Spoilers The Handmaid's Tale (TV series)

[Timewalker]

I won't get to see this until Sunday, but I've already seen bits and pieces on a couple of the YT review videos I subscribe to.

There's an edition of the novel that came out years ago with the front cover image being of a woman with the ring-piercings through her mouth. Maybe that's where they got the idea to do this.

 

[Amaris]

Honestly, I'm surprised how shocked June is to learn that Nick was part of the armed rebellion for Gilead's uprising. Even if he never mentioned, it seemed fairly obvious by his original posting and eventual rise in power that he had a part of that uprising. While disappointing, I'm also not surprised he didn't say anything of consequence to the Swiss (presumably, since we didn't see it). What is surprising is the Swiss' willingness to aid Gilead. Is Gilead's military so powerful that it would cause the Swiss to waver in their morality, regardless of their neutrality?

I nearly vomited during the scene at the Winslow home when all of the commander's children came running in, all different ages and ethnicities. It was a silent reminder that underneath of this polite and happy home, a lot of rape and violence has occurred. And that's before we meet the newest Ofgeorge with her mouth sewn (or stapled?) shut behind close doors.

Intriguingly, Lydia seems deeply effected by Ofgeorge's current state of being. We briefly see her notice the muzzling with little reaction beyond slight curiosity, but later on she reveals to June after a little prodding that she doesn't like seeing her "girls" silenced and that she is undoubtedly horrified by what has happened to Ofgeorge. I was also taken aback just a bit by June's seemingly willingness to wear the gag and polite request for Lydia to help her put it on. However, on a side note, I thought it was a bit weird how easily June was able to pull it down at the Lincoln Memorial considering how tight and secure it looked when Lydia clasped it shut.

For all of the cruelty presented by this show, I continue to love the way the show is shot. The imagery in this episode is especially striking: The recreation of last episode climatic scene but now at Commander Winslow's house, the framing of June with the giant angel wings (which contrasts nicely with the shot of Daenerys with Drogon in the Game of Thrones series finale), the extreme shallow depth-of-field, close-up shot of June in the foreground and Serena approaching (and later departing) in the background, the countless bird's eye view perspectives, and even Winslow's not-so-subtle power play when he shoved his ass in Fred's face during the pool game.

Speaking of Winslow, I loved the casting of Christopher Meloni. He doesn't get much to do here, but he clearly demonstrated a quiet lordship of every scene through the mask of niceties. His mere presence always made look Fred look small and weak, especially at the end of the pool scene while Fred leaned forward for his shot. Meloni will always be known for his fiery characters thanks to Special Victims Unit and Oz and that reputation elevates his performance here even if we only see the softer, kinder side. It's almost a warning of what could come if one (or particularly Fred) crosses him in any regard.

As much as I loved the shouting match between June and Serena, clearly establishing once and for all where Serena's loyalties and "compassion" lie, I was somewhat taken out of the scene because I found it hard to believe no one notice or hear the two of them going at each other, especially when see moments later the large crowd in front of the steps. Not Fred, not any of the Guardians, no one? I loved the confrontation (and I dearly hope June will finally accept that Serena will never truly help her), but I found that part unbelievable. Yeah, suspension of belief and all that, but it was a little hard to swallow with the loud echoing.

Lastly, my already-shattered heart broke even further at the sight of the Lincoln Memorial smashed and desecrated. It's not a surprise Gilead would loathe a man who championed freedom for a group of people, but it was still hard to see.

This. I had hope for Serena, but it's clear that she has chosen her side, and that side is her own selfishness. I still have a twinge of compassion for her, because I understand her need to have a daughter, but June is absolutely right. It's beyond love, it's obsession, to have for the sake of having. Serena's idea of love is twisted, and we get that insight into her mind a moment later when she tells June she wishes she'd have put a ring in her mouth when they first met. In short, by that sentence alone, Serena doesn't just see these as necessary evils, she approves of them for control. She is just as much a fascist as her husband, as the masters of Gilead. She is part and parcel with it, the cruelty, the hatred, the violence, the slavery, the rape, the death and the fear, she doesn't just abide by it for religious reasons, she actively seeks it as punitive. She is willing to be Magda Goebbels to get what she wants.

As for Nick, his turn saddened me. I had hoped he was, perhaps, a man who regretted his decision, and was fighting to free people as discreetly as he could, but no, it turns out he's a lot like the other men, when given a taste for power and influence, he readily accepts it at the cost of so many innocent lives. His love of June was for his selfish purposes, and not for the liberation of women and children from Gilead.

