‘Handmaid’s Tale’ Star Yvonne Strahovski Hints Serena Joy May ‘Redeem’ Herself In Season 2

Courtesy of HULU

As ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ dives deeper into Season 2, and Yvonne Strahovski admits to HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY that her character Serena Joy could actually take a turn for … the better.

WARNING — SPOILERS AHEAD. In the fourth episode of Handmaid’s Tale season 2, June returns to the home of Commander Waterford and Serena Joy, after getting so close to freedom, she could taste it. Naturally, she doesn’t receive a very warm welcome back, particularly from Serena, who appears to have been more than content to let June rot in chains while pregnant with ‘her’ baby. After a confrontation that included a little choking and a lot of threatening, a baby shower is thrown to celebrate the blessing of a new baby, but all the while, Serena looks conflicted. She should be happy to have June and ‘her’ baby back, but instead, for an instant, it feels as if the reality of their circumstances may finally be dawning on her. But just like that, Serena snaps back into drinking the Gilead Kool-Aid, letting her fury fly as June continues to be defiant.

But what of that glimpse of humanity in SJ? Could there be a time when we see her actually regret the role she’s played in turning others of her gender into literal sex slaves? I asked that exact question of Yvonne Strahovski at the Handmaid’s Tale panel at Paleyfest in March, and she admitted that there may come a time when Serena Joy could be redeemed for her sins. “I think this is the season, unlike last season, Serena is the most challenged and confronted in her ways,” Yvonne admitted to HollywoodLife. “You’ll definitely see her struggle with those things…It is very much a real nerve for Serena to be fiddled with.”  Interesting! So, is there a chance that we’ll see Serena Joy help June at a second chance at escape? Could she try to live up to her promise of keeping June’s baby safe as long as her’s is? Time will tell, but as Yvonne’s hinting, I think it’s safe to assume we’re going to see a very conflicted Mrs. Waterford in Season 2. Seems only fair since, you know, everyone else is going through hell.

Well, we were warned by author Margaret Atwood that this season was going to feel ‘creepily prescient’ — and so far, the show’s living up to her word!