‘The Handmaid’s Tale’: Yvonne Strahovski Says Serena Is Headed for a ‘Paranoid Existence’ in Season 5

June Osbourne dealt the Waterfords a major blow in the season 4 finale of The Handmaid’s Tale. And as revealed by series star Yvonne Strahovski, June’s actions will send Serena Joy into a paranoid existence in season 5. 

[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for season 4 episode 10 of The Handmaid’s Tale.]

Serena thinks Fred is going to Geneva in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ season 4 finale 

Serena Joy Waterford (Yvonne Strahovski) has been sitting pretty in her comfy cell all season. But in The Handmaid’s Tale June 16 finale, the Gilead wife doesn’t know how drastically her life is about to change.

Under the assumption that they will soon be free, Serena and Fred Waterford (Joseph Fiennes) begin planning their lives as a family. Fred is scheduled to go to Geneva, while Serena stays back in Canada relishing in their newfound celebrity status. 

But while she sits in her prison room, Serena has no idea that June has facilitated a deal between Mark Tuello (Sam Jaeger) and Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford). In exchange for 22 women, Tuello agrees to hand Fred over to Gilead.   

Fred leaves the prison expecting to catch a flight to Geneva. He says goodbye to Serena, and promises to Zoom call her when he gets there. But as he exits the building, Tuello’s men grab him and put him in the back of a truck. 

Despite Fred’s protests, Tuello takes him to the Canadian border and hands him off to Lawrence and Nick (Max Minghella). Nick brings Fred to June, who is waiting with dozens of women in a nearby forest. The group attacks Fred and beats him to death. 

In one of the episode’s final scenes, Serena tries to Zoom call Fred, while a guard opens a package addressed to her containing Fred’s mutilated finger and wedding ring. 

Yvonne Strahovski says June is going to make Serena paranoid in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ season 5

Serena didn’t learn of Fred’s death in the season 4 finale of The Handmaid’s Tale. But according to Strahovski, when she finds out in season 5, Serena will know June did it. And it will likely cause her to face some major paranoia. 

“I can imagine June purposely telling Serena about it, because she wants Serena to live in absolute fear, if and when she gets out of the detention center,” Strahovski told TV Line.

 “I mean, could you imagine?” she continued. “If you knew that someone was out there, outside, capable of doing something like that to your husband or your partner, and then, you’re trying to live out in the real world, with a baby? I just think that is the most paranoid existence you could ever live, knowing that June has done what she’s done.” 

But that paranoia won’t stop Serena from being the fierce selfish person she is

In an interview with The Wrap, The Handmaid’s Tale showrunner Bruce Miller revealed that Serena will take Fred’s death as a major hit in season 5. But he also noted that despite her grief, she’ll use her dead husband to advance her own position. 

“Think of how much she managed to get out of Live Fred,” he said. “Think of how much she’s going to get out of Dead Fred, who doesn’t even talk back.”