Speaking of that contemporary Sodom, the atmosphere of Gilead's capital is so dark. It feels like you're standing in the dark heart of the Third Reich. There is an oppressive blackness everywhere, light is suffused with it. It is the twisted iron throne of evil. Look at it and think of the blood being spilled, the lives being destroyed, the crushed souls of women enslaved in order to maintain it. I have no greater desire than to see it burn to the ground.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Aunt Lydia may have not have gotten her Handmaids to stone Janine to death but she has gotten them to do collective hangings instead. First time we saw it, the moment was cold, harden. As if it was a moment for them all to get pass through and then they can bury it inside themselves, like all of the other dark sins Gilead has done to them and made them do.

But the second time, it was personal. Not just for June, but also for everyone involved with Mayday and the Martha network. June pushed, perhaps too hard, for another opportunity to see Hannah and as a result, she accidentally compromised Frances because of Ofmatthew's spying for Lydia.

Right up until Ofmatthew started spouting her "you're free now!" nonsense, I was still uncertain about where psyche laid, even after the mixed-bag conversation with June earlier in the episode. But when she confessed to June about her spying, all became clear. She may have her reservations about certain things, she's doing everything she can to do survive and if that means spying on her fellow handmaid's so be it. She may even actually believe some of the bullshit she spouts.

To make it even worse, June's conversation with Frances was ultimately a fruitless one. Not only did she endanger Eleanor's mental health by manipulating her into going on walk with June and enforcing a confrontation at Hannah's school, June didn't get to see Hannah. Yes, we got that beautiful moment of June listening to the children play from just the other side of the wall, but was it all worth it for that one moment? Perhaps June would say yes, at least in that moment.

Despite risking Eleanor's mental health, June did discover just a hint of light for Eleanor as she did waken up from her enforced stupor during their walk. But it still came with a risk, first with Naomi and then at the school. And yet, some light and hope for Eleanor, one which she strove to convince Joseph of. Which brings us to the show's other enigmatic character. I was certain he would be furious with June for her actions and would yell and scream at her after he got Eleanor settled back into her dark, empty room. But I was wrong and I'm grateful for that. He seemed to consider June's point that perhaps he is smoldering Eleanor too much.

Lastly, I love the new pairing between Moira and Emily. While Emily has struggled to reenter into a relatively normal life with Sylvia at her side (albeit at a respectful distance), Emily has waken up a little thanks to her bonding with Moira over mutual traumas. They go to a righteous protest and get arrested for their efforts, leading to Emily confessing to Moira something she hasn't told Sylvia: She killed a Commander's wife in the Colonies. Moira reciprocated by telling Emily that Moira killed a Commander even though she didn't have to. Gilead may have made them do terrible things, Moira points out, but they aren't those same people now that they're free.

(I pretty much tuned out all of Serena's and Fred's scenes so I have absolutely nothing to comment about)

This. I had hope for Serena, but it's clear that she has chosen her side, and that side is her own selfishness. I still have a twinge of compassion for her, because I understand her need to have a daughter, but June is absolutely right. It's beyond love, it's obsession, to have for the sake of having. Serena's idea of love is twisted, and we get that insight into her mind a moment later when she tells June she wishes she'd have put a ring in her mouth when they first met. In short, by that sentence alone, Serena doesn't just see these as necessary evils, she approves of them for control. She is just as much a fascist as her husband, as the masters of Gilead. She is part and parcel with it, the cruelty, the hatred, the violence, the slavery, the rape, the death and the fear, she doesn't just abide by it for religious reasons, she actively seeks it as punitive. She is willing to be Magda Goebbels to get what she wants.

Yup, exactly that. Serena is a terrible person and I really, really wish the show would finally accept this fact and stop trying to get us to feel sorry for her. She had her chance for redemption several times over and she failed each time.

Speaking of Goebbels and the Nazis, there was one thing I forgot to mention (and it actually involved Serena): When Olivia showed Serena one of the few remaining unconverted houses, I was suddenly reminded of how the Nazi's stole Jewish property and claimed it for their own. They may have hated the Jews, but that didn't stop them from enjoying the riches they stole and Gilead is doing exactly the same thing. I was deeply disturbed to see this house, untouched by Gilead and preserved in dust of a life of the past. My heart especially wept thinking about where Phoebe might be now.

 

[Amaris]

Aunt Lydia may have not have gotten her Handmaids to stone Janine to death but she has gotten them to do collective hangings instead. First time we saw it, the moment was cold, harden. As if it was a moment for them all to get pass through and then they can bury it inside themselves, like all of the other dark sins Gilead has done to them and made them do.

But the second time, it was personal. Not just for June, but also for everyone involved with Mayday and the Martha network. June pushed, perhaps too hard, for another opportunity to see Hannah and as a result, she accidentally compromised Frances because of Ofmatthew's spying for Lydia.

