THE HANDMAID'S TALE Season 6 Episode 5 - “Janine” - June and Moira go undercover. Serena and Nick make consequential choices. (Disney/Steve Wilkie)SAMIRA WILEY, MADELINE BREWER, ELISABETH MOSS

Episode 5, “Janine,” delivers an intense, high-stakes hour as our characters inch deeper into danger with every move. In this week’s podcast, Paul and Caroline break down the chaos, consequences, and shifting alliances.

June and Moira are back in the field, attempting a “dry run” infiltration of Jezebels. They do manage to meet with Janine and pass along vital information—but their personal friction throws a wrench in the timing. When they’re forced to kill a predatory guardian and cover it up, things spiral fast. By the time they return to their rendezvous point, Luke has been threatened and driven off by another guardian. Now June and Moira are trapped inside Jezebels—with no clear way out.

THE HANDMAID'S TALE Season 6 Episode 5 - “Janine” - June and Moira go undercover. Serena and Nick make consequential choices. (Disney/Steve Wilkie)O-T FAGBENLE

Their only salvation comes in the form of a chance run-in with Commander Lawrence, who unexpectedly clears a path for their escape. But the damage is done: Luke’s original plans are ruined, and June and Moira are still stuck in Gilead.

Elsewhere, Nick handles his own grim task—finishing the job he started in no man’s land. One of the guardians from the escape has survived, and loose ends aren’t something Nick can afford.

Meanwhile, Serena Joy receives a surprising push from Aunt Lydia: a nudge toward Commander Wharton. By episode’s end, Wharton proposes—with Serena negotiating several key terms. It's not a love story—it’s a power move.

THE HANDMAID'S TALE Season 6 Episode 5 - “Janine” - June and Moira go undercover. Serena and Nick make consequential choices. (Disney/Steve Wilkie)YVONNE STRAHOVSKI, JOSH CHARLES

In this episode of the podcast, we dive into the shifting power dynamics, the costs of personal conflict in a resistance movement, and Janine’s continuing importance to the emotional heart of the series.

Season 6:

601 | 602 | 603 | 604

SEASON 5:

501 | 502 | 503 | 504 | 505 | 506 | 507 | 508 | 509

Season 4:

401 | 402 | 403 | 404 | 405 | 406 | 407 | 408

Season 3:

301+302 | 303 | 304 | 305 | 306 | 307 | 308 | 309 | 310 | 311 | 312 | 313

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Music:

“Ominous Ambience” by Viljami Mehto, licensed by Pod Clubhouse.

This podcast was recorded, edited, and produced by Paul and Caroline Daley at Pod Clubhouse Studios and is a Pod Clubhouse Original Production.