10 Saddest Episodes Of The Handmaid's Tale

Based on Margaret Atwood's seminal novel of the same name, The Handmaid's Tale is bleak by design. Set in the dystopian world of Gilead, it sees June Osborne (Elizabeth Moss), now known as OfFred, join the household of a Commander and his wife. She becomes their handmaid, a woman enslaved for the sole purpose of carrying a child for the family she serves. The show never shies away from depicting the horrors of this oppressive regime, with harrowing scenes finding their way into just about every episode of each season.

Some The Handmaid's Tale episodes, however, manage to find even more buttons to push, leaving viewers deeply saddened and distraught. With the deaths of many beloved characters, scenes of torture, and sacrifice, each season brings with it more struggle. Flashback scenes of how this whole reality came to be hit far too close to home, especially considering the current state of the world. But, even in this grim reality, some of the characters are able to show incredible strength, and just how far they'll be able to go to survive.

10 S2.E2 "Unwomen"

The Horrors Of The Colonies

This episode firmly belongs to Emily (Alexis Bledel), who is banished to a life of harrowing manual labor on the toxic wasteland that is the Colonies. After her "joyride" that left a few people mowed down, viewers had no idea what had become of this rebellious character, but in the second season's second episode, they finally find out.

Along with a whole new storyline that involves Marisa Tomei as a Commander's wife banished for "sins of the flesh", there is a host of heartbreaking flashbacks that see Emily have to say goodbye to her family. Seeing the pain in Bledel's expressive blue eyes as she sees her family ascend the escalator, makes what she ends up doing to Tomei's character slightly more understandable.

Meanwhile, June who has escaped the Waterford house is hiding out at the former Boston Globe office, assessing the state of the abandoned building. She comes across discarded shoes, unfinished cups of coffee, and bullet holes in the walls. The scenes of carnage that must have occurred here can be very easily imagined.

9 S2.E12, "Postpartum"

Eden's Death Scene

Towards the end of the season, the stakes are growing higher and higher. As Serena (Yvonne Strahovski) tries to enjoy the blissful time with "her" newborn baby, June is kept far away, instructed to only pump breast milk whenever it's required. The pain she feels at the thought of never seeing the child that was created out of her and Nick's love is unbearable, and the looming inevitability of her next posting weighs heavily on her mind.

Serena Joy's internal struggle to let June back into her home is also tough to watch. The fleeting smile they share towards the end is filled with so many conflicting feelings, that even the characters themselves don't know which ones to cling to.

One of the more tragic victims of Gilead's iron grip is Eden (Sydney Sweeney), who faces trial for adultery. Her pure heart and blind faith in this oppressive system that raised her is what makes her fate that much more sorrowful. She does not believe she had done anything wrong, and wanted to bring a child into the world, just as she had been told was her duty. As she and her fellow sinner die in agony at the bottom of the pool, the scene is full of beauty and anguish.

8 S3.E9, "Heroic"

A Handmaid On The Edge

As June is commanded to sit by the body of OfMatthew (Ashleigh LeThrop) that is being kept alive as a sort of human incubator, she slowly descends into madness. Her guilt about being part of what caused her fellow handmaid to lash out the way she did, as well as the way her limp remains were being handled were all too much for the heroine, as well as viewers. She had to watch the constant invasive procedures that had no regard for the person she once was.

The episode centers around June's thoughts that become less and less coherent, as she's forced to watch her former walking partner's body bring the baby inside her to term. The allegory about what was happening onscreen to the situation in many places around the world cannot be missed, and the realism of it makes the episode not only sad but extremely scary.

7 S5.E7 "No Man's Land"

June Vs. Serena

The two bitter adversaries are forced into an impossible situation that means they have to work together in one of the more dramatic episodes of The Handmaid's Tale season 5. A heavily pregnant Serena Joy trying to escape the oppressive family she's staying with, and holds June at gunpoint in their getaway car.

As fate would have it, this was the time she went into labor, and her life is now in the hands of the Handmaid she formerly abused. Not only hers but her child's as well. In an intense hour of television, the characters have to try and overcome the hatred that still burns between them, as June attempts to save both mother and child.

The birth itself is a difficult one, especially under the circumstances, and Serena's fear of having the baby taken away is deeply ironic considering who she has helping at the time. The beauty of this exceptionally tragic show lies in the performances of its talented cast. Any scenes between Strahovski and Moss are always intense, so to have a full episode of these women dealing with their demons brings up a lot of feelings.

6 S2.E10 "The Last Ceremony"

The Sorrowful Reunion

There are many disturbing episodes of The Handmaid's Tale, containing scenes that elicit feelings of dread, fear, and loathing, but this one seems to have quite a few all lined up, one after the other. From the initial scene of a disassociated Emily taking part in her monthly "ceremony", to the Waterford household preparing for the birth, and, of course, the most difficult-to-watch scene where Fred (Joseph Fiennes) and Serena attempt to "induce" June's labor by sexually assaulting her.