Right up until Ofmatthew started spouting her "you're free now!" nonsense, I was still uncertain about where psyche laid, even after the mixed-bag conversation with June earlier in the episode. But when she confessed to June about her spying, all became clear. She may have her reservations about certain things, she's doing everything she can to do survive and if that means spying on her fellow handmaid's so be it. She may even actually believe some of the bullshit she spouts.

To make it even worse, June's conversation with Frances was ultimately a fruitless one. Not only did she endanger Eleanor's mental health by manipulating her into going on walk with June and enforcing a confrontation at Hannah's school, June didn't get to see Hannah. Yes, we got that beautiful moment of June listening to the children play from just the other side of the wall, but was it all worth it for that one moment? Perhaps June would say yes, at least in that moment.

Despite risking Eleanor's mental health, June did discover just a hint of light for Eleanor as she did waken up from her enforced stupor during their walk. But it still came with a risk, first with Naomi and then at the school. And yet, some light and hope for Eleanor, one which she strove to convince Joseph of. Which brings us to the show's other enigmatic character. I was certain he would be furious with June for her actions and would yell and scream at her after he got Eleanor settled back into her dark, empty room. But I was wrong and I'm grateful for that. He seemed to consider June's point that perhaps he is smoldering Eleanor too much.

Lastly, I love the new pairing between Moira and Emily. While Emily has struggled to reenter into a relatively normal life with Sylvia at her side (albeit at a respectful distance), Emily has waken up a little thanks to her bonding with Moira over mutual traumas. They go to a righteous protest and get arrested for their efforts, leading to Emily confessing to Moira something she hasn't told Sylvia: She killed a Commander's wife in the Colonies. Moira reciprocated by telling Emily that Moira killed a Commander even though she didn't have to. Gilead may have made them do terrible things, Moira points out, but they aren't those same people now that they're free.

(I pretty much tuned out all of Serena's and Fred's scenes so I have absolutely nothing to comment about)


Yup, exactly that. Serena is a terrible person and I really, really wish the show would finally accept this fact and stop trying to get us to feel sorry for her. She had her chance for redemption several times over and she failed each time.

Speaking of Goebbels and the Nazis, there was one thing I forgot to mention (and it actually involved Serena): When Olivia showed Serena one of the few remaining unconverted houses, I was suddenly reminded of how the Nazi's stole Jewish property and claimed it for their own. They may have hated the Jews, but that didn't stop them from enjoying the riches they stole and Gilead is doing exactly the same thing. I was deeply disturbed to see this house, untouched by Gilead and preserved in dust of a life of the past. My heart especially wept thinking about where Phoebe might be now.

Firstly, sorry for missing the past few weeks and not getting back with you for the other posts. I've been so busy, but I shotgunned three episodes today and am now caught up. My poor, poor psyche is wounded from nearly 3 hours of Gilead, though. *whew*

Anyway, yes! I'm so glad you mentioned the scene in the unmodernized house. It was like walking through a mausoleum. It felt like just being there was an obscenity, and they were just stomping all over these people's lives. Goddess only knows what happened to them. Dead by now, I'd imagine, save for the woman who is likely a handmaid and the child who is in some kind of education facility. If the producers are pushing for a Nazi Germany vibe for Gilead, they've fucking nailed it. From the way the women are treated via the directive of Kinder, Küche, Kirche (children, kitchen, church), to the aesthetic they've chosen to represent them (dark reds and blacks, formidable, austere stone buildings, sigils and symbols being birds of prey), and how they treat those they find inferior. It's a fantastic allegory, and updated for modern audiences. I think what scares me the most is how authentic it feels. I feel that we could easily head this way ourselves, and that we're one major disaster (real, imagined, or designed) from something like that happening (maybe we already are and have been for some time).

I really like Eleanor. She clearly dislikes the system, and she's saddened by the change in her husband. Joseph, for his part, is enigmatic to me. If I had to guess, I'd say he approves of the system, but not the brutality it engenders. Like he designed the economy on the backs of slaves, but isn't really comfortable with it, so he helps here and there to offset the burden on his conscience. I don't know, he may turn, he may not. Humans are so complex it's hard to pin them down. Rarely are people truly evil on purpose. It's little actions here and there that build into consequences that kill, maim, and destroy. Still, at the end of the day, he is the one responsible for part of what is taking place, and is the one to be held culpable for making it work.

I was frustrated that June's plan failed, even though Eleanor tried so hard to help, and that "school" is insane! It looks more like a prison, and have no doubt that's exactly what it is. Nothing in Gilead is what it appears to be, aside from the blatant brutality and evil of its vision. It tries to cloak itself in righteousness and purity, but we can see right through that, but then we have the benefit of being outside the system.

