her!

Janine, I need you to calm down!

Don't tell me to calm down!

I will find out! Okay?

I will find out
what's happening!

I promise.

Okay?

Okay.

Okay.

I need to see her.

Janine, you know
that can't happen.

You sound just like one of them.

Good. I'm glad you found that.

Thank you.

And thank you for the flower.

How's baby Angela?

Not so well.

They don't know
what's wrong with her.

They're doing everything
that they can,

but she's getting worse.

I'm so sorry.

There's nothing they can do?

Well, there might be
something that could help.

It would mean bending the law.

I'm not sure that
Gilead is exploring

every doctor available to them.

I see.

What do you think?

Well, I think,
if it were my baby,

I would do whatever I could.

Law or no law.

Some tea?

How kind.

I'm sorry I wasn't more available
on your first day home.

No need to apologize.

I managed quite well, actually.

That must feel good.

Yes, and tomorrow
will be even better.

I wish I could say the same
for baby Angela.

But there is hope.

God has blessed Gilead

with one of the top
neonatologists in the world.

That's excellent.

How soon can he get here?

He is a she.

Now serving as a Martha.

If you gave her
a temporary transfer for a day,

she could examine Angela.

Give her opinion.

No one has to know.

I'm sure our physicians
are capable.

Fred.

We cannot question
the will of God.

He said no? Why?

Because that is his decision.

The best we can do now is pray for
Baby Angela, and for the parents.

God, I can't imagine
how they feel.

To face the loss of a child.

Their former Handmaid
knows the baby is sick.

She's freaking out.

Oh, you mean the Handmaid
who nearly killed her?

She was desperate.

She loves her.

So much.

Then let her pray.

She already is.

Do you think, Mrs. Waterford,
that she could see the baby?

I would be there.

I would make sure
nothing happened.

Don't be stupid.

What if it's Janine's
last chance?

That horrid girl?

You want me
to let her see my child?

That child is a gift,
by God's grace, that she gave you.

What's going on?

That Handmaid.

I was hoping that
you would find it in your heart

to let her see your child.

She brings only love.

I think God
would want us to welcome her.

Warren.

What harm could it do?

Where is she?

Mrs. Waterford
is talking to Mrs. Putnam.

They have to let me see her.
They're gonna let me see her.

They have to!

Janine. Dear. Why don't you sit?

There is a reason Handmaids are
not told when a child is sick.

It's far too upsetting.

She heard the rumors.

And you took it upon yourself
to confirm them.

I think after everything
she has been through,

she deserves that.

Some honesty at least.

If this breaks her,

I will hold you
personally responsible.

Do you understand me?

Yes, Aunt Lydia.

I will, too.

Hey.

She's beautiful, isn't she?

You're gonna have curly hair
just like your mom.

And you're gonna hate it.

But I promise we'll find someone
who knows how to cut it,

and then you're just...

You're gonna drive
all the boys crazy.

I'm going to see
if there's anything more they can tell us.

Go in grace.

Level 7 all clear.

Why am I here?

Thank you.
I'll take it from here.

South entrance.

I can't tell you
how excited I am to see you again.

You probably don't remember me.

You actually trained my mentor.

We met once
at the 2012 ACOG meeting.

Your seminar
on therapeutic hypothermia.

Forgive me,
but in the interest of time,

could we dispense
with the pleasantries?

Of course. Of course.

Patient is a 10-month-old girl,

born full term, presents with lethargy
and vomiting times three weeks.

Upper GI was negative
for malrotation.

PH probe and swallow study
also negative,

but we're treating her
for reflux anyway.

And you want me to...

Yes.

We brought you here
to get your medical opinion on the case.

All right.

Uh, let's get a head MRI
with an MR.

And I want to rerun
your swallow survey.

Do you have a decent
radiology department?

Excellent.

I want to oversee
the test anyway.

They're tricky
to read pre-24 months.

Run serum ammonia level
and a urine for metabolic errors.

And let's get
a skeletal survey, ECG,

and a cardiac echo.

I'll start
the wheels, Dr. Hodgson.

And, um...

I'm gonna need to examine her.

Of course.

Knock, knock?

Verily I say unto thee,

today thou shalt be
with me in paradise.

What's going on?

No! No!

Okay.

- Oh, my darling.
- No!

Janine.

Would you like
to kiss her goodbye?

