After wasting precious hours watching the "Sons of Anarchy" in full out of a misplaced sense of finishing what was started even if it was not worth it, I vowed to never repeat the exercise ever.
So, after most of the first season I bid adieu.
Moss almost sparkles - especially when she is flirting and the imagery is part spectacular and part comic absurdity.
But I just like I would never watch a drama about ISIS, I refuse to pander any further to this.
The Brits are good doing short series that are memorable. While one understands the profit motive in milking a hit, sometimes less is more.
1
It was a ridiculous end. Another example of writers writing themselves into a box, and then suddenly not. The show should have ended. No third season is needed nor desired. I won’t watch another episode after that ending. It was a disingenuous conclusion contrived for only one purpose: more episodes. Why can’t networks let a good thing end while it’s still a good thing instead of dragging it on until it’s rotten and stinky. This is an example of not being worthy of recommendation. Read the book; don’t watch this. It’s not worth you’re time.
5
The ending jerked me right out of Gilead into TV land character assassination.
2
Great recap. I agree on all counts.
1
What everyone seems to forget is Season 2 gave us the back story on June and her mother. June's reluctance to be a part of her Mother's "resistance." That was her mother's thing and all she wanted to do was be a wife and mother. June is evolving, into her mother's daughter. She has seen the lessons of resistance growing up and will use them in the future. After all the horror I hope to see Gilead burn to the ground.
2
The artistry in the way this series is filmed enraptures me. Each scene as a still could be a museum quality piece of art. The lighting is impeccable and so defines the subtext of each shot. This paired with the bizarre subject matter and haunting music makes for an multi-sensory masterpiece.
I do hope that these production artists are recognized come award season. Can't help but reference Edward Gorey when considering the visual aspects of this series. I look forward to season 3 and hope the artistry is not diluted.
6
The writers of this show are unimaginative and risk-averse. I truly believe they don't know they are doing. It's clear that June is determined to avenge Serena by taking down Fred. But then what? A more powerful and rousing ending would have been for Serena to escape with June and for the two of them to join forces, to use Serena's knowledge of the inner workings of Gilead, to lead the resistance. At the very least, we would have had some scenes from outside the gloomy Gilead. Instead, the finale left everyone unsatisfied and me throwing my remote across the room at the stupidity of it all.
1
@Michael
Surely you recognize that the plot points you enumerate could well play out over the early beats or indeed whole third season. The finale was so incident packed it could not sustain another. Serial demands set up and payoff, but rarely in the same episode. We are poised on a cliff, willing to hang for a great new adventure.
To be frank, I'm not so enthralled with Elisabeth Moss's performance. I mean, how far can a revolution fought with a smirk really go?
2
I believe next season Nick could threaten Fred to tell the authorities that Fred and Serena tried to get their daughter out of the country with the resistance. That's the only way to keep his mouth shut so he won't report Offred. So probably everyone will make up an excuse, although I find it hard to believe that the authorities will fall for another "kidnapping" again.
I do agree that the series is becoming repetitive with the escape attempt - getting caught - escape attempt - getting caught. I mean, the government would be stupid not to suspect that Offred is conspiring against Gilead. Which is why I hope she doesn't go back to the Waterfords. Wanted to see a resistance headquarters or something next season.
I disagree that Serena's character is too erratic. I think the show just wants to show that people are not all evil or all good. People are complex and ambiguous beings that are hard to understand. She tends to act with ambiguity because she IS indecisive about Gilead's politics and with her character development she finally comes to see that Gilead is no right place for a baby girl to grow up.
4
I think the real revelation in this final episode is that the Guardians are the real power in Gilead. If Nick can imprison Fred in his own house then we need to question who really rules the country. This would be something to explore in season 3.
3
And here I was hoping to see June infiltrating Gilead from Canada as
an underground special ops.
2
Why no nod to The Hunger Games - and to Philomela herself - on this cutting out of tongues business? Seems the reviewer and the commentators alike have forgotten these.
1
I was really angry with June's constant dilly-dallying and indecisiveness, and her stupidity in the final scene. But judging by the look on her face, I do believe she wants to do two things: 1. kill Fred. No more Fred and no more Offred. 2. Join the resistance.
I don’t believe the story of the run away lovers fits within the strictures of Gilead’s policy, Why would they execute a fertile 15 year old who was steeped in religious dogma? Why would she not be made a handmaid, because she committed adultery? Or sold off to Mexico to make babies there?
3
@L A Bradley, YES. this has been bugging me for weeks. They would have definitely made her a handmaid. They wouldn't waste a fertile young girl.
2
@DS Because they don't know if the 15 year old IS fertile. Handmaids are only those who have managed to bear children in the past 10 years. Vast majority of women/girls/men/boys in Gilead are infertile.
2
@Pete
And because they rule by humiliation and public shaming. One woman with sexual autonomy and unrepentant romantic agency threatens the caste system. Eden is more useful as a dead corpse on the wall.
1
Perils of Pauline.
(Without the humor.)
2
At the start of the 2nd season, I too was a bit dismayed about the prospect of weekly episodes featuring acts of brutality inflicted on captive handmaids. (The business of poor Ofglen, for example, who had her tongue cut out, immediately put me in mind of Pasolini's Salo, a film that certainly has political parallels to Handmaid's Tale, but needless to say, is not a particularly pleasant memory). There are shows I have stopped watching because I found them needlessly, gratuitously violent, but Handmaid's Tale is not one of them. In fact, I've enjoyed the show and have found it consistently inventive and surprising. I heartily disagree with Margaret Lyons that THT has become an exercise in torture porn, a thoroughly absurd charge that came off as a cheap shot. Anyone can plainly see that THT, aside from offering stellar production values, has something vastly more ambitious in mind. And that's why I keep watching each week and am looking forward to next season.
8
@Chris
Well said. Fully agree. The integrity of the storytelling is unimpeachable. Yes, it’s dark. So are Dickens, Tolstoy, and the Brontes.
2
The look on June's face in that closing shot of the episode told me that she fully intends to fight from within Gilead, not only to get Hannah back, but to overturn the entire order. She must feel confident enough that the resistance is viable, and that she can do more good from inside than from Canada. But then I thought, how would she be able to do this? Won't she face incredible consequences (death?) for smuggling a baby out of Gilead? Won't the Commanders tighten their grips? She knows she has Serena's support, but I don't imagine Fred will let this go. June had her pregnancy to hide behind when she last tried to escape; now she is much more vulnerable. What a choice to have to make - run away to freedom, but leave your daughter behind, or stay in Gilead and suffer who knows what consequences. I'm eager to see how this plays out in Season 3.