As for Emily and Moira, yeah, they make a great pair. I was cheering them on the whole time they were protesting those cowardly bastards. They were asking the very same questions I have been (regarding the U.S. in real life, BTW) to why we negotiate with regimes who seek to murder and oppress, and then we call it diplomacy. It's appeasement, and we do it because money. The ladies know this, they know this is about optics. "We don't want to look bad" is a shitty excuse to let women and children die in slavery, so they shroud it in "it's complicated." We're seeing this in real life right now. So I think this show touches on not just what could happen if we're not careful, but what is happening right now as we speak, that we have to open our eyes and ears, that we need to ask the big questions and hold people's feet to the fire until we get the right answers.

I want Emily and Sylvia to work things out. I love that Sylvia completely understands Emily did what she had to do to survive. I hate that anyone should die, but if a slave kills their master in order to obtain their freedom, then I cannot fault that (former) slave for the killing. They have a right to be free. They have human rights, and when a system of oppression is put into place to quell the freedoms of the most vulnerable, it must be eradicated from within and without.

Man, those three episodes really got me going.

I do wonder if we'll ever meet the head honcho. the man in charge, Gilead's version of Adolf Hitler.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Firstly, sorry for missing the past few weeks and not getting back with you for the other posts. I've been so busy, but I shotgunned three episodes today and am now caught up. My poor, poor psyche is wounded from nearly 3 hours of Gilead, though. *whew*

Oh, my gods, you poor soul! I love binging a lot of shows, but this one show I'll never binge. I hope you had some good alcohol while watching. Ugh.

Anyway, yes! I'm so glad you mentioned the scene in the unmodernized house. It was like walking through a mausoleum. It felt like just being there was an obscenity, and they were just stomping all over these people's lives. Goddess only knows what happened to them. Dead by now, I'd imagine, save for the woman who is likely a handmaid and the child who is in some kind of education facility. If the producers are pushing for a Nazi Germany vibe for Gilead, they've fucking nailed it. From the way the women are treated via the directive of Kinder, Küche, Kirche (children, kitchen, church), to the aesthetic they've chosen to represent them (dark reds and blacks, formidable, austere stone buildings, sigils and symbols being birds of prey), and how they treat those they find inferior. It's a fantastic allegory, and updated for modern audiences. I think what scares me the most is how authentic it feels. I feel that we could easily head this way ourselves, and that we're one major disaster (real, imagined, or designed) from something like that happening (maybe we already are and have been for some time).

Yup, all of that. The violation of walking through that home even though the family are either dead, raped, enslaved, or brainwashed. Such a quiet moment yet so damn sickening. It was the same feeling I felt when I visited Auschwitz even if that place was always created for evil.

I really like Eleanor. She clearly dislikes the system, and she's saddened by the change in her husband. Joseph, for his part, is enigmatic to me. If I had to guess, I'd say he approves of the system, but not the brutality it engenders. Like he designed the economy on the backs of slaves, but isn't really comfortable with it, so he helps here and there to offset the burden on his conscience. I don't know, he may turn, he may not. Humans are so complex it's hard to pin them down. Rarely are people truly evil on purpose. It's little actions here and there that build into consequences that kill, maim, and destroy. Still, at the end of the day, he is the one responsible for part of what is taking place, and is the one to be held culpable for making it work.

That's a great read on the character and that's more or less what I see, too. I can only hope he finds his way back to good, where Serena has failed horribly.

I was frustrated that June's plan failed, even though Eleanor tried so hard to help, and that "school" is insane! It looks more like a prison, and have no doubt that's exactly what it is. Nothing in Gilead is what it appears to be, aside from the blatant brutality and evil of its vision. It tries to cloak itself in righteousness and purity, but we can see right through that, but then we have the benefit of being outside the system.

Yeah, a prison. That's exactly what I thought as I saw the bird's eye perspective. And you're right about Gilead cloaking itself from its evil. That's how Serena was at the beginning of the series, trying to convince herself that she was doing good while knowing the evil existed just a layer lower (if that far down).

As for Emily and Moira, yeah, they make a great pair. I was cheering them on the whole time they were protesting those cowardly bastards. They were asking the very same questions I have been (regarding the U.S. in real life, BTW) to why we negotiate with regimes who seek to murder and oppress, and then we call it diplomacy. It's appeasement, and we do it because money. The ladies know this, they know this is about optics. "We don't want to look bad" is a shitty excuse to let women and children die in slavery, so they shroud it in "it's complicated." We're seeing this in real life right now. So I think this show touches on not just what could happen if we're not careful, but what is happening right now as we speak, that we have to open our eyes and ears, that we need to ask the big questions and hold people's feet to the fire until we get the right answers.

