Ep 8. Jezebels

In season 1 episode 8 of The Handmaid's Tale, titled "Jezebels," Offred is taken to an underground brothel known as Jezebel's by Commander Waterford. Initially hesitant, Offred eventually decides to go along with the Commander's request as she believes it may provide a way for her to escape and find her daughter Hannah.

While at Jezebel's, Offred encounters Moira, her friend from the Red Center who she thought had died. Moira reveals she was actually sent to Jezebel's as a prostitute and has been stuck there ever since. The two women reminisce about their past together and bond over their shared desire to escape Gilead.

Meanwhile, back at the Waterford's household, Serena Joy becomes increasingly suspicious of Offred's absence and starts to question her husband's loyalty. She confronts him about his relationship with Offred and demands to know if he's actually in love with her.

In a flashback, it is revealed that before the formation of Gilead, Waterford was a successful businessman and had an affair with a woman named Serena Joy, ultimately leading to the downfall of his career. Now, in Gilead, he sees Serena Joy as a means to regain his power and status.

As the episode progresses, Offred's feelings towards the Commander become more complicated as she starts to see him less as a villain and more as a victim of the system he helped create.

The episode ends with Offred returning to her room, feeling more hopeless than ever. She realizes that in order to escape Gilead, she will need more than just her own strength, she will need allies.