Adding to that, the cruelty of both the Waterfords whenever June tries to ask for a modicum of kindness is a slap in the face. But, as what they choose to call a "treat" to June after causing her physical and emotional distress, she is taken to see her daughter Hannah (Jordana Blake) and allowed to speak to her and even hold her. This reunion is almost too much to bear. From the juxtaposition of this reunion to the initial separation between the two, to Hannah's reaction and plea that June "should have tried harder", there is so much heartache on the screen in every beat.

5 S1.E6 "A Woman's Place"

Quiet Glimmers Of Hope

A theme of longing and resignation dominates this episode. June and Nick have begun a dangerous affair, and their lust and need to be in each other's presence is tough to bear for both of them. Any scene when they're together is filled with the pain of what could be and of how afraid they are of losing what little love they're allowed to have.

The moment of passion they have before June has to resume her duties with Fred feels like the only escape they have from the reality they're in. It comes as even more of a gut punch when it turns out Luke (O-T Fagbenle) is actually alive. The other thread that evokes many feelings of sadness is the visit of the Mexican delegation, which seems to bring a false sense of hope.

As June tries to explain what it's really like in Gilead, she is shut down and told that at least the birthrates are high. When Janine (Madeline Brewer) is hoping to attend an elegant dinner for the handmaids, she is forced to leave because of her appearance. These little moments all add up to a lot of pain and sadness.

4 S3.E6 "Household"

Washington In Ruins

So many things contribute to the somber atmosphere of this episode. The seemingly happy family life of Commander Winslow (Christopher Meloni) and his wife (Elizabeth Reaser) shows just how many handmaids and ceremonies it took to fill their home with so many children.

The handmaids in Washington have their mouths covered, which seems bad enough as a concept until it's revealed exactly what hides beneath the cloth muzzle. There is so much symbolic imagery in this episode, which is what makes it so deeply sad. Then there are the views of a post-war Washington D.C., complete with a decapitated Lincoln Memorial.

It's there where another stand-off between June and Serena takes place, vitriol swirling between the two bitter enemies with every cruel word they utter. It's a nail in the coffin of any hope of allegiance between the two women and a very apt setting to show it. One can only imagine what happened in the capital to make it lie in ruins that way.

3 S4.E9 "Progress"

The Personal Pains

With so many horrific atrocities happening in Gilead in every episode, there is a lot to be sad about. But sometimes, it's the quiet moments between the characters, the moments that show them to be human again, are the ones that hurt the most. A lot happens in this episode, with Fred being offered a deal to help the US government, Serena fearing that she'll lose her baby after she gives birth, and Esther (Mackenna Grace) now being part of the Red Center under the eye of Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd).

As part of a deal, June and Nichole are able to meet with Nick face-to-face. This loving family only gets to spend a few short moments together, and every one of those moments is filled with heartbreak. From the longing that the two former lovers feel for each other and the dreams of escaping to Hawaii, to the fact that Nick has still been helping June find Hannah, it's clear there is so much love there that cannot be explored. The final straw is the cutaway scene of Nick putting on his wedding ring.

2 S4.E3 "The Crossing"

The Handmaids Try To Run

June had been recaptured and faced many different forms of torture. From a lot of physical abuse, verbal abuse, and constant mental torment, she is taken to see Hannah. The sight of her beloved firstborn daughter in a cage is almost too much to take for a character who has endured so much already.

Elisabeth Moss is able to convey this all-encompassing pain in an unparalleled way, and every time June has to dig even deeper than she ever thought possible, the audience is right there with her. This episode also sees many beloved characters die in the saddest of ways.

As the handmaids that audiences have got to know since season 1 run towards their freedom; their hands bound but with so much hope in their eyes, viewers understandably root for them to be able to get to safety. With flashback scenes of the women bonding at the Red Center and memories of everything they've been through together filling viewers with a momentary wish for everything to be ok, a speeding train brings everything to a disastrous end.

1 S1.E3 "Late"

Cruel From Start To Finish

Happening rather early on in the show's run, this episode brought an additional emotional layer to the world of The Handmaid's Tale. Ofglen, or Emily, who had seemed to be a beacon of hope for Offred/June is the one who suffers the most in this particular episode.

As the audience was still getting used to the awful things that happened in Gilead, some very apt flashback scenes showed just how it all started, and all these little moments have an air of familiarity that makes them terrifying. However, it's the long scene of Emily's fate in The Handmaid's Tale that is some of the saddest few minutes in television history.

As she is taken away and sentenced for "gender treachery", she and her lover have a brief moment in the van. With their mouths muzzled, and their hands shackled, the two can only communicate by looks. Alexic Bledel's performance is most like what won her the Emmy, as the silent scream she produces when she sees her partner unceremoniously hung is a lot to handle.