Money speaks the worst volumes, both in fiction and in reality and it disgusts me every day and it has since I was in high school.

I want Emily and Sylvia to work things out. I love that Sylvia completely understands Emily did what she had to do to survive. I hate that anyone should die, but if a slave kills their master in order to obtain their freedom, then I cannot fault that (former) slave for the killing. They have a right to be free. They have human rights, and when a system of oppression is put into place to quell the freedoms of the most vulnerable, it must be eradicated from within and without.

Yup, I loved that so much. We haven't gotten much of Sylvia this season beyond the episode where Emily was reunited with their son (even then, it was limited), so while I love what we've gotten so far, I want so much more. And not just because she's played by Clea Duvall.

I do wonder if we'll ever meet the head honcho. the man in charge, Gilead's version of Adolf Hitler.

It feels like we keep getting closer, what with Commander Winslow's introduction.

 

[Timewalker]

Aunt Lydia may have not have gotten her Handmaids to stone Janine to death but she has gotten them to do collective hangings instead.

Hm. Is this like the scene in the movie where there's a Salvaging and the other handmaids are all required to pull on the rope that ends in a noose around one of their fellow handmaids' neck? (her crime was for "fornication with a member of the medical profession")

I'm concerned about how the Canadian government is portrayed in this series. The current RL government would never cooperate with Gilead, at least not unless there were nukes pointed at us and tanks ready to roll over the border. So if the in-series government is cooperating with them when the situation is not this dire, it suggests to me that there's been an election in Canada and the Reformacons (or whatever they might call their right-wing/religious federal party in this setting) win. That's the party where ex-federal ministers are fanning out into other political settings and happily undoing whatever they can of the advances made in women's rights, LGBT rights, and so on.

 

[DEWLine]

There probably are nukes pointed at "Handmaid-verse" Canada. No matter who's running the show in Ottawa right now.

 

[Timewalker]

There probably are nukes pointed at "Handmaid-verse" Canada. No matter who's running the show in Ottawa right now.

But would they use them? Gilead can't control the wind and air currents. They'd poison themselves all over again.

 

[Awesome Possum]

But would they use them? Gilead can't control the wind and air currents. They'd poison themselves all over again.

Several cities like Los Angeles have been at least implied to have been nuked based on a map of Gilead.

 

[Timewalker]

Several cities like Los Angeles have been at least implied to have been nuked based on a map of Gilead.

Yes, which is why I said they would poison themselves AGAIN.

If snow and cold air can cross the border from Canada, there's certainly nothing to keep radioactive fallout from crossing the border.

 

[Shawnster]

Yes, which is why I said they would poison themselves AGAIN.

If snow and cold air can cross the border from Canada, there's certainly nothing to keep radioactive fallout from crossing the border.

Then more conventional means would be used. The implication was made either this week or last that Canada sees in its best interest to maintain peaceful relations with all neighbors. So the implied threat of invasion is there.

That being said I can't believe the idea of treaty and extradition would have reached as far as it has on the show. It really looks like it could go either way.

 

[DEWLine]

Already used - per the map we've seen - at these places (roughly eye-balled):
- southern Missouri, near West Plains
- Arizona, near Phoenix
- halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego
- Santa Maria/San Luis Obispo region, California

 

[The Nth Doctor]

One of the biggest complaints I've seen from critics I often agree with about this show (especially after season 1) is how there seems to be little to no real consequences for June's radical behavior, only enforcing the dystopian rules when it fits the story instead of following with the reality of the situation.

Perhaps that's changing now. First, because of June's involvement with Frances lead to Frances' execution, the Mackenzie's have moved away with Hannah, further separating June from her one true goal. Later, Aunt Lydia decides she's had enough of June's rebellion streak and has decided to move June out of the relative safety of the Lawrence home.

Or perhaps not. Almost immediately after discovering Hannah is moving to a new location, far from her, June turns the tables of Lydia's little shamefest and directs them squarely on Ofmatthew as an act of revenge for Ofmatthew's part in Frances' death. It was a cold and cruel and callous moment...and June revelled in it. And then June kept verbally and emotionally pushing Ofmatthew right up until the moment Ofmatthew finally snapped. But it's not June who suffers, nor Lydia (although for the briefest of moments, I thought Lydia was a goner, pulling a LOST), but instead it's poor Janine, the one handmaid who didn't punish Ofmatthew and tried to show her empathy. And ultimately, Ofmatthew suffered the most.

