‘Handmaid’s Tale’ Spoilers: Why Offred Should Worry About Serena And The Commander’s Relationship

Serena Joy and the Commander have their problems on Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” but in episode 6, they finally reconnected. Serena took the lead on convincing Mexico that their way of keeping humanity alive was effective. It didn’t just make Serena feel empowered, but it also reminded the Commander of why he married her. The two had a sexy reconciliation scene, but that could have ramifications for Offred.

Executive produce Bruce Miller explained that any changes in the marriage could affect Offred. “That is a huge question and that’s the question that we’re trying to introduce in [episode] six, which is that every relationship that changes in this house affects Offred,” Miller revealed to the Hollywood Reporter. “It can affect her safety, it can be life or death.”

READ: Where will Offred’s story go in Season 2?

The husband and wife getting along probably doesn’t affect most people, but Offred is an important part of their marriage. The Commander (Joseph Fiennes) is trying to get the handmaid pregnant, a process that’s difficult for Serena (Yvonne Strahovski) to watch. Will their rekindled flame make it even more difficult? Will it affect Offred’s (Elisabeth Moss) secret Scrabble sessions with the Commander? It seems Miller wants fans to be asking these questions.

“So how does The Commander and his wife kind of finding a moment of connection and intimacy change that role, change that relationship and change her role in the house and how is she going to deal with it are the questions moving forward,” Miller explained. “That’s the great thing about the show: any butterfly in the house that flaps its wings changes the weather and certainly how Offred has to deal with things. The dynamic has changed in a way that we don’t understand and Offred doesn’t understand yet, and that can be super dangerous.”

It’s been clear thus far that Serena’s moods affect Offred’s quality of life. Her disappointment in Offred not being pregnant resulted in the handmaid being locked in her room for two weeks. The good news is that Serena will be happy after having sex with her husband. The bad news is that Yvonne Strahovski may have hinted that it’s only temporary.

“I think all I will say is that I think the fact that he reaches out to physically connect with her and acknowledge her as an amazing woman I think means the world to her,” the actress told TVInsider. “In a world where she is so empty and there is not a lot left to fill those voids, he offers her a fill in that moment. And I think that is very powerful for the moment. However right or wrong it is, I just think the overwhelming factor is the emptiness and rejection is momentarily fixed.”

A night of passion probably isn’t going to solve all of the Commander and Serena’s problems, nor is it going to quell the Commander’s growing interest in Offred. However, Offred isn’t interested in anyone else’s husband. She’ll be busy thinking about her own.

In episode 6, Offred also learned that Luke (O-T Fagbenle) is alive, despite getting shot. One of the officers with the Mexican government revealed that he is part of the resistance. He let Offred write a quick message to Luke and promised to get it to him. The episode 7 sneak peek reveals that audiences will finally get to see what really happened when Offred and Luke were trying to cross the border.

Hulu releases new episodes of “The Handmaid’s Tale” Season 1 on Wednesdays at 12 a.m. EDT.