The Handmaid’s Tale viewers have been left in tears on more than just one occasion, but it was a heartbreaking moment in the most recent episode of Season 5 that really tugged at the heartstrings. As June continued her fight against Gilead and continued her efforts to bring her daughter to safety, the Hulu original series made a major revelation about Hannah. Warning: This post contains spoilers for The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5, Episode 9, “Allegiance.”
Picking up shortly after the events of “Motherhood,” the penultimate episode of Season 5 documented the raid on Gilead by U.S. forces and the aftermath of its failure to rescue any of the 30 girls at the Wives’ School. Switching back and forth between the command center where her mother and father watched the events unfold and the Wives School, located in Colorado Springs, a short scene focused exclusively on Hannah. Ripped from her mother’s arms as Gilead took control and living under the name of Agnes for several years now, it was revealed that “Agnes” hasn’t forgotten where she comes from and even has a bit of June’s rebellious streak. In the scene, as the other girls in her school go to sleep, Agnes pulls out a picture book and flips to the end, where she has placed one of her drawings, and in the secrecy of her sleeping area, she writes her name, “Hannah.”
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The moment not only went to show that Hannah is willing and has defied Gilead and its role the society places on girls, but that she also remembers where she came from and who she is. The moment sparked plenty of reactions from tearful viewers.
The moment left many fans ’emotional’
“It was the most emotional & surprising moment of the entire series for me,” one fan wrote on Reddit. “She is NOT Agnes, she is Hannah & she KNOWS that. She truly is June Osborne’s daughter & Holly Maddox’s granddaughter. Hope Gilead is ready.”
‘Huge’
“It probably is the only thing she knows how to write. She was 5 when she was taken, she was just beginning to learn,” noted one person. “But she remembers it, and that’s huge.”
Hannah could face consequences if she was caught
“SHE WROTE HANNAH! She wrote it even though she knew they would cut off her finger if she was caught,” tweeted another viewer.
‘Hannah really is June’s daughter’
“Hannah writing her name BROUGHT ME TO TEARS,” wrote somebody else. “JUNE WOULD BE DO PROUD.”
Hannah has june’s ‘revolutionary energy.’
“I think the scene’s duality is about her writing her real name and to show that she’s even writing at all despite it being forbidden,” added another fan. “Also she has her mom’s revolutionary energy.”
Fans relieved they finally got “insight” into Hannah
“This moment was such a relief, because this WHOLE TIME we haven’t seen anything from Hannah’s perspective! We’ve had no insight as to how she’s been feeling or whether she still missed her real parents,” added somebody else. “I’m so glad we finally got a peek behind the curtain!”
Some believe Hannah has been “planning her escape”
“Omg! She wrote her name! Hannah seems to be very much like June. She’s probably been planning her escape for years,” one person theorized. “She better make it back to June and Luke!! If not, what is this all for??”