Will June suffer the consequences of pushing Ofmatthew over the edge, which Lydia is fully aware of? Perhaps. Or perhaps not.

Meanwhile, we finally get the long-awaited deep dive into Lydia's past in extended flashbacks that covered a small period of time while she was elementary teacher. We see her befriend Noelle and her son, Ryan, after one school day Noelle is very late in picking him up and the two quickly bond over their mutual love for Ryan. Through that bonding, Noelle pushes Lydia to try dating again after an unsuccessful marriage and Lydia finds herself going out on a lovely date with Jim, the principal of her school.

The whole time during the flashbacks, I kept bracing hard for the other shoe to drop, for the inevitable moment where Lydia lashes out at either Noelle or Jim for pushing her too far, whether its Noelle's cursing in front of Ryan, Noelle's prolific dating, Noelle's insistence on make-up (however light), Jim's insistence on champagne, or Jim dragging her out onto the karaoke stage (I really thought that was going to be the one). What happened instead surprised me: It was Lydia who moved too quickly for Jim while they were kissing. Unfortunately, Jim's gentle rejection of her for going too fast was enough to cause Lydia to completely shut down emotionally again, first rejecting Jim's overtures of continuing their relationship at a smaller pace and then in an act that is all too familiar with present day Lydia, she cruelly turns against Noelle and all the affection she showed Lydia by calling child services on her and Ryan, all for the sake of the child.

On a side note, this is the second show this week that has weirded me out with a baby, following Legion, and Handmaid's Tale was far worse with the dead baby.

 

[Shawnster]

Will June suffer the consequences of pushing Ofmatthew over the edge, which Lydia is fully aware of? Perhaps. Or perhaps not.

Or will Aunt Lydia suffer at the hands of the government because her girls keep turning into failures. June, Emily, Lillie (OfGlen), OfMatthew. All are Lydia's girls. All are disappointments. OfGlenn bombed a center, Emily stabbed Lydia then subsequently escaped, OfMatthew went berserk and killed a guard, maybe killed a Janine, and attempted to kill Lydia.

Will the authorities see it as June pushing OfMatthew to the breaking point? Really it's only Lydia who knows this. June didn't even say one word during the scene at Loaves and Fishes. All the eyewitnesses will say OfJoseph stood there in the line of fire.

Yes, as difficult as it is, and as much as we sympathize with June, her selfishness, for lack of a better word, is getting a lot of people killed. I can understand her desire to see Hannah. I can't blame her. Maybe I'd do the same in her situation. Her efforts to simply see Hannah have resulted in the deaths of several innocent people, as well as the stress caused to Commander Lawrence's wife.

June can only play the "you need me so I can do anything I want" card for so long. As Nth Doctor said, it's like the government is turning a blind eye to her rebellion. She would have been punished by now. She's not even pregnant, so there is no risk of trauma to a baby. Fingers cut off, circumcision, even a ring in her mouth could all be simple choices in retaliation to her rebellion. June is increasingly reckless.

 

[Timewalker]

She's not even pregnant, so there is no risk of trauma to a baby. Fingers cut off, circumcision, even a ring in her mouth could all be simple choices in retaliation to her rebellion. June is increasingly reckless.

She could be pregnant. There was that "goodbye" she had with Nick, so if she happened to conceive, I foresee hearty congratulations being offered to Commander Lawrence, who would have to go along with it, or admit that he hadn't been making June go through the monthly Ceremony.

 

[Shawnster]

There is that. And maybe they could pull that rabbit out of the hat.

I suspect the Nicole storyline wraps up this season and they will need to leave something open for next. If there is a next

 

[Amaris]

I think June has lost all hope. Her behavior is very much that of a hopeless person who puts themselves into danger because they have been through so much, their lives have been shattered so many times, their emotions are raw, and they either want it to end, or they want to cause as much chaos and confusion as possible in a last ditch effort to break the system that tried to break them. Now that Hannah is nowhere to be found, June pretty much has a death wish, and I don't think I can fault her for that. She can only see those who have increasingly brought her, and the people she loves, great harm. She wants them gone. Vengeance is hers, since the Lord seems a little busy allowing an entire class of people to be tortured in perpetual subjugation in his name.

As for the Lydia story, I imagined she would be a very fundamentally religious person. She's also someone who has low self-esteem, finds men to be troublesome (she's right about this one), and thinks she's better off alone. Clearly, the one time she tries to open up she is rebuffed, and even though Jim is in his full right to do so, for Lydia it's a sign that romantic love is not to be hers, and her heart and mind adjusts accordingly.

