In Gilead, survival is never an option if you are a rebel. It will either demand full moral compromise to rise in status or complete submission to those in power. But these characters have pulled off carefully performed loyalty all while secretly working against the regime.
Quietly gathering power, resisting from within all while maintaining the loyal façade means the stakes stay at an all-time high at every step. Here are the 10 double agents in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale‘ who carried out this dangerous role remarkably.
10. Jaeden
Longtime fans of the show will remember Jaeden, the young Gilead Guard serving at the border with Canada. As June herself says, it was hard to believe that someone from Gilead actually turned out to be pure and kind and not a slave to the regime.
Even though he worked for Gilead, he wanted people to be able to make their own choices and be with their loved ones. This is what inspired him to risk his life and work as Mayday’s point of contact. Even when he was under threat, he ensured that June and Luke had a chance to escape before the other guards got to them.
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9. Serena Joy Waterford
From the very start, Serena Joy Waterford stood as a reminder of the layered complexities of a patriarchal regime. She is both the oppressor and the oppressed. She definitely has a very complex relationship with Gilead. She was one of the people responsible for putting it in its place, but now she can’t deny its flaws.
Yet, she maintains her cold and cruel façade. Only in season 5, when she finds herself almost dragged down to the position of a handmaid herself, does she seize the first opportunity to escape. In doing so, she doesn’t hesitate to team up with June, the very person who once despised her.
8. Rita Blue
Initially, viewers saw Rita Blue as someone who followed Gilead’s rules without question. In fact, she appeared to do so willingly. People like June, who defied those rules, seemed to make her uneasy. However, the tragic loss of her son revealed her true nature; she was simply trying to survive in a system that worked against her at every turn.
Rita’s top priority was always the safety and happiness of her child. These deep maternal instincts eventually led her to support Mayday’s efforts to rescue children from Gilead. Later, in Canada, she also opened up about the harsh and dehumanizing conditions she endured while working as a Martha.
7. Alma
Viewers of the show may remember Alma as Ofrobert, one of the most crucial members of Mayday. Her death on the train tracks, as the handmaids attempted to escape Aunt Lydia, was truly heartbreaking.
Alma was a true fighter. She knew how to keep secrets, run Mayday missions under the radar, and choose the right moments to take risks. She was also one of the first to encourage June to step forward and work with the resistance. Even after that, she continued to support her by sharing vital information from across Gilead.
6. Emily Malek
Emily Malek consistently resisted Gilead and everything it stood for. While she appeared to quietly endure its rules, she was secretly working with Mayday to fight for freedom. From the very beginning, she revealed to June that she was already part of the resistance.
This showed that she was fully committed and unafraid to take risks. She was also not afraid to turn to violence when she believed it was necessary to seek justice. That drive defined her, and even after reaching Canada, she felt compelled to return to Gilead to finish what she had started.
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5. Janine Lindo
Janine undeniably had one of the toughest journeys in the whole show. It was understandable that it all brought out a rebellious streak in her, which, in turn, brought even more cruelty, even costing her one eye. Throughout the show, it felt like she was stuck in a cycle of despair.
Yet, nothing could have stopped her fierce determination to find freedom. She hated Gilead with all her being, and it was this hatred that finally led her to break free and reunite with her daughter.
4. June Osborne
June is the epitome of silent resistance. As a Handmaid, she initially tried to follow Gilead’s rules, doing everything she could to stay alive and preserve her sanity. But the regime’s relentless cruelty eventually pushed her to a breaking point, where survival alone was no longer enough, and the rules had to be broken.
As June became involved with Mayday, she revealed the intelligence and strategy behind her quiet defiance. Her connections within Gilead, especially with Nick, Commander Lawrence, and others, became a crucial part of Mayday’s operations. She was willing to risk everything to fight for her daughter, Hannah.
3. Nick
Nick was definitely the most unpredictable and mysterious character. He worked as a driver and a guardian, all while serving as an Eye for Gilead. And if that wasn’t enough, his love for June also led him to work for the resistance.
He helped carry out so many Mayday missions and was the reason why June could make it out alive. He did all this while advancing up the ladder to become a respected Commander himself. He knew exactly when to use his power to make a change and when to silently obey to avoid losing his position.
2. Commander Joseph Lawrence
Commander Lawrence was another complex character whom we just couldn’t decipher. He was one of the founding members of Gilead but has since been slowly helping to bring it down from the inside. He quickly became an ally to June and never hesitated to go along with the Mayday missions.
While on the inside, he worked to bring down the regime, he never faltered in maintaining his loyalty to Gilead, even amid the high-ranking members of society. His final act of rebellion was when he decided to carry on with the plan of planting a bomb on the plane carrying the remaining high-ranking commanders. In the end, he deeply regretted his role in creating Gilead and wanted to build a better society.
1. Aunt Lydia
It is safe to say that none of us saw this coming. Throughout the series, we hated her as the strict, brutal aunt who continuously oppressed the Handmaid. On many accounts, she even grew aggressive when provoked.
However, in the end, we see her finally realize the hypocritical, rotten core of Gilead. In the sequel series ‘The Testaments’, Aunt Lydia will finally get the chance to become the most crucial double agent in all of Gilead. She is no longer blindly serving the hypocritical men who rule society. Instead, she will use her position to bring down the regime from the inside.
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