Serena staying in Gilead was never an option for her for several reasons, the first being that her husband is a known traitor. It's likely that the Commanders at least assume that she is a traitor, too, although they have yet to indicate whether they know this.
After that, she tells Luke about sending the finger to Serena and he tells her she needs to stop obsessing over Serena so that she can be there for her family. Serena makes her grand return to Gilead.
They wanted Serena to return to Canada as a Global Ambassador for Gilead. Serena's idea for Fred's funeral had been used against her, and she returned, only to be confronted by June over Serena bringing Hannah to Fred's funeral.
“The best thing about the story is that Serena is not blind to what is happening, and she still doesn't want it,” Miller told The Hollywood Reporter of the gradual realization throughout season five that Serena has, essentially, become a handmaid.
The Commanders were quite eager to rid themselves of Serena, likely because they suspect she is a traitor like her deceased husband. She is also an unmarried pregnant woman who is not afraid to speak her mind, a problematic thing to be in Gilead.
The childbirth scene is primal and intimate and prompts the women to confess their secrets: June tells Serena that she didn't kill her when she had the chance because she simply didn't want to, and Serena realizes she has been forced into essentially being a handmaid in the Wheelers house and begs June to take her baby ...
She is Both the Oppressed and the Oppressor
Being a woman in Gilead automatically grants some oppression where they will never have more power, or luxuries, than a man. As a Wife, Serena is afforded more security against major tribulations in Gilead than other women but is demanded to stay within the walls of her home.
For Serena to have been surprised by the news means she was probably around 12-16 weeks pregnant when she found out in season 4. Although Fred wasn't particularly faithful in their marriage, Serena has been, which means that there's little to no doubt that Fred is the father of Serena's baby.
Serena Waterford gives birth to Noah in a barn in No Man's Land, with the help of June Osborne. Noah is born in good health and eventually is taken to a hospital in Canada to receive treatment in the Newborn ICU. After Noah's mother, Serena, gets detained, he gets moved into Child Protective Services.
Despite seeming to be a true believer at the start of the story (at least in June's eyes, indicating that she might not always be a reliable narrator), Lydia is actually a part of Mayday, working against Gilead in the long game.
Inside the package were Fred's finger and his wedding ring. The finger served as something of a taunt. It was very evident who it came from, so June was telling Serena she murdered her husband,...
This article contains spoilers.
There's a new Serena Joy Waterford in the fifth season of Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale. Not only has she been edged out of her protected position as the Wife of a powerful Commander, but as a single pregnant woman, she soon became a Handmaid.
How did Serena get pregnant on Handmaids Tale? Their sex life hasn't been particularly active, so the child was presumably conceived in The Handmaid's Tale season 3, episode 11, "Liars," when Serena and Fred had intercourse while staying at a bed and breakfast.
Serena's circumstances certainly changed. After having her son, Noah, with a major assist from June, she is sent to an immigration detention center and her child is put into the Wheelers' care.
A Purely Strategic Decision
Serena is not being benevolent by letting June go. Although Serena is far from a saint, she isn't stupid. She just knows June can be of some help to her in a different capacity. Maybe she just wants June to be her ally instead of her enemy, because June is a strong one, one way or the other.
June returned multiple times, including in Season 5 to rescue her daughter Hannah (Jordana Blake) from a life of subservience to men. But the world has changed by the Season 5 finale, “Safe,” which premiered November 9.
As revealed in the season 1 episode "A Woman's Place," inorganic farming and radioactivity are to blame for declining fertility. But fear not: Gilead has a solution for our sick, sick planet, too.
It is implied that some Wives are capable of bearing children, but most are older women and thus have difficulty conceiving (or their husbands are infertile), which is also hampered by widespread infertility. As a result, Wives have to 'share' their husbands with Handmaids, in order to get a child.
Offred describes Serena Joy's background before Gilead. Originally a singer on a channel for fundamentalist religious values, she transitioned to a spokesperson for traditional values. The reader sees that Offred views Serena Joy as a hypocrite, who enjoyed working but preached against other women doing the same.
She is a woman in her 30s who was forced to serve as a Handmaid in the early years of Gilead, due to the fact she is still capable of bearing children. She is the wife of Luke Bankole and the mother of a young daughter, Hannah. She is also the mother of Nichole who she had with Nick in Gilead.
The Handmaid's Tale: Why June Chose Nick Over Luke In The S4 Finale. The Handmaid's Tale season 4 finale saw June Osborne kill Fred Waterford, and in doing so she effectively chose Nick Blaine over Luke Bankole.
Through many twists and turns — and even Hannah and Nichole finally meeting for the first time in Gilead — both of June's daughters are able to make their way to Canada together. There, they're finally reunited with June and Luke. Aunt Lydia's arch takes a surprising arc, too.
Even though Serena had written books supporting Gilead before they went into power she too faced brutal punishment. This was seen during season two after she rebelled and read a Bible verse out loud, as a result, the top of Serena's pinky finger was amputated.
Serena's obvious unhappiness means that she teeters on the edge of inspiring the reader's sympathy, but she forfeits that sympathy by taking out her anger on Offred. Serena Joy seems to possess no compassion at all for Offred. She can see the difficulty of her own life, but not that of another woman.
Before Gilead, Serena Joy was an advocate for traditional values, and likely played a key role in establishing this new society. Atwood created her to exemplify the hypocrisy of women who use their positions of power to oppress other women.