‘The Handmaid’s Tale’: What’s Happened to Serena Joy’s Blonde Hair?

Today’s all-new episode of The Handmaid’s Tale puts the spotlight on Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski). She pushes June (Elisabeth Moss) to arrange a meeting between her and Luke (O-T Fagbale) in Canada, under the pretense that she merely wants to say one last goodbye to baby Nichole. Throughout the episode, Strahovski shows a tornado of emotions raging within Serena. We see her anxiety as she travels solo to Canada, her heartache holding Nichole, and even her inner turmoil over whether or not she wants to defect.

Strahovski is mesmerizing in these scenes, and it’s impossible to look away from her. In fact, I’ve been finding myself caught up in her performance more and more this season. My eye is fixed on every little flinch in her face, and in the subtle ways her body language says more than she can out loud. Because I’ve been so clued in, I’ve noticed that something extremely superficial has changed for Serena Joy over the show’s three seasons: her hair used to be way more blonde.

So here’s a photo of the cold and beautiful Serena Joy from The Handmaid’s Tale Season 1. Note that although the lighting is dark and dire, you can still see the golden luster of her blonde tresses.

Here is what she looks like in Season 3:

Okay, yeah, it’s even darker, but Serena’s roots are looking rough. In fact, as we see in today’s episode, strands of yellowish blonde are still in Serena’s hair, but her roots are an ashy brown. She’s dirty blonde at best. As a woman who has spent her entire adult life coloring her hair, I know what this means: Serena Joy has missed a few color appointments.

There are a few reasons for this. Narratively, this reflects Serena’s own emotionally distraught state. Season 2 of The Handmaid’s Tale was rough on Serena Joy Waterford. Not only did she lose her, uh, adopted daughter, Nichole, but she also realized how little her husband had her back. Towards the end of Season 2, Serena fights to push through new laws that allow women to learn how to read, so they can at least read the Bible. After reading in public, she is brutally punished and Fred Waterford lets it happen. She’s lost a baby, a pinkie finger, and trust in her own beliefs.

Given this, it would make sense that she would put her personal appearance to the wayside. After all, her entire look is more frazzled than before. It’s a reflection of what’s happening within her.

I also have a different theory, though. It’s a tad bit explosive, but allow me to offer it up. What if Serena Joy’s colorist was sent to the Colonies?

Just think about it for a second. Gilead is a strict, fundamentalist regime where the lower class women trade pats of butter to moisturize with, but it’s very clear the Wives have access to some sort of beauty products. It’s why their skin stays so fresh, and why each Wife really does seem to have perfect hair. Ergo, some hairstylists were likely saved from the purge to tend to the Wives’ appearances.

However, as The Handmaid’s Tale narrative trudges onwards, more and more women are rebelling against their masters. Common punishments include being sent to the Colonies to labor, Jezebel’s to become sex slaves of a different manner, or hanging. It is possible that Serena Joy’s go-to blonde technician was spirited away. (After all, Naomi Putman’s highlights are still shiny. So colorists are around.)

That said, it’s probably just meant as a nod to the character’s mental state. Still, I have to wonder if there’s some kind of conspiracy theory at play.

Watch The Handmaid's Tale on Hulu