Alexis Bledel's performance in this episode was stunning - we know that Emily is not afraid to off anyone she sees as being part of "the system" (like the wife she poisoned earlier in the season) but the absolute terror she felt after she stabbed Aunt Lydia, and throughout the car ride with Lawrence, was palpable. Maybe next season we will see Emily working from the outside and June working from the inside, to defeat Gilead. I hope we learn more about Commander Lawrence, and backstory on Aunt Lydia is long overdue - I hope she survives and returns next season.
9
So Holly will now be called Nicole? As a tribute to Serena’s sacrifice? I too was skeptical that Serena would give up the baby, but she has been so systematically broken down this season, it’s not totally unbelievable. I just hope she figures out a way to keep some kind of upper hand with Fred. He’s such a weak person. His only power is in violence. And he seems afraid—afraid of Nick, for one, who don’t forget, is an “eye”—presumably a potential snitch on anything going wrong in the Waterford household. One of this character’s most revealing scenes was the vile, biblical rant he goes on after he and June do their face slapping. He hates women—reeeeeally hates women, which of course is what the whole Gilead society is about.
I was also disappointed that June didn’t leave. It seemed unrealistic. I certainly don’t see her heading back to the Waterford’s, but you never know—I didn’t think she’d be back there after the solo birth either. When she put her hood up, she was looking fierce and vengeful, a bit like the wolf a couple episodes ago. I think we can expect her to go ninja on everyone to get Hannah back, which may lead to some implausible silliness but could be kind of cool if we get to see a more extensive underground (so far, the resistance has looked pretty weak and ineffective and highly risky).
Looking forward to next season, in particular, finding out more about Lawrence—how do we really know what he masterminded? We only have hearsay from Lydia.
5
I found this season finale infuriating in its details. How many more times are the show runners going to make us believe that June running away will be accepted and cocooned over by the Waterfords? She had 2 previous escapes, and this time she took their precious baby, the be all and end all of the entire series. The only logical consequence of this will be Junes execution. But I doubt the upcoming series will start with that.
This baby is breastfed all day and night round, but June puts her in the car with Emily who can not breastfeed and without a single formula bottle (not available in Gilead).
Is there only one way out of Gilead to Canada? And if so, why is there not more security?
I feel this series was excellent in its first season, then this second season had good episodes and boring, stretched out ones, and became navel staring in same ways and schizophrenic in others (Commander Waterford switching between soft and evil for instance, the ways in which he and Serena keep taking June back in and seemingly trust her again, after all her scheming and lying to them). This show is rambling at the seams now. It feels like they needed this unbelievable finale twist, to milk the series out for another season; not because the story demands it, but because the production company most likely demanded it.
3
I agree on all counts. Emily's actions did not make sense, and could not be explained except that she seemed to have reached a breaking point which her surroundings had no impact on. As much as I hate Aunt Lydia-- it was hard to watch Emily attack her knowing the violence and the futility of that action. I presume the writers intended this strange, stockholm syndrome-esque sensation for the viewers. But I wonder if she will really get off scot-free for that, even in Canada or elsewhere. I have been waiting for Aunt Lydia's backstory all season as there seem to have been some moments which suggest she may be acting subversively. Dowd is amazing in the role and I hope she's back next season with more material.
3
I think it's believable that June would stay to save Hannah-- but hard to believe that she will be better able to do that in Gilead, while presumably facing the consequences of her actions this episode, than she could have from the outside. It's also hard to believe June's actions and the actions of those who helped her won't bring down huge punishments on the Martha, Nick, Commander Lawrence, even Serena.. and the question is raised of if all that is worth it just for June to walk back into Gilead, when she could be killed there at any moment. However, I did interpret this episode and the many pieces as leading to June realizing that there is a resistance rising even among those entrenched in Gilead's order, and I think we will see that resistance growing with June as a key player next season. One thing I haven't seen mentioned: When the camera panned up from the road as she ran to the martha, we saw there were several, maybe five or six other houses on fire around the city. It wasn't just June who was being rescued. Another reason June couldn't leave Gilead-- Nick. She told him she loved him and it's unclear how she feels toward her husband, Luke. Another review pointed out that past episodes have showed us a negative view of their relationship. As she has a child with boht, she will need to reckon with those relationships as well as those with both children. Looking forward to season 3!
6
Why would you assume she would willingly go back to the Waterfords??? She hates them and then there's that missing baby to explain. Makes more sense to try to stay hidden somehow, though that seems unlikely. This show is getting frustrating. Why did Emily attack Lydia? She just said she was glad to be back and found out there would be no ceremonies with her new commander. She's in a relatively good circumstance now. Made. No. Sense. I do hope Lydia is still around. Still waiting on her backstory flashbacks. It's wasting her talent not to explore her character more. Despite the annoyances, I'm sure to keep watching if only for Moss's acting, which is constantly astonishing.
8
Oh, the effort needed to make sense of the head-snapping reversals. Is Serena a psychopath who, in a fit of peak, goads her husband to rape the handmaid or is she a self-sacrificing mother who, at the prompting of the handmaid, gives away everything that ever really mattered to her? Is she a blind ideologue who expects the handmaid to accept repeated references to "her" baby inside the handmaid's body or a newly woke champion who faces off against Gilead and loses a finger because of it?
June's character does not change in the same way but her choices are confounding. She pledges to get her baby out of Gilead but there is nothing that she can do about it until she finds herself about to give birth alone then she summons her captors. And after living through this experience, she still goes back to Gilead in the end, knowing she has no power to effect change.
The most interesting images from this season generally took place outside of that gothic monstrosity of a house—for example, Offred's alter to the dead (and her furious sex with Nick) at the Globe office or Serena's glass bubble ride through the streets of our world in Toronto. But each attempt to break out of the now insistently repetitive plot is squashed and we find ourselves once again back home for another round of "Who are they now?"
Think of what this season could have done with a successful escape by either Offred or Serena? Or if both characters had pursued a single, consistent storyline throughout?
7
Aunt Lydia is alive and kicking. The actress is signed up for several episodes in Season 3.
4
Don't jump to conclusions. Flashbacks are a television writer's best friend.
1
@Byron
Miller says she’s alive, and furious.
I've read several reviews today with people (mostly men but some women as well) who found it unbelievable that she wouldn't escape to Canada, but I think any mother who loves her daughter could not possibly leave her behind in a place like Gilead. I would rather die than leave my daughter alone in a world like Gilead.
It reminded me a bit of "Not Without My Daughter". Betty Mahmoud had several opportunities to leave Iran on her own, but she could not leave her daughter behind. Canada could impose sanctions on Gilead but they could never make them return Hannah, if June left, Hannah would have been lost to her forever.
