Handmaid’s Tale Episode 4 Explained in Detail

Handmaid’s Tale Episode 4 Explained in Detail

Sorry, sorry sorry. Life caught up with me and pulled me down from behind. Who knew? Have I mentioned that this site is a hobby lately? Some people seem to think this is actually my job? Which, to set the record straight, I would ADORE doing… and yet, the last time I checked I don’t think you paid much to read my bloviations! Nope. Just double checked, you didn’t. So, barring that, it’s still a hobby. But regardless, we have another great episode to consider today in the land of the new Handmaid’s Tale world. So exciting.

But what’s more exciting? Handmaid’s Tale has just this past week been renewed for a season two! Boom.

The Narrator of Handmaid’s Tale

One thing I want to say before we dive into the ep4 overview – is that the narrator of the Handmaid’s Tale is actually a cheeky little minx. For example we know for a fact that Serena Joy is a made up name that the Narrator (assumedly June) gave the Commander’s wife as a bit of a joke. We know this from the ending appendix material and the commentary from the end which states that there was no Commander’s wife with that name. We also get an idea that maybe she played with some of the other facts as well. Though we don’t know exactly what facts or why. So the book is even more clever in that we are viewing these events from the optics of the book that she editorialized through. Right? So this doesn’t effect this episode as much, but I’m sure it will come home to roost soon enough.

Handmaid’s Tale Episode 4 Overview

If you are a fan of Handmaid’s Tale I’m betting you would really get into Westworld. It has a very similar advanced modern dystopian feel to it. But in Episode 4 of Handmaid’s Tale, this feeling went to 11 for me. Mainly because of Offred’s attempt to get out of the locked down compound. But we’ll get to that in a minute.

During this episode we got a pile of glimpses beyond the insular compound that Offred is trapped on. How does the government work? How is it connected to the outside world, or is it? Well, at the outset of episode 4 we hear from Commander Waterford that an Aunt had escaped from the “Needham Red Center”. So we know for sure there are just this one center. We also learn that she made it across the border and was telling her story. Which caused Waterford all manner of discomfort. Apparently this caused craziness at the UN and also in Gilead’s relationship with Canada as well.

Interestingly enough, we see the “training” session for the handmaids where Aunt Elizabeth explains how the Ceremony will work. “Wait, we are to have intercourse with the commander while his wife holds our hands?!?” When I saw the dazed and confused look on the women’s faces as this was playing out I thought back to Aunt Elizabeth’s soliloquy about how all of this will become normal in time. That humans were capable of normalizing pretty much anything. And she was right, this is definitely an anything… Definitely an extreme thing to normalize to. To put it lightly.

Solitary Confinement and Busted Ceremonies

I have to say, it’s pretty amazing that Offred hasn’t gone stark raving mad already. Her daughter is AWOL. Her husband might have been killed. She branded as a slut and forced to work as chattel for the wealthy as a trafficked sex slave. And now Serena Joy (which, isn’t even her real name, just so you know. It’s the name she picked from her gospel choir performing days… which hasn’t even been mentioned yet in the show. SERENE? JOY? Gah!) has Offred locked up in her room? Of course she’s starting to drool a little and wonder what the air smells like.

And then she finds: “Nolite Te Bastardes Carborundorum” carved into the closet wall. Or, ‘don’t let the bastards grind you down’. I took Latin (and Greek) years ago, while in college and there were a ton of these joke-like phrases that got tossed around all the time. But to be clear, bastardes isn’t latin. Nor is Carborundorum. But it still communicates the message clearly. Which is why so many people (women specifically) think it is a fantastic tattoo idea. It deconstructs the standard Latin language constructs (the old boy’s school’s tongue) while simultaneously being code among women to not let the men wear them down. Right? It’s clever. But it wasn’t a phrase that Atwood created. It was a thing back when Margaret Atwood was at school as well apparently.

Handmaid’s Tale Escape Plan

The episode takes a turn in a flash black that is surprising in it’s audacity. Moira and June put a knife to an Aunt’s throat and take her clothes. When this first kicked off I was like, um… what the heck? And Moira and June are off to the races. They head out to the subway station in order to head towards the city (wherever that is) but all to no avail. Moira gets on the arriving train, but leaves June behind. And as a result Offred is caned on the bottom of her feet. (Hard Core.)

Viagra Anyone?

After that unfortunate flashback, we flash forward back to Commander Waterford’s home and the ceremony. The Ceremony, which doesn’t work. And I can’t imagine why it doesn’t work – that would be the least romantic thing imaginable in my mind. Awful really. But even in spite of the ineffectual Ceremony, Offred and Commander Waterford still play their second round of Scrabble. And even after playing the word Sylph Offred still figures out a way to throw the game. She’s more clever than I realized!

And while challenging the word, Offred sees a Latin dictionary and asks the Commander if he took Latin growing up. And apparently he did. So she asks him if he could translate something for him. “What does Nolite Te Bastardes Carborundorum mean?” And Commander Waterford explains that it isn’t Latin really at all. But rather something of a joke meant for schoolboys that enjoyed that sort of a thing. But that it means, “Don’t let the bastards grind you down.” And so, Offred asks the Commander if maybe she could be let out of her room again… and he complies. And as the group of women are leaving the neighborhood together the show ends with June saying, “Nolite Te Bastardes Carborundorm bitches.” Which is just a war rallying cry of sorts.

More Thoughts on the Fourth Episode

The direction that this relationship is going between Offred and Waterford is highly disconcerting on a number of levels. First, Offred has been something of a milktoast protagonist. I understand that she is doing her best to stay sane, and stay alive in the worst of all imaginable circumstances. And she is anything but complicit. Of course. And yet, her games with the commander are definitely beginning to make me second guess her objectivity and understanding of what is going on here.

Think about it. I say Commander Waterford. Check your emotional state. Now, I say Serena Joy. Which do you hate more? Oh, it’s easy at this point. You obviously hate Serena Joy at a really deep emotional level, which is how Offred feels too. But really? All our angst is directed at the lady of the house and not one of the founders of this Republic? Really? Waterford’s hands are covered in metaphorical – no actual – blood. Serena’s hands? Tainted. Sure. But bloody? I’m seriously conflicted here. Especially knowing where this thing is going. But hey, we are have another season to think about. Right? This could go way off the rails here soon enough.

Love to know what you thought of episode 4…

Interested in reading all of my Handmaiden’s Tale episode recaps so far? You got it – I will update them here as I write them:
Episode 1 – Offred
Episode 2 – Birth Day
Episode 3 – Late
Episode 4 – Nolite Te Bastardes Carborundorum
Episode 5 – Faithful
Episode 6 – A Woman’s Place
Episode 7 – The Other Side
Episode 8 – Jezebels
Episode 9 – The Bridge
Episode 10 – Night