“There’s Nothing She Can Do”: Madeline Brewer Comments on Harrowing ’The Handmaid’s Tale’ Season 6 Scene

We knew it was going to happen. But knowing it didn’t make it any easier to watch. The attack on the women inside Jezebel’s in The Handmaid’s Tale has been brewing for the past few episodes, and it recently reached a turning point. This week, however, June (Elisabeth Moss) and Moira’s (Samira Wiley) plan came crashing down when High Commander Wharton (Josh Charles) ordered a mass murder of women. The moment will go down as one of the series’ most difficult to watch.

During a new interview with TV Insider, Madeline Brewer (You) talked about the episode. Her character, Janine, was the only one left alive after the massacre. The Handmaid’s Tale fans can agree that Janine is probably one of the women who have had it worse since Season 1, but after a slight improvement in her mental health, we can’t help but wonder what will become of her after the tragedy. Brewer talked about the preparation for her reaction scene and what was probably going through Janine’s mind at the end of the episode. She stated:

“It is strange to say that, oh, I didn’t really prepare for the scene, but it’s really letting Janine live through me, as silly as that sounds. I have been with her for so long, and my only goal was to be their protector, because that is who Janine would be, in my opinion. To the very last and final moments, she would try to protect them. And as we see, I think in some ways, Janine would’ve liked to have gone with them because just the real torture of watching her friends be murdered in front of her, and there’s nothing she can do despite how much she loves them and has tried to protect them and keep them safe and keep them well, it’s just a moment of utter grief and helplessness.”

What’s Next In ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’?

If we didn’t believe that June and Nick’s (Max Minghella) relationship was dead and buried after last week, this week’s episode has to be the final nail in the coffin. The massacre at Jezebel’s is the direct consequence of Nick’s actions, and what makes it worse is that he revealed June’s plan to save his own skin. With just three more episodes to go, there’s little he can do to redeem himself before the series wraps.

At the same time, this episode may have hinted at where Aunt Lydia’s (Ann Dowd) head will be when the sequel series, The Testaments, kicks off. The cruelty of the massacre at Jezebel’s finally got to her, and it looked like a turning point for her morals. Maybe the change will begin with her saving Janine from Commander Bell (Timothy Simmons)? We’ll have to keep watching to find out.