History Recap / TheHandmaidsTaleS4E8Testimony

** June recaps a timeline of events from the series from her time as a Handmaid, during her testimony.

* BothSidesHaveAPoint: On whether or not how much anger can you have during therapy, Moira says that while anger is a valid emotion to have, it should not be concentrated on lest it becomes a persistent issue outside of therapy. June believes otherwise, saying that anger needs to be expressed whenever it is required for a person to properly heal. The other people in the support circle seem to side with June's view, and June finally is able to use her anger to deal with her guilt in failing to save Hannah, as we learn at the end of the episode when she is ready to admit what actually happened in her last meeting with Hannah.

* BothSidesHaveAPoint: On whether or not how much anger can you have during therapy, Moira says that while anger is a valid emotion to have, it should not be concentrated on lest it becomes a persistent issue. June believes otherwise, saying that anger needs to be expressed whenever it is required for a person to properly heal. The other people in the support circle seem to side with June's view, and June finally is able to use her anger to deal with her guilt in failing to save Hannah, as we learn at the end of the episode when she is ready to admit what actually happened in her last meeting with Hannah.

*** June rightly points out that Irene likely lied to the Canadian authorities while seeking refugee status, as if the Canadians knew that Irene was part of the Gilead oppressors, they could potentially charge ''her'' with war crimes in the same way that they are currently prosecuting the Waterfords. As such, her suicide may not actually be out of guilt, but knowing that she may be prosecuted as an agent of Gilead.

* DrivenToSuicide: Irene, via hanging. One of the members in Moira's support group describes it as "the coward's way out."[[note]]Given that June had just exposed Irene as a member of Gilead's enforcement arm who lied about being a refugee, it's possible that her suicide may not be out of guilt of what she did to Emily, but also knowing that the Americans can bring her to the International Criminal Court to face war crimes.[[/note]]

* TimeSkip: Subtle, but Serena is now visibly at least six months pregnant, and the deposition of June in the Waterford's trial would also have taken several months to prepare for.

June is due to testify in a preliminary hearing to determine whether the charges against the Waterfords are forwarded to the International Criminal Court. During her testimony, she recounts details of her brutal treatment at the hands of Fred and Serena. When the Waterfords' defense attorney tries to cross-examine, Fred interferes with the hearing while trying to justify Gilead's actions. This results in a small group of protestors rallying to their cause. While June is attending group therapy, a former aunt of Gilead tries to

** Emily's relationship with the Martha is brought up again by Irene, who reveals she was the one who reported the affair to the Eyes.

** Irene's suicide appears to be akin to several members of the Nazi party hanging themselves before they were to be brought to trial on war crimes.

--->'''June:''' "Why the ''fuck'' do you think you deserve forgiveness?"

* DrivenToSuicide: Irene, via hanging. One of the members in Moira's support group describes it as "the coward's way out."[[note]]Given that June had just exposed Irene as a member of Gilead's power structure who lied about being a refugee, it's possible that her suicide may not be out of guilt of what she did to Emily, but also knowing that the Americans can bring her to the International Criminal Court to face war crimes.[[/note]]

*** June rightly points out that Irene likely lied to the Canadian authorities while seeking refugee status, as if the Canadians knew that Irene was part of the Gilead power structure, they could potentially charge ''her'' with war crimes in the same way that they are currently prosecuting the Waterfords. As such, her suicide may not actually be out of guilt, but knowing that she may be prosecuted as an agent of Gilead.

* DrivenToSuicide: Irene, via hanging. One of the members in Moira's support group describes it as "the coward's way out."

June confronts a painful reminder of her Gilead past. Lawrence presents something helpful to Aunt Lydia.

* CallBack: Commander Lawrence spitefully says that Janine was supposed to be Aunt Lydia's responsibility, something Aunt Lydia said about the Handmaids in "Night."
* ContinuityNod:
** Like Serena in the previous episode, Aunt Irene seems convinced that to be granted forgiveness by your victims you just have to beg for it, not actually take responsibility or do any of the work towards making amends.

* DrivenToSuicide: Irene, via hanging. Moira describes it as "the coward's way out."

* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: Downplayed, but Aunt Ruth that tried to stop Aunt Lydia from punishing Kylie gets electrocuted in turn.

* TheReveal: Janine is alive and was captured in Chicago and returned to Gilead.
* SelfHarm: One of the former handmaids in June's group therapy session mentions how she would cut herself to cope with the horrors of Gilead, but was able to hide it by cutting on her upper arms, so that her Commander would not notice. This can be TruthInTelevision, as many self harm victims often try to hurt themselves on discrete parts of their bodies in order to hide evidence of what they're really doing.

** The Canadian Gilead supporters at the end of the episode appear similar to alt-right groups, such as the Proud Boys or [=QAnon=].

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Aunt Ruth is horrified at Aunt Lydia electrocuting Kylie with the cattle prod for not getting a stain out during cleaning.

