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Hulu just released a new trailer for The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5, and so much is happening in it that it’s tough to keep up with everything. That’s why we’re doing a deep dive into the trailer, with scene-by-scene analysis of photos from different key moments. 

Here’s the Trailer

In case you missed the trailer, we’ll start out by showing it you again. 

Now here’s a look at photos of some of the key scenes. 

June Wants Serena to Know She’s to Blame for the Commander’s Death

The trailer begins with June saying, “I wanted her to know that it was me. The grieving wife.”

We see a closeup of June, bloodied, after images of the Commander running away just before he was killed. 

Then we see Serena at his casket, and a massive funeral full of extreme artistry and pomp. 

“She knows the world is watching,” June says in the voiceover.

We see an image of Serena doing yoga, followed by June saying, “I feel Gilead pulling me back.” 

Some people think Serena isn’t pregnant in this scene, but it could just be that her shirt is hiding her baby bump. 

We See Nick in the Trailer

Next we see an image of Nick looking at a woman who is approaching him, but whose face is shadowed from us. There’s a lot to unpack about this scene alone, and we’ll be exploring that in a future story. So be sure and follow our email list. 

Luke Wants June to Know She’s Safe

There’s a scene showing Serena leaving a plane. 

And June’s husband, Luke, telling her, “She can’t get to you. So you’ve just got to forget about her.”

But is it really true? 

Luke is a fighter, but he may be naive about the power that Serena and Gilead hold, even in Canada. 

Serena Is Growing More Powerful & Amassing a Following

Serena was already amassing a following, and the trailer indicates it’s still the case. 

Like a monster in a horror movie, Serena is growing more powerful as she gathers more believers. 

In the trailer, we see June looking up, and Serena’s photo on every large-screen TV in Canada, as she attends her husband’s funeral. 

Serena getting that much attention is understandably very disturbing to June and Luke. 

But some fans are wondering about this scene in particular, and whether Serena does more than just appear on TV. Perhaps she calls June out specifically for her role in Commander Waterford’s death. 

Aunt Lydia is Back

And if that’s not enough, we get a glimpse of Aunt Lydia, as energetic as ever, saying, “Blessed be this day!”

An interesting point to me is how predominant Aunt Lydia’s mention in the synopsis is, compared to her brief appearance in the trailer. 

The synopsis reads: “In Season 5, June faces consequences for killing Commander Waterford while struggling to redefine her identity and purpose. The widowed Serena attempts to raise her profile in Toronto as Gilead’s influence creeps into Canada. Commander Lawrence works with Aunt Lydia as he tries to reform Gilead and rise in power. June, Luke, and Moira fight Gilead from a distance as they continue their mission to save and reunite with Hannah.” 

Commander Waterford is not seen in the trailer at all, at least that I noticed, but he plays a major role this season too. 

June Is Seen Running & Things Are Getting Tense in Canada

Next we hear a voiceover saying, “A Handmaid killing her commander… Gilead is not gonna let that stand.” 

So it sounds like in order to keep the peace between Canada and Gilead, Canada may sacrifice June, despite everything she did to free the children. 

In the midst of this statement, there are quick images that appear to show June running, and a quick image of Nick.

Luke May End Up in Jail

Luke is seen fighting the police in one scene. I can’t imagine what brings this about. Are they trying to take June away from him? 

We also see June looking up at an upside-down American flag. To me, this is the most iconic photo and moment from the entire trailer. More so than the shots of Serena at Fred’s funeral or even the ending scene. This scene with the flag paints a story all unto itself. 

We also get a glimpse of Moira, I believe, in this moment. She’s nowhere else in the trailer. 

There’s a scene where June appears to be behind bars again. But the next shot reveals it’s more than likely Luke.

We see Aunt Lydia looking pridefully happy. 

And then there’s a disturbing scene showing a Handmaid passed out and Janine looking up. What could possibly be happening here? 

I’ll be exploring the scene above more in a future story, so follow The Handmaid’s Tale email list for updates. 

Luke and June are seeing something shocking in the next scene… 

The clip makes it look as if they’re seeing Serena, but who knows if that is accurate. 

June can be seen pulling out a gun, perhaps to shoot her?

And her voiceover says, “You wanna fight? Let’s fight.” 

I can’t recall if there are many times when The Handmaid’s Tale edits scenes misleadingly for trailers. So I’m not really sure if we should believe June is really about to shoot Serena sometime this season, or if the editing just makes it look that way. 

Whatever the case, it looks like this is going to be an intense season we won’t soon forget. 

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Stephanie

Stephanie Dwilson started Post Apocalyptic Media with her husband Derek. She's a licensed attorney and has a master's in science and technology journalism. You can reach her at [email protected].

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