She loves children, of that I have no doubt, but she is less forgiving of those she considers enablers, people of low morality, and that makes her exceedingly dangerous, because the world of Gilead is one she undoubtedly supports. Unlike most of the men, the women who went into the system with eyes wide open, Lydia is a dyed-in-the-wool believer. She is an acolyte, and they are truly terrifying when given power over others.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

"Scenes From a Hospital Room, or How June Rediscovered Her Humanity."

"Heroic" (bland title, I prefer my own) is perhaps the most riveting and thoughtful episode the show has had since season 1. While season 3 has been choppy and strange particularly in its depiction of June and her moral decay, it has finally served a purpose. June's isolation in Natalie's ICU room, forced to pray for Natalie's baby (but no one cares about Natalie), pushed June's mental health to the edge of self-destruction. Lost to nothing but her own despairing thoughts (and a Belinda Carlisle earworm that won't go away), June nearly convinced herself to kill Natalie and her baby, believing that she would be doing them a kindness (while also still loathing Natalie for what she did to Frances). Only the convenient appearance of Janine manages to stay her but only barely and not enough to turn over the scalpel to Janine (who demonstrated that she still has some coherent reasoning left in her).

It's only after a botched attempt to attack Serena that June finally gets some solace from an unexpected source: The doctor charged with the care of Natalie's baby (but, again, not Natalie). He quickly realized that June's actions had been a desperate attempt at suicide because any direct attacks at a wife or a pregnant woman would get even June sent to the Wall. And at last, June admits to herself that she has been truly cruel in recent weeks and not just towards Natalie, resulting from the despair that she may never see her daughters again.

After a forced, but necessary C-section operation, June prepared to depart from the hospital and Natalie, but on her way out, she encountered a young pubescent girl who, if only incidentally, reminded June of the next level of horror Gilead has for its women: Preparing the next generation of women to become incubators for their babies, or as Serena put it, "just a means to an end." But it's not the end. The cycle will continue on and on unless someone stops it.

This leads to one the one misstep for the whole episode for me: While I loved June's empowering promise to a comatose Natalie left to slowly die, the speech comes off as if June only just realized that she needs to rebel and save the children from the horrors of Gilead, even if she doesn't know how the hell she will accomplish such a feat. As if this isn't the exact same position June held at the end of last season (even if it wasn't entirely clear at the time). I mean, of course that needs to be done so why does that need to be emphasized again? I get that this is part of June's journey in rediscovering her humanity, but the moment didn't quite land for me despite Moss' riveting performance.

And seriously, no matter anyone's criticisms against this season (or the show at large since moving past Atwood's novel), Moss continues to act on a level that few others ever achieve. The shots of her face as she looked from side to side, lost in her own thoughts, are absolutely breath-taking to watch. June may or may not be sympathetic anymore, even with her refound humanity, but it will always be a pleasure and privilege to watch Moss portray the character.

 

[Timewalker]

This leads to one the one misstep for the whole episode for me: While I loved June's empowering promise to a comatose Natalie left to slowly die, the speech comes off as if June only just realized that she needs to rebel and save the children from the horrors of Gilead, even if she doesn't know how the hell she will accomplish such a feat. As if this isn't the exact same position June held at the end of last season (even if it wasn't entirely clear at the time). I mean, of course that needs to be done so why does that need to be emphasized again? I get that this is part of June's journey in rediscovering her humanity, but the moment didn't quite land for me despite Moss' riveting performance.

It's mindcroggling how so many people posting on YouTube reviewers' pages are whining that this episode is "boring" because "nothing happens" and they're "done with the show."

There's a lot going on in this episode, but so many people seem to need someone to get shot to think that anything happens. And these are the same people ranting and whining that "June is getting all the black people killed and everyone else hurt".

Hello, no she isn't. These other characters have the choice of what they say and do. June is not some evil puppetmaster, gleefully getting her fellow handmaids hurt, Marthas killed, etc.

As for getting the children out, this represents a shift in June's long-term goal. At first she tried to get herself out. Then she ended up pregnant and had a baby to think of. And she also realized, from what happened to Eden, that Gilead wouldn't be safe for Hannah. So she adjusted her goal to getting her daughters out - and succeeded with one of them and tried for the other... and it didn't work.

June then experienced despair that drove her to act more and more harsh, and more prone to take her anger out on everyone around her.

This time she realized that it's the children who need to be gotten out - all of them, not just her own, and this would definitely hurt Gilead - because all the pain and torture is supposedly worth it for the sake of the children... and without the children, what's left as the excuse for all this?