* NotHelpingYourCase: Fred, ever the fool, starts to rant about [[SarcasmMode the good that came from June getting torn away from her life, tortured and repeatedly raped]] when his lawyer tries to cross-examine June. Worse, his rant completely undermines the argument his lawyer was making.
* AnOfferYouCantRefuse: When Fred's defense lawyer tried to defend him by saying June signed up for Handmaid "duty", she fires back that her only other "choice" was being sent to the Colonies, a slow death sentence. Of course, even without that, it would be irrevocable "consent" (e.g. selling herself into slavery).

* WhatTheHellHero: Moira is incredibly mad at June for trying to get Emily to confront Irene.

* ChekhovsGun: The episode "Late" implied not all Aunts were totally loyal to Gilead, with Fred citing one Aunt who escaped into Canada and shared her story with the Toronto Star. This episode introduces Irene, a former Aunt who crossed the border into Canada.

* SelfHarm: One of the kids in June's group therapy session mentions how he would cut himself to cope with the horrors of Gilead, but he tried to hide it by cutting on his upper arms. This can be TruthInTelevision, as many self harm victims often try to hurt themselves on discrete parts of their bodies in order to hide evidence of what they're really doing.

* TheAtoner: Irene, a former Aunt, tries to make amends with Emily, one of her former charges, but Emily, Moira and June rebuke her.

* NotHelpingYourCase: Fred starts to rant about [[SarcasmMode the good that came from June getting torn away from her life, tortured and repeatedly raped]] when his lawyer tries to cross-examine June.

* SlutShaming: Fred's defense lawyer tries to impeach June's testimony through citing the fact she'd had an affair with Luke while he was married to another woman, saying it shows she's got a past history of sexual impropriety. This is not uncommon for rape cases, even in spite of laws preventing a victim's former sexual conduct history from being introduced, as lawyers still find ways around that fairly often (or if not them, the media does).

* ChekhovsGun: The episode "Late" implied not all Aunts were totally loyal to Gilead, with Fred citing one Aunt who escaped into Canada and shared her story with the ''Toronto Star''. This episode introduces Irene, a former Aunt who crossed the border into Canada.

* DrivenToSuicide: Irene, via hanging. Moira describes it as "[[SuicideIsShameful the coward's way out]]."

* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: Downplayed, but Aunt Ruth, who tried to stop Aunt Lydia from punishing Kylie gets electrocuted in turn.

* SelfHarm: One of the women in June's group therapy session mentions how she would cut herself to cope with the horrors of Gilead, but she tried to hide it from her former Commander by cutting on her upper arms. This can be TruthInTelevision, as many self harm victims often try to hurt themselves on discrete parts of their bodies in order to hide evidence of what they're really doing.
* TropaholicsAnonymous: June, Moira, and Emily have taken to attending a support group for former Gilead Handmaids.

* SelfHarm: One of the kids in June's group therapy session mentions how he would cut himself to cope with the horrors of Gilead, but he tried to hide it by cutting on his upper arms. This can be TruthInTelevision, as many self harm victims often try to hurt themselves on discrete parts of their bodies in order to hide evidence of what they're really doing.
* TropaholicsAnonymous: June, Moira, and Emily have taken to attending a support group for Gilead refugees.

* ChekhovsGun: The episode "Late" implied not all Aunts were totally loyal to Gilead, with Fred citing one Aunt who escaped into Canada and shared her story with the Toronto Star. This episode introduces Irene, a former Aunt who crossed the border into Canada.

* DrivenToSuicide: Irene, via hanging. Moira describes it as "the coward's way out."

* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: Downplayed, but Aunt Ruth that tried to stop Aunt Lydia from punishing Kylie gets electrocuted in turn.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: June's testimony bears some similarities to the testimonies of Christy Ford and Anita Hill against Supreme Court justices Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas. June's hair and her clothing bear a resemblance to Ford's outfit.
** The Canadian Gilead supporters at the end of the episode appear similar to alt-right groups, such as the Proud Boys or QAnon.

* The Canadian Gilead supporters at the end of the episode appear similar to alt-right groups, such as the Proud Boys or QAnon.

* SelfHarm: One of the kids in June's group therapy session mentions how he would cut himself to cope with the horrors of Gilead, but he tried to hide it by cutting on his upper arms. This can be TruthInTelevision, as many self harm victims often try to hurt themselves on discrete parts of their bodies in order to hide evidence of what they're really doing.

* ContinuityNod: June recaps a timeline of events from the series from her time as a Handmaid, during her testimony.

* SelfHarm: One of the kids in June's group therapy session mentions how he would cut himself to cope with the horrors of Gilead, but he tried to hide it by cutting on his upper arms. This can be TruthInTelevision, as many self harm victims often try to do so on discrete parts of their bodies.

* SelfHarm: One of the kids in June's group therapy session mentions how he would cut himself to cope with the horrors of Gilead, but he tried to hide it by cutting further up on his arms.

June confronts a painful reminder of her Gilead past. Lawrence presents something helpful to Aunt Lydia.