10
I've read several reviews of this season finale, and I sometimes wonder if reviewers just quickly watch these episodes in order to meet a deadline and don' pay attention to the small details, of which this show has many. Perhaps we have become accustomed to simplistic superhero movies with basic plots?
The character development, cinematography, even the use of music in this show are all so brilliant.
If you're paying attention, the show has dropped plenty of hint's that Emily's new commander is a good guy who regrets helping to create Gilead (all of those moderates who voted for Trump should take note), also June clearly stays behind to try to save Hannah. I also believe with the numerous fires that seem to be happening simultaneously, that this was a large coordinated effort to get many people out of Gilead, not just June and Holly/Nicole.
I also don't think that Rita is "newly radicalized", she has always hated Gilead and shown allegiance to June.
I also believe Serena's development - that after watching Eden killed, being beaten by her husband and having a finger amputated that her love for the baby allowed her to let her go.
23
@Sallie
All points spot on. June is complex and changed by every turn the the story. She would not run without Hannah.
1
This show cannot go on without Aunt Lydia. I hope season 3 uses some of its flashback habit to allow us to see into Aunt Lydia's past. She is a character I love to hate. I am sure viewers feel her compassion slip through here and there, even when she's acting like an evil witch. There is good buried in Aunt Lydia and it is trying to get out. The inconsistent nature of Serena bothers me and I would like to see her without so much power, and with a new finger. Aunt Lydia will survive season 3 - I am confident of that. I wonder if she will finally wake up and become a part of the deconstruction of Gilead. This awful world of religious politics must be destroyed. Contrary to critical review, Season 2 was equally outstanding, and these producers know what they are doing. I cannot wait to tune in and binge this show again!
3
I agree that Aunt Lydia is not dead - no way. I also hope to see some flashbacks of Lydia's life pre-Gilead next season.
As for Serena Joy's evolution, I think it was a slow burn, not inconsistent. First being beaten by her husband in front of June/Offred was a turning point, then watching a true believer like Eden be executed, listening to Fred condemn Eden and finding out that Eden's own father turned her into the authorities, and finally having her finger amputated....I think she finally realized that Holly/Nicole could never truly be safe in Gilead and her love for the baby allowed her to let her go.
This was a riveting season finale. I can't wait for season 3!
12
Lotta complaints about fear of walking dead syndrome (puns) and plot holes (breast feeding Holly/Nicole). IDK, while I do not want to see 10 years of this (see first fear), I think two years in, we are still in throes of a great show. It's gripping, eeriely current, with great acting, and a surreal sci-fi surreal storyline. Plot holes -- in moments of great stress and urgency, irrational decisions are often made. I have no cynical feelings about June staying, Serena giving up Nicole, and the Marthas. Crazy times, unpredictable outcomes. The look on June's face after she made her decision was of sheer determination -- she is going to get her other kid, and kick some gilead butt in the process. Emily can lead the charge from Canada. Remember, June didn't know who she was going to meet. Her decision was made on the spot, when she saw Emily. Marthas -- I guess they finally got the nerve, the organization, and the momentum to act (has to start somewhere...).
Ann Dowd. Just sayin'. I guess Yvonne, too. Wow, what a great performance, and ofc, Ms. Moss. Huge. Producers got to keep Bradley Whitford's Lawrence in the mix. Clearly, he can represent some more mixed emotions and allegiances next season.
I think we are all hoping next season starts the turn towards a revolution in gilead, and some broader plot lines involving other parts of the region and world.
13
I hadn't thought about Holly/Nicole needing breast milk, but other than that, I thought this season finale was riveting! I'm not so sure about the part of taking down Gilead, but she definitely stayed to try to save Hannah.
Many found it unbelievable that she wouldn't escape, but I think any mother who loves her daughter could not leave her behind in a place like Gilead. It reminded me a bit of "Not Without My Daughter". Betty Mahmoud had several opportunities to leave Iran on her own, but she could not leave her daughter behind. Canada could impose sanctions on Gilead but they could never make them return Hannah, if June left, Hannah would have been lost to her forever.
3
This is a fairly micro point, but I noticed on a second viewing that there were two fires. The first was the house across from the Waterfords'. The second was a car in the street where June and the Martha held back to let the emergency vehicles go by. And there was the sound of helicopters in the area. All of this says to me that there was a larger planned event going on beyond just a distraction to clear June's escape. I think the Marthas were in on it, and June's escape was part of what they wanted to accomplish. I think that is also how June and Emily both wound up with Commander Lawrence. Did anybody else have that view?
6
Yes, I thought there were even more than two fires, and recall hearing dialog to the effect of: "Another fire has broken out..." (something like that). It was a pretty elaborately planned attack.
2
Totally - which makes June’s turnabout all the more frustrating. Marthas risked their lives for her. She can do so much good from Canada. And the idea that she can just go back to the Waterfords’ a third time is utterly laughable. The only way this decision will work for me as a viewer is if she stays on the lamb working with some underground faction to smuggle out Hannah, because at this point if she is caught and NOT executed then the show will have lost all credibility in its world building.
6
I disagree with you Sarah. Yes, June could be a strong voice in Canada, but she could not leave her daughter behind. If she left, she would never see Hannah again, and Hannah would never truly be safe.
If you remember Fred and Serena's conversation in the house were June was hiding after meeting Hannah, they said they couldn't go to the authorities because they feared that June/Offred escaping twice would make them look like part of the resistance which would get them killed.
I think June will go back to the house and they will invent some excuse that the baby was kidnapped. Fred didn't seem to care much about Holly/Nicole (since Nick is the father) and he already talked to June about having her stay so he could try for a son.
I think we will see more of Captain Lawrence, I think in the end he will help June escape with Hannah.
2
That second to the last shot of June, when she is in close-up facing the camera with her hood on, and with her face combining grimness, determination, and even vengeance, brings to mind the Hindu goddess Kali, the destroyer of evil forces. That shot was absolutely chilling.
7
Perhaps I'm the only one who thought this but as I was watching the finale (before I knew how it was going to end), I thought, you know, everybody in that house hates Fred. With Eden and Isaac gone, it would not be too implausible for June, Nick, Rita and Serena to plot his sudden demise.
Serena could be the weak link. If anybody is primed for a complete breakdown, it's her. Which might make her putty in June's hands, a very interesting twist.
A lot of groundwork was done in this ep revealing the weak underbelly of Gilead. The Marthas showed the way. Now get the Wives, Handmaids and Eyes marshaled. Praise be!
7
That’s a really good point! I also think that Commander Lawrence might request a handmaid like Ofred since his just left for Canada. The two of them could cook up some big plots, and he is positioned to save Hannah.
2
Bruce Miller & Elizabeth Moss, if you're reading this, more Aunt Lydia in season 3 please. Blessed be the fruit! Brava on a fantastic season.
