The article contains discussions about sexual assault.
With only 4 episodes left until the season 5 finale of The Handmaid’s Tale, the stakes are higher than ever before. In the last episode, Serena Joy pulled off an escape from the Wheelers household and now has to figure out a way to communicate with June Osborne, which won’t be easy.
As the series progresses, more and more characters realize the deeply flawed system in Gilead and become spies in order to change things for the better, either out of selfish reasons, out of love, or to build a better future for their kids. While some double agents on the show don’t always succeed, others have mastered the art of espionage in Gilead with minimal damage.
Serena Joy Waterford
Serena’s relationship with Gilead is something of a mystery even for herself. Though she was an instrumental part in creating the new system, years of living in it have opened her eyes to its undeniable flaws.
In season 5, things start to go sideways for Serena at the residence of Sons of Jacobs supporters, the Wheelers, as she’s slowly but surely becoming a Handmaid of their household. She jumps on the first and only opportunity to escape when she requests to see June Osborne’s death with her own eyes, but instead, she shoots Gilead’s Guard Ezra and reveals her intention of teaming up with her former Handmaid.
Rita Blue
One of the show's more complex characters, Rita initially seems to be pretty comfortable following Gilead's rules and doesn’t approve of June, who often neglects them.
Ever since tragically losing her 19-year-old son, Rita has put children's safety and happiness as her priority in life. Plus, June’s rebellious spirit encouraged her to become part of Mayday and help 86 children escape from Gilead. In Canada, she shares her experience with others and points out to June that even though she was a Martha, it was not much easier for her to live in Gilead.
Esther Keyes
Esther Keys is introduced in The Handmaid's Tales' season 4 as the teenage wife of Commander Keyes. She clearly despises the system in Gilead, as she has experienced multiple sexual assaults in her household, which led her to slowly poison her husband with nightshade.
When Mayday comes looking for help and shelter, Esther opens her doors because she’s heard the stories of their power and hopes for them to bring down the regime. The system brings out her violent side as she brutally kills her rapist, and after being raped again as a Handmaid, she finds no other choice than to poison herself and Janine as well for betraying her trust.
Janine Lindo
Janine is one of the best supporting characters in The Handmaid's Tale, and she also has had one of the toughest Handmaid journeys. Her rebellious nature cost her an eye when she was at The Red Center, and since then, she’s been beaten up and down, sent to colonies, slapped around, poisoned, and much more.
In season 4, she escapes Gilead with the help of Martha’s network and then joins the rebellious movement in Chicago, trying to find an escape from Gilead with June. Things don't turn out for Janine as well as they do for June, and once again, she goes back to being a Handmaid. She still clearly hates Gilead, but she has to play by the rules to survive. After Esther poisons her, Janine expresses her hatred towards cruel Aunt Lydia, which in turn inspires Lydia to try to make things more just for the Handmaids.
Emily Malek
Emily never really hid her hatred for Gilead and everything it represented. Despite the physical and emotional torture she had to endure, she keeps fighting until the end.
Emily’s been a part of Mayday for a very long time, which she admits to June in season 1. The character's strength lies in the fact that she puts justice above all else, and Emily is not afraid to get violent or kill in order to live. Even after coming to Canada, she can’t let go of the injustice and goes back to Gilead to finish what she started.
Jaeden
In “Fairytale,” June and Luke meet Mayday’s point of contact, a young Guard of Gilead who serves at the border with Canada. He’s the one who provides information about Hannah to her parents and convinces the couple to wait out the daylight at the abandoned bowling alley.
As June very well stated in the episode, it’s hard to believe someone from Gilead turned out to be actually pure, kind, and compassionate and not a slave to the regime. Jaeden believes that people should be able to make their own choices and be with their families. Even when his life is under threat, he ensures that June and Luke have a chance to escape before the other Guards get them.
June Osborne
Even though June Osborne hasn’t been a part of Mayday from the start, she always hated the regime. As a Handmaid, she tried to play by the rules as long as she could to stay alive and be able to save her daughter Hannah, but eventually, there came a point when rules had to be broken.
At first, June was not great at accomplishing tasks for Mayday, but her perseverance enabled her to put together a secret operation in which Mayday saved 86 children and 9 Marthas from Gilead. The connections she’s made in Gilead with Nick, Lawrence, and Representative of the U.S. Government-In-Exile Mark Tuello helped June get her own form of justice on Waterford - even if it was a horrible decision in The Handmaid's Tale. After everything she's suffered, she still has a lot of fights left in her.
Nick Blaine
One of the show's most unpredictable and mysterious characters, Nick Blaine served as the Waterford's driver and Guardian while acting as an Eye for Gilead. And if managing all that wasn't easy enough, his love for June Osborne made him a part of the rebellion.
Nick was crucial in helping June in her many attempts to escape Gilead, and during all this, he managed to move up the ladder and become a respected Commander. Nick is one of the best double agents because he knows exactly where he can use his power for the greater good, and at the same time, he understands when it’s better to be obedient in order not to lose his advantageous position.
Alma
Alma, or Ofrobert, was an important character who appeared in the first four seasons of The Handmaid’s Tale. She was a crucial member of Mayday up until her tragic end in the show when she was hit by a train while trying to escape Aunt Lydia.
Alma helped June more than anyone else by exchanging with her news over the years of being Handmaids and opening up to her about Mayday. She always knew best how to keep their secret mission under the radar and was one of the first ones to encourage Osborne to reach out to the Resistance and begin her plans to destroy the Republic.
Commander Joseph Lawrence
Commander Lawrence is one of the most important supporting characters in The Handmaid's Tale. His complexity lies in the fact that he played a crucial part in founding Gilead, but since then, he has been slowly helping to bring it down from the inside.
When June Osborne becomes a Handmaid at Lawrence’s house, the Commander quickly becomes her ally. He maintains contact with her when she's in Canada and gets to be the one who helps June catch Waterford in No Man's Land. Lawrence clearly has a lot of concerns about Gilead, but he does very well to hide his feelings in front of the high-ranking members of society. Thus, Joseph still remains one of the most powerful characters who would be able to destroy Gilead.
Source:gamerant.com