Can I?

We can try.

How dare you give up!

Ma'am, we have done
a very extensive evaluation.

There are no anatomic,
infectious, or metabolic causes

that explain
this baby's condition.

You are supposed to be
the best in your field.

I am the best.

Or was.

All we can do for Angela is to
unhook her from all those machines.

Help her feel safe and warm.

And pray.

Let's go.

Hi, peanut. Hello.

Long time no see.

Mommy's here.

Hi, sweetheart.

Look at you.

Good night, Mrs. Waterford.

Good night, Offred.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The Commander wants
to see you in his office.

Both of you.

Let me handle this.

Please shut the door.

I hear the Putnams
got the help they needed.

Not enough, I'm afraid.

I was surprised to learn
they received help from a Martha

on a temporary transfer.

It was an even bigger surprise

that I signed
the transfer order myself.

I did it for the child.

What greater responsibility
is there in Gilead?

Obeying your husband.

I've broken the rules
for months now.

For your sake.
With your consent.

I never consented to this.

Rewriting my memos
to the committee?

I asked you to be my conduit,
not my voice.

Fred, you've asked me
to read over your work before.

That was then.

Is this your handwriting?

Yes, Commander Waterford.

You involved the Handmaid
in your transgressions?

I did what I thought
was necessary.

Of course you did.

This isn't your fault.

It's mine.

It was unfair of me

to burden you with
so much responsibility.

Now we must make amends.

Amends?

"Wives, submit yourselves
unto your own husbands,"

"as unto the Lord."

"And ye husbands,
dwell with them"

"according to knowledge."

"Giving honor... unto the wife"

"as unto the weaker vessel."

Fred, please.

But if we confess our sins,

He is faithful
and just to forgive us.

Serena.

Forgive me, darling.

Offred.

Stay.

You're home. How was your day?

It was good. I'm just tired.

What do you think?

It's nice.

Tomorrow, I'm making curtains.

So, pick a color.

What do you like?

Uh... Yellow.

My favorite.

I know.

I straightened the clothes
in your trunk.

You can fit a lot more in
when your shirts are folded correctly.

Thanks.

What?

Where'd you get this?

They fell when
I moved the trunk.

Did you read these?

Of course not.

Don't lie to me.

I picked them up
and I put them there for you.

You never touch my things.
Do you understand me?

- I'm sorry.
- You understand?

- Yes.
- What?

Yes. I do. Sir.

Yes?

Mrs. Waterford.

Do you need anything?

No.

Can I do anything for you?

Serena?

Yes.

Go back to your room.

"Someone once said," Men are afraid
that women will laugh at them.

"Women are afraid
that men will kill them."

We should've known better.

I thought there were
still secret places.

Hidden in the cracks
and crevices of this world.

Places we could make beautiful,

peaceful, quiet,

safe.

Or at least bearable.

I'm sorry. I know it's late.

I just wanted to apologize.

I guess I was only
trying to help you.

But... I'm really sorry.

I know.

Can you forgive me?

You should get to bed.

Get some rest,
for the sake of the baby.

Rain.

Sometimes.

Money down the drain.

Sometimes.

I don't know what it is.

That makes me love you so.

I only know
I never wanna let you go

'Cause you started something.

Can't you see.

That ever since we met
You've had a hold on me.

It happens to be true.

I only want to be with you.

It doesn't matter
where you go or what you do.

I want to spend each moment
of the day with you.

Happens to be true.

I told you. She remembers me.

Oh!

Oh! Look at you!

Yes!

Yes! It's you!

May God bless you

and keep you in His favor,

you, you sweet, sweet girl.

I'll go get the Putnams.

Wake up.

'Cause you started something
Oh, can't you see.

That ever since we met
you've had a hold on me.

It happens to be true.

I only want to be with you.

It doesn't matter
where you go or what you do

I wanna spend each moment
of the day with you.

Look what has happened
with just one kiss.

I never knew that
I could be in love like this.

It's crazy but it's true.

I only wanna be with you.

You stopped and smiled at me.

Asked if I cared to dance.

I fell into your open arms

I didn't stand a chance.

Now listen, honey

I just wanna be
beside you everywhere.

As long as we're together
Honey I don't care

'Cause you started something
Can't you see.

That ever since we met
you've had a hold on me.

No matter what you do.

I only wanna be with you