The Handmaid’s Tale season 3, episode 5: Unknown Caller
A SUMMARY
SPOILER ALERT (OBVIOUSLY!!)
Unknown Caller followed on from the previous episode, which saw June and the Waterfords find out Nicole had made it to Canada and was being looked after by Luke.
In a grocery store at the start of the episode, June thinks about the “miracle” that left her baby safe but then decides against the word miracle as she was the one who ensured Nicole’s safety.
Commander Waterford (Joseph Fiennes) attends a meeting about what Gilead is going to do about Nicole, while Serena waits outside.
However, Waterford demands Serena be present, so she too enters the meeting and learns through the baby’s medical records that she is healthy, happy and even has a tooth.
Later, they visit June at Commander Lawrence’s (Bradley Whitford) home and ask her to set up a meeting with Luke in Canada, which June agrees to on the condition Serena owe her a favour.
The Guardians give June permission to call her husband and after an emotional call he agrees to meet Serena not Waterford.
In a conversation with Mrs Lawrence (Julie Dretzin) about how hard it was to make the call, Mrs Lawrence reveals that Commander Lawrence used to make her mixtapes which are all in the basement.
The next day, June goes down into the basement and uses their cassette player to record a message for Luke.
Serena prepares for her trip to Canada and is given the tape by Rita (Amanda Brugel).
She is met in Canada by Mark Tuello (Sam Jaeger), the man who previously offered her asylum in Hawaii.
Serena meets with Luke, who demands she tells him where June is and she says she is with Commander Lawrence.
She gets to hold the baby but is told she will never be anything to little Nicole.
On the flight back to Gilead, Serena sees a satellite phone that Tuello put in her bag in case she ever needs to escape.
The next day, June discovers Ofmathew (Ashleigh LaThrop) is pregnant again.
Following this conversation, June is taken by the Guardians to a soundstage, is given new Handmaid’s clothes to wear and is told to stand behind Commander Waterford and Serena in front of cameras.
Elsewhere, Luke listens to the tape, which says Nicole was born of love and urges Luke to move on with his life.
Luke later arrives home, only for Moira to rush in and tell him to turn on the TV, where he sees the Waterfords asking for the Canadian government to return Nicole.