5
Thank you for welcoming comments! It was very frustrating to read Margaret Lyons' review and not be able to push back. For example, Lyons complained that the show has taken a deliberately ordinary character (the novel never even reveals Offred's real name) and made her extraordinary, a hero. It was as if Lyons was out of the room every time there was a flashback showing just how ordinary June was before she was kidnapped and robbed of her child.
Heck, June was determined to be ordinary, to be the opposite of her firebrand mother: married instead of single motherhood, an editor for an academic publisher instead of an abortionist, wanting to give birth in a hospital with doctors and drugs instead of a natural birthing center, apolitical instead of fiercely political, accepting the need to get her husband's signature on her birth control prescription instead of protesting sexual assault, etc. etc. etc.
What made the show compelling was June's transformation from blasé bourgeois to cowed, terrified captive to resistance fighter. When the pressure was on and most people would give up, June stepped up. In most cases, this is how heroes are made. In these times, as our president destroys our alliances and consorts with our enemies, our government declines to rein him in, and we anticipate a conservative majority on the Supreme Court for the next 30 years, it's a tale well worth telling.
40
@Bystander Exactly. Constant brutality turns the most ordinary person into a heroine, not out of egoic reckoning but out of a need to survive. For those not understand why June chose to stay - she has 2 daughters. The first one she bonded with pre-Gilead and in S2, she was finally reunited with. And, after initially being rejected, her daughter asked June why didn't try harder to find her :( For those mothers out there, who wouldn't do a u-turn and go back into the burning house to try harder. June's mission is far more simple than many make - get both her daughters and herself out of the country. Did anyone else freak out at the possibility that West Wing's Josh and Zoey now re-unite as part of the resistance. Blessed be that fruit. WW & HMT = kaboom.
1
One other thing - I LOVED when June/Offred slaps Fred after he hits her - it was very "In The Heat of the Night"!
11
First, a correction: Serena read from the beginning of the Gospel of John, not Genesis.
Second, I wouldn't fret too much over what happens in season 3. The showrunners seem to know what they're doing, and for all the violence in the beginning that people are weirdly fretting over (do they think a regime like Gilead establishes and maintains itself through good manners? Eating with the right fork?) the second season was even more interesting than the first by exploring the colonies and running the thought experiment (which is what all fiction is, really) of, now that America's gotten itself into this mess, how the hell do we get ourselves out? I think the exploration of this question, and turning over possible answers (love, different methods of resistance, fighting from the inside vs. fighting from the outside, sacrifice) is what makes this show so captivating. I'm certain we can look forward to a continuation of this exploration in season 3.
9
Unlike some critics, I thought this season was great! The cinematography, the acting, the complicated, multi-dimensional characters, are all better than anything else on TV, IMO. Regarding the objections to all the violence, I agree with another commenter, of course there is violence; this is a brutal regime. They are not polite.
And regarding the "wild swing of Serena’s moral pendulum," I think it is totally realistic. She started out as a true believer and one of the architects of the regime, and all season long has been trying very hard to maintain that faith, but it's cracking.
Also, I totally believe that Aunt Lydia will survive to see season 3.
Finally, as much as I love this series, I think it really needs to be wrapped up in season 3. Going much further than that will dilute its impact.
16
I think the implication was that Offred stayed to fight for all of the women not just Hannah- that’s what I read on her face in that second to last shot. That’s effectively the role I think we’ll see her in next season. I also think that Fred and Serena will open the next season having to answer for all of the scandals surrounding their family and will be considering themselves lucky not to get executed for letting their baby get away.
And Aunt Lydia is DEFINITELY not dead.
9
Perhaps, but Hannah was definitely who she was thinking of when she decided to stay at the last minute. That memory of her singing to a very young Hannah was beautiful and touching. The small details of the show, like Luke quietly watching them, and the cinematography are wonderful.
4
Remember the creased photograph of Hannah that June tucked into baby Holly’s blanket wrap? This will, I’m sure, be discovered by Moira et al across the border in blessed Canada. Rescue from Hannah’s Daddy ensues, which means he will have to re-enter Gilead armed with the strength of a father’s fierce love. This action creates instant conflict: with which father of her children will June declare her loyalty and love? Or will she choose neither, in the end?
As for Aunt Lydia, I exclaimed a loud “noooooo!” when she was stabbed, boot-kicked and shoved down a steep flight of stairs; Ann Dowd plays an excellent and admirable anti-heroine, as evidenced in The Leftovers, True Detective (“let’s make flowers”!), and - especially - here in Handmaid’s Tale. Will she be a part of the inevitable rise of revolt? Did she knowingly send Emily to the home of a man who was now an underground escape chaperone? Her words to Emily indicated that she was slowly turning towards the protective safety of “her girls”, and I hope she rises and rebels.
June has many obstacles ahead, not least with the Commander’s slick whispers that she might again see Hannah, that they could “try again” for another baby - dark clues for troubles that lie ahead in season three.
I for one am truly enthused for third season, just as I was last autumn when I finally signed up for Hulu and joined the viewing ranks of dedicated Handmaid’s Tale fans. All who agree with me, raise a five-fingered hand!
9
Consider mine raised.
1
Question - does anybody else think that June is less maternal towards Holly/Nicole than she is towards Hannah? She risked her in birthing her alone although she could be safe if she revealed herself to the Waterfords. And in the end she surrenders her to Emily without a second thought.
Yes, I know, Canada, freedom, etc. and yet... And she could go there as well. The baby clearly needs her more for her mere life than Hannah does.
1
I think of a house on fire with children inside. The mother's only concern and instinct is to get the children out of the burning house. She totally disregards her own safety and goes inside of the burning building again and again until all her children have been saved. In some situations you are not allowed the luxury of thinking about the consequences or weighing your options because you have only seconds to act and must rely on gut instinct and in this case maternal instinct. June needs to save both of her children and can not fathom sacrificing either one.
9
No drora, definitely not! She gives Holly/Nicole to Emily because she knows she will be safe in Canada with her. She stays in Gilead because she also needs to protect Hannah - she clearly loves them both!
9
Surprised no one here has explicitly made the connection to mothers crossing the us border with their children in order to save them from a doomed life in their home country.
I would've wagered that too, but then I started reading reviews and comments that referred to him as "creepy" and "scary," and implying that Emily had ended up in some house of horrors.
For me, season two of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” is akin to the members of a symphony masterfully playing their little parts of a much larger composition. You may not like the composer’s overall choices, but it shouldn’t stop you from marveling and celebrating the flute player owning and caring for every note so beautifully. From the actresses and actors, to the set design, costumes, and cinematography (every single shot is so carefully curated), “The Handmaid’s Tale” is a truly painful delight to behold.