 

[Amaris]

"Heroic" is a fantastic episode, and the moment June has her crucible moment. She is hopeless, careless, and hateful. She wants to end Natalie's life (what there is of it) and the life of the fetus in order to protect it from what would be to come. I am glad Janine was there, as I adore Janine and my heart breaks for her every time I see her. She manages to talk June down, though I don't think anyone could have made June hand over that scalpel. She was still on a mission. The moment where she tries to stab Serena is where she has her nervous breakdown and burns herself out. It did not bother me one iota when she made the attempt, because Serena is just as complicit as any man, because she knows what she is doing, and the blood is just as thick on her hands as any of her male counterparts.

When Serena goes to get the doctor, saying June has a killer's mind, June has burned herself out completely, and was likely waiting for death. Instead, thanks to the mercy and compassion of a doctor who outside of Gilead would otherwise be a truly good man, June regains herself, and her hopes rise again like that of a phoenix. In short, he's managed to widen her scope beyond herself, her daughter, and the immediate future.


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SPOILERS BELOW FOR S03E10 "WITNESS"
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So Fred's got a taste for D.C. power and the lifestyle. He's been implementing new changes in their rancid little section of Gilead, making everything more uniform. We knew it was only a matter of time before what we saw in the capital would become mandatory for everyone else. The silence rings will be coming, that's for certain, as Winslow shows his disappointment that they're not yet implemented. When he asks June about Commander Lawrence, he downright sneers at her usage of "respect" in her description of his behavior towards her, because of course she's a woman, a handmaid, for her respect is above that station. It's clear that Winslow doesn't just consider women beneath him, he actively dislikes them. He hates women, and I doubt he is the end result of that hatred. I imagine their dear leader, whomever that may be, far surpasses Winslow in his hatred of women everywhere. I still wonder if we'll see him this season.

I was so relieved when we got to see Mrs. Lawrence, because I like her so much, and my heart goes out to her. I clapped when she took June downstairs to find the Red Center documents. The whole time, though, I was worried she would revert to whatever mental state causes her to have such terrible reactions to others. I'm also glad to find that Joseph himself is facing so much hardship. He should. He helped create this system, and he deserves every punishment coming to him. That said, his wife shouldn't have to pay for it, none of the women caught up in the system should have to pay for it. Still, for all of his many faults, he does love his wife.

Fred has sunk to a new low, and you'd think Fred couldn't really sink much lower, but I've found that men can often dig holes and create lows one would never have imagined possible. Here he proves it by making his political play against Joseph Lawrence, because it's not enough he crush women, he wants to crush everyone in his rise to power, because let's not fool ourselves (as if we're fooled anyway), this is all about control. Fred wants more control. He doesn't love his wife, he loves using her. He doesn't love the baby, he loves using it. He doesn't love June, he loves exploiting her. All he loves is power, and now he sees golden opportunities to consolidate great power, and the act against the Lawrences was the first major push to take what he believes is rightfully his.

So now Joseph is being monitored to ensure he's engaging in the ceremony. Poor Mrs. Lawrence is crushed because Joseph promised he would never engage in it, and now he has to break it. He is no longer free of Gilead's oppressive control. He's no longer the mastermind of its economy, but now is a slave of its culture. That he realizes this is good, and that he promises the truck to June as long as she helps smuggle his wife out of Gilead is even better. She's got the truck, and is working on a plan of action to take every child stolen and return them home. It's a colossal task, and it only makes sense she asks the Marthas for help.

So the noose tightens just a little more, as the power of Gilead fully takes control of the bedroom for even the Commanders. Fred is playing a dangerous game now, one he seems confident is his to win. Serena goes along with it to present her united front, but she does know Fred has been using the baby as leverage to gain power and influence with Winslow, and she confronts him about it. She's even willing to have an American kidnap the baby, which again shows she has long since become a part of the fabric of power that Gilead uses to smother the rights of women. Fred agrees, but we know he's going to stall, because the longer he stalls, the more favor he gains from Winslow, and I have no doubt Fred will eventually cast Serena aside if she becomes nothing but a stumbling block in his path to greater power.

On a side note, the scene where June tells Janine that her son Caleb was with a new family in California, living on the beach, rather than that he was killed in a car accident was a relief. Seeing Janine's face show happiness at the prospect her son would be okay was uplifting. That poor woman has been through so much, learning her son was dead would have killed her. Chalk one up for small mercies.

The final scene where June walks into the Lawrence kitchen to see a table full of muffins (which mean yes, the Martha network is on board to get the children out) and says "we're going to need a bigger boat," was fantastic. I hooted. Now the real work begins. Time to bring all of the children home. This episode did well to highlight how much worse Gilead is about to become (as hard as that is to imagine), and to give us a desperately needed ray of hope in that June's going to become the Harriet Tubman of Gilead.