With Season 5 of The Handmaid’s Tale nearly at its end, last week’s episode “Together” saw swift and unexpected justice dealt against one of Gilead’s own commanders. Early in the season, Commander Warren Putnam (Stephen Kunken) was given Esther Keyes (Mckenna Grace) as a new handmaid, which led to him raping the teenager off-screen and causing her to become pregnant. In the world of Gilead, there’s nothing inherently “wrong” with his actions, which leaves Putnam blindsided when his actions are called into question by Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford).
Putnam has been a prominent figure throughout the series, seeing as he was Janine’s (Madeline Brewer) Commander and the father of her daughter. Seizing on Esther’s new proximity to her child, Janine positions herself as a mentor for the handmaiden, so she can get back inside the Putnam’s home and be with her daughter, in whatever way she can. However, Esther sees Janine as partially responsible for what happened to her and attempts to commit suicide and kill Janine in the process with poison, but they both survive and the desperation of the situation drives Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) into action once she learns what happened to Esther. While Lydia is still unquestionably part of the patriarchal society, her fury over Putnam ultimately leads to Lawrence and Nick (Max Minghella) executing him.
At the end of the episode, Putnam’s corpse has been hung at The Wall—something that has been done to any of the men who have abused the women of Gilead previously—and Aunt Lydia and Janine are there to bear witness to it. Back before Season 5 premiered, Collider spoke with Madeline Brewer about what Janine is feeling in that moment and whether his death feels like just dessert not only for Esther, but for what Janine endured at his hands too. Brewer shared, “I think that that makes her… I don’t know. I feel like there’s a little bit of power for her there in knowing that, just in that feeling of, ‘Well, at least they’re not getting totally away with it. At least they’re not totally getting away with it.’ I think it’s such mixed emotions.”
Brewer went on to explain,
“I think that Janine truly did love Warren and feel like they had a special connection. She really believed what he was telling her and I think that there’s very complicated feelings around that. When we’re all looking at him at the wall, it was just like, “I’m not sure what I’m meant to feel right now.” For Janine, I think it’s just to see a consequence, a consequence of their actions is very powerful for her, I think.”
The fifth season of The Handmaid’s Tale has shown that Gilead is continuing to evolve, especially under Commander Lawrence’s control. It’s unclear whether the new and improved New Bethlehem will usher in a world that is more or less dangerous for the women caught in the patriarchal horrors of Gilead. The series has been renewed for a sixth and final season, which will hopefully bring some resolution to the twisted world its characters are living within.
The Handmaid’s Tale streams weekly on Hulu. Check out our full interview with Madeline Brewer above.