26
Very well put! I attribute many of the negative reviews to the fact that too many people are accustomed to fast-paced superhero movies and TV shows, and don't appreciate character development. And you are correct that the cinematography is breathtaking.
16
You are so right Cynthia. Not only is the cinematography breathtaking, but small details - like the memory June has of her singing to Hannah when she was a toddler was so beautiful - and told us everything we needed to know about June thought-process and her decision to stay behind without her having to say a word.
6
About a week before the Season 2 finale, I was talking to someone about the show and I noted that two things needed to happen in Season 3. First, the show needed to come to an end. And second, season 3 needed to be about Gilead - how it rose and how it was taken down.
Unfortunately, after Wednesday's episode, neither of those things seem likely. Season 3 should be the telling of a terrifying and relevant story on a grand scale - showing us how a regime that oppresses pretty much everyone, including almost every non-Commander male, was allowed by the citizens of the U.S. to come to power, and then letting us see the spark within those same citizens finally get them to rise up and say "no more". But instead, the writers betrayed not just the fans, who were entitled to some sort of payoff after the running in place non-story that was almost the entirety of season 2, but the characters themselves, when they had June betray herself, her newborn daughter, and everyone who had put themselves at risk to help her escape.
We're not watching this show to see a woman make stupid decisions when everything is on the line. We're not watching this show to see the natural story arc contorted to the point where it has no hope of reaching a satisfying ending. The best scene this season was when June was in the car and Oprah and Bruce were on the radio, and it was the best because it hinted at the story that Season 3 needed to focus on telling, and the story we were all watching to see.
5
@Kristin Given the schizophrenic nature of many of the main characters, constantly shifting between narcissism and utilitarianism, the writers have shown that they can change the focus of the story and/or a character quickly. I wouldn't eliminate the possibility of them being able to explore the rise/fall of Gilead in season 3. Its that back and forth behavior between good and evil that has kind of spoiled the second season for me. I don't know if its the writing or the acting which is most bothersome but the fluctuation between empathy and sadism, sometimes within the same episode, rubbed me the wrong way. The only actor that has successfully accomplished balance between the two is Ann Dowd, who has done a masterful job as Aunt Lydia. Aunt Lydia is human in her reactions while Offred and Serena oscillate in extremes. I found the finale frustrating for one major reason and that is Offred's choice to stay in Gilead. Time and time again she sees how her choices for other people have consequences. There is even an episode where she repents for all of the times she has done so both pre/post Gilead. Yet here she is, standing before the van, after these Marthas put their lives on the line to get her and the baby to safety, after Serena has given her Nicole, after Nick has threatened the Commander's life, deciding for everyone that she will be the one to rectify all of this. Regardless of her intention to stay it shows that she has learned nothing.
About a week before the Season 2 finale, I was talking to someone about the show and I noted that two things needed to happen in Season 3. First, the show needed to come to an end. And second, season 3 needed to be about Gilead - how it rose and how it was taken down.
Unfortunately, after Wednesday's episode, neither of those things seem likely. Season 3 should be the telling of a terrifying and relevant story on a grand scale - showing us how a regime that oppresses pretty much everyone, including almost every non-Commander male, was allowed by the citizens of the U.S. to come to power, and then letting us see the spark within those same citizens finally get them to rise up and say "no more". But instead, the writers betrayed not just the fans, who were entitled to some sort of payoff after the running in place non-story that was almost the entirety of season 2, but the characters themselves, when they had June betray herself, her newborn daughter, and everyone who had put themselves at risk to help her escape.
We're not watching this show to see a woman make stupid decisions when everything is on the line. We're not watching this show see the natural story arc contorted to the point where it has no hope of reaching a satisfying ending. The best scene this season was when June was in the car and Oprah and Bruce were on the radio, and it was the best because it hinted at the story that Season 3 needed to focus on telling, and the story we were all watching to see.
2
WOW! I could not disagree with Ms. Berman's review more. The season finale was RIVITING!!!! I was on the edge of my seat the whole final half hour!
Also - did anyone see Emily attack on Aunt Lydia coming?!!!
Also, OF COURSE June decided to stay behind to try to rescue Hannah - how could any mother who loves her daughter leave her behind to rot in Gilead?! (Also the show was already given the green light for a third season so June/Offred couldn't escape yet!)
Also, there were definitely hints that Emily's new commander was a good guy.
I love this show! Can't wait for season 3!
19
I love the show. Yes it's dark and gloomy, as intended. The head shots of Offred and her expressions are masterful. The pregnant pauses in the dialog between individuals is dramatic and scary, adding to the overall drama. I think Elizabeth Moss is an incredible actress, on a par with Meryl Streep. The other actors are equally splendid. To those negative critics of the show, console yourselves with The Big Bang Theory with its 1950's canned laughter.
9
Echoes of our dystopian present resonate in the Handmaid's Tale, which has become my Wednesday morning go-to, even before pastries and cheese. (Had to bring this up this morning.)
June's short reunion with Hannah was one. The breast milk story arc was another one. While our nation's leaders defend the rights of formula-manufacturers (because companies are people), the Tale depicts a baby's need of her mother's milk - and her need for her mother) to thrive.
Interestingly, the show runners seem to avoid dealing with baby boys issues. I wonder why.
On a different note, my trouble with the novel - and now with the series - is the speed with which the US becomes Gilead, a fairly seamless nation united by men and scriptures. I base the time line on Hannah, who seems to have grown some two years before meeting her mother in the deserted house. With the speed of lightning most of the male population of the US became Stepford Wives guys, most women complied and the world basically accepts it. You really tell me women would give up their cell phones and dress in boring green garb for - what?
But I'm gonna forego Joe and Mika and watch the show first thing Wednesday morning next season - unless it is deemed inappropriate by our leaders.
8
Drora, one of the main points of the book and series is how authoritarianism sneaks up on you. Norms change bit by bit, and then all at once. (Look at Venezuela, Iran in 1979, what is going on in Eastern Europe.)
In the flashbacks June is constantly asking herself when it became too late, how "we were not awake in time".
I also think the Handmaid's Tale is a warning to ultra-conservative women, the Anne Coulters and Phyliss Schlaflys of the world. Would Phyliss Schlafly really have been happy if she had gotten what she claimed to have wanted which was to force women back into the kitchens? Or would she have been miserable like Serena Joy now is?
17
An open mind is a beautiful thing.
Ms. Moss is an incredibly gifted actress, and you have missed, in your own stark judgment of her personal choices, some of the finest acting that television has to offer today. Please remember that we aren’t (not quite yet) persecuted in this country for believing as we wish - a very strong theme of Handmaid’s Tale... a point that would have been revealed, had you continued to watch the show. I genuinely hope that you will give her another chance, and that you will enjoy viewing Handmaid’s Tale in its entirety.
