Fire in The Handmaid's Tale Season 2: A Major Plot Point in EVERY Episode!

Every time fire is shown in Season 2 of 'The Handmaid's Tale'

Fire is a huge plot point throughout Season 2 of 'The Handmaid's Tale"

If you've watched The Handmaid's Tale finale episode, you know the absolutely crucial role fire played. After watching and thinking about the season, I realized that throughout the entirety of Season 2, writers brilliantly incorporated this into nearly every episode, essentially giving a huge hint of what was to come and the importance and symbolism of combustion. In this post, I'll be examining every episode of Season 2 to note and discuss how fire was used as a plot progression, all leading up to the blazes that ignite Gilead...and June's existence. I'll be working on this post during my free time today, and should have it finished by the evening, so please bear with me!

In the meantime, if you haven't yet watched The Handmaid's Tale Season 2 Episode 13 Finale (and don't yet have Hulu) here is a link to Hulu Free Trial promotion that is currently taking place. You do not have to pay anything up front, and if you don't want to continue with the service you can cancel after the two week Hulu free trial period and will not be charged. If you already have Hulu, here is a link to Season 2 Episode 13 'The World'.

The Handmaid's Tale Season 2 Episode 1: June

During the heart pounding premier episode of season two, June finds a key left in her shoe at a doctor's appointment (FYI- we did a post about where to find and buy similar shoes to those worn in The Handmaid's Tale here). She follows a path down a winding hallway, gets in a meat truck, and ultimately ends up in some kind of warehouse in Boston's Back Bay where Nick is waiting for her.  He tells her to cut her hair and get rid of her easily recognizable Handmaid clothes. She places the infamous red dress, cloak, and hair clippings into an incinerator, lights a match (it's during this part where we get the incredible visual used throughout the promos for Season 2 of June holding a flickering lit match in front of her face). June then realizes she is still harboring a dead giveaway that she is a Handmaid- the ear tag. In one of the most painful scenes to watch yet, she takes a pair of scissors and cuts off the piece of metal that was forced into her body, identifying her as part of the fertile heard, throwing it into the blazing flames.

The Handmaid's Tale Season 2 Episode 2: Unwoman

In Season 2 Episode 2, June is transferred to a different hiding spot: the former offices of The Boston Globe newspaper. As she gets familiar with her surroundings, she is horrified to see what is left from the chaos. When Gilead first came into power, journalists were slaughtered. The clues left behind paint a terrible portrait: the reporters were ambushed at work, and a mass execution took place by printing presses. Desks with personal belongings- family photos, coffee cups, Red Sox memorabilia and even a 'Friends' DVD- were left untouched, and it almost looks like it's just a day off work for everyone. June finds a single shoe in the middle of the floor...giving her a clear image of the absolute chaos and terror that must have taken place. She spends time collecting these tokens of life from the desks, and creates a memorial where the the senseless murders took place. In an especially touching moment, she finds the lone shoe's match and places the pair together, lighting candles in remembrance of lives lost at the hands of Gilead.