As The Handmaid’s Tale heads to its final season, one star is opening up about his character’s motivations. Trailers for The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 have already revealed that the Handmaids will be going to war against Gilead, making for an action-packed season that should change the nation forever. While they rise against their nation, Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski) could fall on either side of the ideological divide, as she appears to be considering turning against the patriarchal country. If she does, she will need the help of the government-in-exile to succeed.
In an interview with ScreenRant‘s Tatiana Hullender, Sam Jaeger (Mark Tuello) and Samira Wiley (Moira Strand) discussed the potential for a very different Gilead. While Serena was writing a book that would devastate women around the country, Mark was already secretly in love with her. He saw her as a “firebrand feminist“ and struggled to accept the reality of discovering that she was such a “calculating woman.” Check out Jaeger’s comments below:
ScreenRant: I wanted Serena and Mark Tuello to get together, and I feel the show has rejected my wishes at every turn. From your perspective, what does Mark feel for Serena?
Sam Jaeger: I think Mark first fell in love with Serena before Gilead. I think he researched her, and he knew so much about this woman who was like a firebrand feminist that you see a glimpse of in those flashback episodes in the first season. So, to find out that she’s such a calculating woman is hard. But there’s a lot of layers to Serena.
Samira Wiley: Do you guys have a Brangelina name? Did you ever think about naming yourselves Markerena or something like that?
Sam Jaeger: No, but I like it. I like where you’re going.
What Mark Tuello’s Interest In Serena Joy Means
Mark’s Motivations Became Far More Complex
Mark was first introduced in season 2, episode 9, “Smart Power,” as a representative of America’s government-in-exile. Tuello sought to recruit Serena to his side so that they could have an active leader and supposed feminist at the forefront of the fight against Gilead. Instead, Serena would only later agree to follow him, which led directly to her eventual capture. After several interrogations, Mark discovered her manipulative nature, which surprised the agent, who expected to find a victim of Gilead’s cruelty. Mark initially appeared to be a generic government operative, but this revelation makes him far more complex.
Each decision to turn against Serena Joy must have been emotionally devastating for the agent.
If Mark was truly in love with Serena, then his various offers to support her may have been partly genuine, which puts a new context around each interrogation scene. It also provides further depth to his character, as each decision to turn against her must have been emotionally devastating for him. Additionally, it explains his constant attempts to help Serena redeem herself, as he supports her even through season 5. As The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 is set to begin on April 8, this long-standing hidden love could be necessary information before the series finale.
Our Take On Serena Joy’s Potential Love Interest
It Provides Another Path For Serena Joy
Part of what makes The Handmaid’s Tale compelling is that each character is fully realized. They all have deep attachments and complex motivations, and those emotions always drive their decisions. The idea of a friendly love interest for Serena provides a future that could have been better for everyone, in which she was not drawn to hatred through the cult of Gilead. It makes her story even more devastating, because that path was possible, if only she was not quite as monstrous and cold. Serena Joy could have had a better life, and Mark represents that possibility.
The Handmaid’s Tale
7/10
- Release Date
-
2017 – 2025-00-00
- Network
-
Hulu
- Showrunner
-
Bruce Miller
- Directors
-
Mike Barker, Kari Skogland, Daina Reid, Reed Morano, Floria Sigismondi, Jeremy Podeswa, Kate Dennis, Richard Shepard, Amma Asante, Christina Choe, Deniz Gamze Ergüven, Bradley Whitford, Dearbhla Walsh, Liz Garbus
- Writers
-
Kira Snyder, Eric Tuchman, Yahlin Chang, John Herrera, Jacey Heldrich, Dorothy Fortenberry, Marissa Jo Cerar, Lynn Renee Maxcy
-
Elisabeth Moss
June Osborne / Offred / Ofjoseph
-