1
not sure this ended up with your comment (apologies!) - it was meant for reader johnranta in new hampshire
Thank g-d it's over. It jumped the shark awhile back, and there shouldn't be a third season. Let us live with the loving memory of season one. It was spectacular.
4
41% of women who actually voted, yeah.
2
I believe it's 41% of republican voters who voted for trump were female.
4
A correction needs to be made in this article. Serena did not read from the book of Genesis. She read from the first chapter of John in the Bible, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. In Him was life, and life was the light of men, and the light shineth in the darkness." (John 1:1, 4, 5)
11
Are there divorces in Gilead? B/c the Waterford household will be an icy one. First a beating and now the loss of a finger. Serena’s wrath is a coming...
5
I think it is like the underground railroad.Like they are saving a lot of handmaids. I wonder if her mom didn't somehow disguise herself as a Martha and is behind the whole thing. I have not been watching every episode this season. It has gotten way too depressing and stupid no offense.The revolutions needs to seriously happen.
3
I wonder if she sets Waterford up to be murdered
.
1
No! The couples with handmaids are even allowed to have sex with each other.
Does anyone know why all the Marthas would devise a super risky and complex escape route for June and her baby? Why not another handmaid and her baby? Why not Justine?
4
Offred didn't just stay for Hannah, she stayed to be the leader of a revolution.
8
Yes, I agree! How though..neither she nor we know yet, but that expression on her face (and this is why Elizabeth Moss is so duly lauded) vividly said “Now I know it’s truly possible, so now I have to stay and fight for the rest.” Now she has real hope, and in terms of storytelling, that’s all she needed to get through more.
3
Agree with Margaret Lyons in a related article in NYT: "dutifully brutal" and "torture porn," incorporated into a tedious soap opera that stretches on, not because it has anything to say, but because it's making money.
The novel is gripping and actually has a beginning, middle, and end. As Lyons indicated, watching this isn't a political act--it's just slow-motion sensationalism in disguise.
4
Hey, Judy, the quote Serena reads is from the gospel of John, not Genesis.
2
Lol with your 'Blessed Fruits' subhead. :)
1
Does Gilead view overhead lighting as subversive or ungodly?
7
Also, why is linen such a thing? What happened to all the spandex,viscose, and gortex? Garish food labels? Cheap plastic. Toys? Bad furniture? Yellow? How did they get all those matching outfits made and distributed so quickly? Can you imagine some (American? Chinese?) manufacturing all of this before the Gilead take over of the US? Of course this is not a future, it’s a reimagined history and present. Right? Anyway, I thought I loved Serena’s house but quickly turned my affection to the big empty house June met Hannah in.
2
I stopped watching “Handmaid’s Tale” a year ago, when I learned Elizabeth Moss was a Scientologist. Which also ruined “Mad Men” for me, ex post facto. Hard to care that it’s now gone down hill, although Margaret Atwood deserves better...
4
A lot of people are knocking Serena for being inconsistent. While she has been all over the map emotion-wise for sure...her motive in every episode this season has been the children. Mostly her baby, but also the Putnam's baby and also Nick's very young wife. For all of her despicable actions and inexcusable inhumanity toward Offred, she has always had that as her main motivation and it hasn't changed. She has challenged the system a few times throughout this season for the sake of children and this episode was a culmination of that. They certainly could have devoted more time to this episode's confrontation with the commander's, but I don't think it was as out of the blue as many people seem to think.
3
Sadly, I know someone as inconsistent as Serena...my own mother, who can vacillate from loving generosity to vengeful cruelty within the same day. Like Serena, she also tries very hard to *appear* to be a good *religious* woman and *citizen* — but she’s a hateful person, and indeed “appearances are Everything to her.”
Those of you who find Serena Joy unbelievable or inconsistent are blessed that you never had such a person in your life. :)
I find this stunning show to be healing, cathartic, and inspiring.
Like Serena my mother could be alternately tender and terrifyingly mean. It was confusing as hell growing up in her home, and even after I married and turned 50 she could still alternately terrorize and then “treat” me kindly. She is kind to pets, but a harpy to her husband, children and grandchildren. She does not drink, or do drugs.
Yes, there are Serena Joys in this world. My mother still tries to woo me with presents and bible verses in the mail, but I have had to completely cut off my relationship with her.
I love this series. I also think it could last more than 3 years if other characters were followed, not just June’s arc.
7
season 2 was sooooooo slooooooow. it could have been half as many episodes. i am hoping season 3 moves faster.
Interesting .... I found this refreshingly different from most US TV dramas and Hollywood movies where action and/or special effects are stressed while characters are often caracatures. In this show, the characters unfold more as people do in real life. It has that quality of a French movie
2
She wasn't reading from Genesis; she was reading from the first chapter of the Gospel of John. And I think the reading would have been better if she had read just one verse more.
"and the darkness shall not overcome it."
http://biblehub.com/john/1-5.htm
7
June pulling up her hood at the end of the episode gave me the impression that she was taking on a more "Strider/Aragon" kind of role, where she would fight from the shadows. I can't imagine her going back to the Waterford house. Another thought, which I've had for a while, is that she returns to the abandoned Boston Globe building, or maybe somewhere more hidden, and applies her skill as an editor to run some kind of underground resistance newspaper. And — of course — all the time she'll be trying to find Hannah.
11
I agree with you. I think she is going to be part of the resistance. I don't think June is going back to the Waterfords. I wonder if she will go to Commander Lawrence and work with him.
7
June needs a place to live and Lawrence will have a hard time explaining the absence of his handmaid. My money is on June somehow ending up with him, in that House of Weird. They'd also be good partners in undermining Gilead.
4
I can understand both sides of the argument about whether or not it was a good episode. I personally enjoyed it until the last 10 minutes when I knew SOMETHING would prevent June from leaving. I could have been somewhat okay with this ending had they not have made us suffer through her escaping and that brutal plane scene that brings her back to gilead the first few episodes. And then the almost car escape. I felt actual stress that she didn't make it out AGAIN. I paused it to scream at the tv when she handed her the baby. It's was an unnecessary tease to the viewer and wasn't realistic. There is no way in reality that June wouldn't have been hung the moment she stepped foot in that house. There is no way she could save her daughter. But I guess it is TV. It doesn't have to be completely realistic.
I wouldn't go so far as to compare it to scandal. There is a lot of good writing and acting on the show and it resonates with women on a much deeper level than that. It was a suspenseful season two and I look forward to seeing what they conjure up for s3.
I do hope Rita and Aunt Lydia make the cut. They are two characters whose back story I have been waiting for. Also more of the Canadian crew next season guys!
