The Commander invites a Mexican delegate into his house for arranging trade agreements between Gilead and Mexico. Offred discovers that this trade agreement also includes trafficking of Handmaids.
This episode provides examples of:
- Actually, That's My Assistant: During the dinner with the Mexican representatives, Offred greets the ambassador's assistant: the ambassador is actually the woman behind him.
- All There in the Manual: Credits reveal the aide to Mrs. Castillo is surnamed Flores.
- Blatant Lies: Offred tells Mrs. Castillo that she consented to being a Handmaid and that she's happy, though later in private she reveals the real facts.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Offred's glance at Aunt Lydia's seemingly knowing expression suggests that even Aunt Lydia is appalled by the prospect of Handmaids getting trafficked to other countries. Previously, Aunt Lydia also attempts to fight for Janine and the other injured Handmaids to be present at the dinner, saying that they have the right to be there.
- Hope Spot: After Offred/June reveals what Handmaids are slaves subject to mutilation, beatings and rape to Mrs. Castillo, who listens with compassion, it seems that for a moment the deal with the Mexican government won't go through. However, Castillo then says they have to, mentioning her home city where no babies have been born for half a decade.
- Kick the Dog: Serena Joy has two instances of this in this episode; she refuses to let any of the physically disfigured Handmaids attend the fancy dinner being held for the Mexican delegation, and she has the children that the Handmaids were forced to bear for the Commanders paraded around in front of all their birth mothers, who can only look on helplessly. What's somehow even worse is that she doesn't do these things to be deliberately mean, but as part of a PR stunt.
- Mood Whiplash: A downplayed one where a younger Fred Waterford and Serena Joy are about to enjoy a movie, partaking in a regular casual leisure as ordinary Americans do, then Fred picks up his phone to receive the news that the planned attacks are happening and the couple blithely agree it's for the best and proceed to watch the film.
- Pet the Dog: A very subtle one where Offred mutters "awesome," a not-so Gilead word, at the tub, and Rita takes a moment to smile at this and says, "I'll keep a good thought."
- Aunt Lydia offers to have the biggest piece of dessert taken to Janine so she calms down after being told she won't get to attend the reception for the Mexican trade delegation.
- Pink Is Feminine: The toddler-aged daughters of Gilead are sheathed in light pink party dresses.
- The Reveal: Three. One major and one downplayed go together. First and second: Handmaids are in the process of being trafficked for population breeding purposes. At the same moment we learn this, there's a lesser reveal with the implicit confirmation that Alma is part of Mayday and could be trusted. Third: the aide of the Mexican ambassador reveals that Luke is alive and offers to take a message to him.
- Stay in the Kitchen: Serena's backstory in the flashbacks, she goes from orchestrating the Gilead takeover to delivering tight smiles at the Mexican Ambassador when reminded that she and other women won't be able to read her books or anything else. In a flashback, Fred discusses this with another man who states that women have been given more than they "can handle" in regards to career and education.
- Wham Line: These:Alma: Gilead only has one thing to trade that anyone wants. Red tags.
- These two from Flores:
Flores: I don't know where your daughter is, but I think I can get a message to your husband.Flores: Lucas Bankole. Born 29 April, 1980, in Nyack, formerly New York State.