6
Who knew the lack of breast milk could be such a plot obstacle for viewers ? Seriously. If that's what occupied your mind in the final moments, this may not be a show for you. I agree with Vikki from Texas. HT is an original and artistic vision, adapted from a novel that has terrifying echoes in our own country today. The faux-evangelical-male-power-driven society is the backdrop for unspeakable behavior, aggressive intolerance, oppression, savage torture and punishments, and the cold blooded execution of anyone, especially women, who do not blindly agree with Gilead's leadership and authoritarian policies. Margaret Atwood has said in interviews she originally penned her novel because she became aware of these very real conditions happening all around the world. And as Jeffrey Skeggs noted below, she was extremely prescient in her observations. Resistance simmers, blessed day.
15
I'm disappointed that June didn't escape, of course, but I want more Waterfords and more Commander Lawrence, and more Aunt Lydia! In Season 3, I'd like to see more flashbacks of the characters "before". I think that's the most intriguing part of the show.
12
I’m really hoping that Aunt Lydia’s recovery period involves a flashback of her own. Seems like she should have a pretty interesting backstory.
3
MORE flashbacks??
2
The first two seasons were about individuals trying to survive their untenable society. I think season 3 will focus on the growing rebellion to change that society and (season 4, anyone?) the ultimate overthrow of the power structure. Lots more "girl power" expected.
11
They have delayed Offred's escape too long. So now she will have another daughter raised by others? No No No, this ending did not make sense. I was looking forward to season 3 with June working from Canada to overthrow Gilead. That is what happens inevitably and let us get on with it, instead of wallowing in the misery of Gilead. Time to see the collapse orchestrated from without and within. That would be great television.
9
Perhaps the within/without will involve June (and possibly Serena Joy) in Gilead while the fully radicalized Emily marshals willing forces in Canada. I would love to see how Luke will respond to Holly/Nicole; given Emily's May Day connections she may know that Nick is the father (although she mentioned in season one that May Day considered her too much of a security risk after her "redemption".) But that would give Luke some very meaty material. It will be very interesting to see how June--and the entire network that helped her escape--manages to survive the ramifications of her return. I hope, perhaps naively, that nothing happens to Rita. And I hope Lydia's recovery is grueling, painful and incomplete.
7
Real life is full of plot holes. Real people aren't omniscient. Gilead has intentionally set up a society where everything is tremendously opaque. No one knows what is going on, that's the point.
So much criticism of Handmaid's Tale - is what it isn't doing. There's only so much time in the show. There's a lot of characters and storylines, which maybe - there's too many to give attention to all. Then again, what gets cut in favor of which other?
I think it's following some literary traditions, and that confuses people who want a television show. The show is more similar to a really long novel, not a novella. It's not fantasy, but some elements aren't strictly linear or tremendously realistic or logical.
It's not particularly invested in that. I get that everything is realistic enough and has or is happening in real life, somewhere, to real people. As a thought-piece, stuff is piled up in a way that defies strict reality, and that's sometimes just - telling a good story and illuminating truth.
The set-pieces, costumes, visuals - are sort of a clue. This is art, not a faux-possible sci-fi documentary. It exited the book even before the end of season one.
25
I'm still processing this season as a whole, and the finale in particular, but I have to say that I was not remotely surprised by Commander Lawrence's actions. I pegged him as part of the resistance within the first two minutes of Emily arriving at his house. I do hope we get to see more of him next season. At this point he's the most interesting character on the show.
39
Everyone pegged him immediately, I would wager.
Anyone with a copy of Art Spiegelman’s “Maus” lying about open has to have a soul left.
3
I am an architect, my late father was an artist/craftsman/interior designer and my 91 year old mother was a history major in college who chose, as women of her generation did in the 1950's, to raise her 5 children. I am also a two time widower, the second was last year. I have learned first hand how very precious life is, how fragile love can be, and moreover, how essential fatherhood now is in my 60's for the the son and daughter that are in my life now from my first love. Where would I be without them? This from their father and not from their late mother. I really sense June's primal need to save both of her daughters.
I found this series so far to be quite prescient, perhaps by accident, the writers stumbled into our nightmarish age, gave it form and profound visuals unlike anything filmed for TV. Margret Atwood was onto something when she wrote her book.
Sure, one can find fault with this or that plot turn, or this or that back story. I have been reading comments in all the recaps in the Times, the Post and elsewhere. They are fascinating. Great art produces emotional responses, good, bad and elsewhere. I do not know how this series will end or how it should, or how long it should go on.
But in the nightmare that has become America now, I intuitively feel it will be the women of our country who are going to lead us out of this mess, who are going to send Trump away, along with his army of Commanders and minions and rednecks. The unhumans.
87
"I intuitively feel it will be the women of our country who are going to lead us out of this mess, who are going to send Trump away ..."
Your intuition needs a reality check. Per CNN's exit polls, Trump had 41% of the overall women's vote.
Think about that. 41% of women.
53% of white women voted for Trump. Compare that to only 4% of black women and 26% of Latino women.
So this isn't all about gender. Neither is Atwood's book. She does not consider her story a feminist one, not other than in the simple sense that it is not a sexist one (“In that sense, many books are ‘feminist’,” she says). She says it is a study of power, and what power or the opportunity to have power does to people. Whether that power is patriarchy, white supremacy, or religious.
"I intuitively feel it will be the women of our country who are going to lead us out of this mess, who are going to send Trump away ..."
The mess existed before. The only difference is, now white people are feeling it. That's what's really sad. Things haven't gotten worse for black people, because they've worse all along. Immigrants? Our treatment of immigrants was atrocious under Obama.
The real problem with America is selfism. Everyone's only looking out for themselves. Where were all those white women at #MeToo marches for #BLM? Where were all the black men at #BLM marches for gay rights? Nothing's gonna change until people start doing the right things *for people other than themselves*.
1
Barry C--41% of women who voted. There are a lot more out there.
I hope they explore stifling women's education more in season 3. All of the adult women were educated and now they are side lined. Eden was that new generation that came of age recently which means her education must have stopped in grammar school. Hannah will never learn to read in Gilead. How each cope with their circumstances due to education (Or lack of) would be interesting.
12
I believe Hannah would have already learned to read at least a little. Didn’t she looked to be about a first or second grader in the flashbacks? Hannah’s timeline is a little confusing and probably just the result of the trickiness of working with a child actor. Some of the toddler Hannah’s in flashbacks don’t remotely resemble the current Hannah and that actress must have had a growth spurt because she is now already nearly as tall as Elisabeth Moss!
But true enough, apparently the plans is that girls will not be taught anything more than homemaking skills. Tough for someone like Serena who wrote a bestseller in her previous life. She’s the most puzzling character—that she ever believed any of this would turn out well...
I fundamentally disagree with the notion that the Marthas "have been radicalized to the extent that they’re willing to set fire to a home." In a place like Gilead, destruction of property to create a diversion and help people escape is exactly what I would expect from the resistance. It's what I would expect from people who have been enslaved. It's no different than how the Underground Railroad functioned, and it's no different than the actions of the French Resistance during WWII. This behavior is not radical; this behavior is requisite. This is what the beginning of real resistance looks like.
73
Good recap and analysis. But it was the opening verse of the Gospel of John, not Genesis, that Serena read from in the creepy wood-paneled chambers of Gilead's ruling council.
20
Well, given that the essential reason it ends with June deciding to stay is so that the show can continue with Moss in Gilead....I DO feel that her decision makes sense. Over the course of the season, June's sense of herself, her strength, courage and humanity have all deepened. She has become less of a victim and more of an agent. She has been able to see Gilead's women--even those who are her oppressors--with a more nuanced, compassionate view. And in so doing has been able to draw out more humanity from them in moments--Lydia, Serena, Eden.
I thought that when she saw that Captain Lawrence was part of the resistance something changed in her. On top of Serena's defiance and the marvel of all the Marthas helping with the escape, my sense was that June had an "heroic"awakening, and saw that the resistance was viable, change inevitable, and that her task was to stay and be part of it. Her motivation wasn't confined to saving Hannah. Season 3 will be the story of June (and possibly Serena) as part of the resistance.
53
Nailed it. Good post.
3
Why can't the baby be fed without the breast milk? There are other ways.
There seem to be food shortages in Gilead for one. Also, children in Gilead seem to be medically fragile. Isn’t there high infant mortality? Given that, and the idea that breast milk is nutritionally superior to formula it makes sense that nursing would be the norm. The added affirmation of state ownership of women’s bodies is just a bonus.
3
Well of COURSE a baby can be fed formula (or wet nursed) but this novel/series is set in an alternate reality where there is a massive world-wide fertility crisis and very few babies are conceived (and most of those die after birth). A baby would have to be a rare site in Gilead -- think "Children of Men". A baby would make you stand out and make people ask questions. It is likely that with so few children, supplies like formula are harder to find and expensive.
1
They’re obviously not staying in Gilead. They’re in Boston—wouldn’t Canada be about 5 hours away? It’s kind of silly to belabor this as a plot hole.
2
Huge fan of the show but I have to say that I'm not overall very happy with this season. The pacing has been very lackluster, about the only thing moving along was June's pregnancy. The lack of pace and the repeated "escape" teases make it clear that there just wasn't a full season of story to tell. Sad to see the season devolve to cheap plot points. I hate to say this but this should have ended when June and Nick went to meet with Hannah. Kill/disable the ONE guard and offer a ticket to the Martha or lock her in a closet. They are at least an hour closer to the border what better chance will you get?
I don't see any rebellion, at least not widespread. These groups are out numbered and out gunned. Coup? That can't fill one episode let along the 3rd season.
I disagree with those that say that June's decision to stay makes sense. What exactly is she going to do? Start any army of one rebellion for exactly 2-4 hours before she's shot or captured? Go back to the Waterfords? How exactly is THAT going to work. I know each time the Waterfords paint themselves into a corner the writers just gloss over how easy it is for them to avoid repercussions but really.
I could buy her escaping to Canada, then making the decision to get/hire a group of professionals (ex-military) to extradite Hannah. Then become part of a resistance group or something. Walking back into that fascist state by herself is just plain silly.
48
Maybe she plans to head to Captain Lawrence's house.
4
I get what the author is saying regarding the continual reversals of fortune, but can we not in any way compare this series to a show as petty and ridiculous as Scandal? For many women, The Handmaid's Tale hits way too close to home these days to be mentioned in the same article as one of Rhimes' fast-food tv creations, in worlds where a woman's character development is dependent upon her latest dreamy male love interest.
26
Why can't the baby be fed without the breast milk? There are other ways.
The rebellion has begun. To expect anything to be normal is foolish.
June has two daughters - one is in the hands of a friend now. The other is in the hands of the enemy. Any good mother would make the choice she did. I know I would.
4
Why can't the baby be fed without the breast milk? There are other ways. Babies can go without milk for a while, anyway.
The rebellion has begun. To expect anything to be normal is foolish.
June has two daughters - one is in the hands of a friend now. The other is in the hands of the enemy. Any good mother would make the choice she did. I know I would.
Season 3 will start with a palace coup, which was set up in the finale. Nick has apparently arrested Commander Waterford. He has his hand on his gun and the Commander sees this. Using the commander as a front, the coup -- Serena, June, and the Marthas -- will rule Gilead and facilitate its end. If the coup is uncovered, Serena and June will flee to the United States in Alaska. There Serena will head a government in exile. Can't wait.
9
Serena head a government in exile? The woman is a war criminal and an architect of the coup that established Gilead. For her to have such a good ending would be critically inconsistent with her character's behavior. The best she can hope for is a moment of repentant clarity before she dies, a la Darth Vader/Anikin Skywalker at the end of the original Star Wars trilogy.
4
Too many plot holes to here into here... but... How on Earth is Offred going to explain the baby's disappearance? Eden got drowned for adultery- what's the punishment for kidnapping a baby? While I love this show the plot holes are infuriating.
YTF is Fred Waterford still a powerful commander? With all the shenanigans that have taken place in his household he should be stripped of his powers. A showdown between Waterford and Nick could be interesting. Last we see- Nick has his hands on his gun while restraining Waterford.
It's very hard to have sympathy for Serena- given that she is one of the architects of Gilead. I'm not sure I buy her loving Nichole so much that she lets her go. I mean, all she has ever wanted was a baby. I guess losing a pinky can do that to girl. meh!
Aunt Lydia got her due. Damn! (She oversees sanctioned rape- hard to pity her.) That scene was brutal though. Lets hope we see more of Lawrence and more of the Martha's underground network next season. There is only so much they can do with June, Serena and the Waterford household. Hopefully next season the focus will be on Lawrence's household and his motives for freeing the handmaids.
24
The first season was incredible. Some of the second season had pieces of depth and intrigue, but it consistently fell apart. June's greatest characteristic trait and flaw was her ability to break free from her sense of self preservation and fear to help others. It's what made people want to help her time and time again. One of the reasons June didn't want to be like her mom was because her mom had to be selfish in order to promote her causes. I am disappointed in this season. Too many characters acted out of their character and I missed some of the other characters' stories.
1
@mb Generally there is no such thing as self preservation wonce your a mother. Check Serena's, Emily's, June's and Janine's choices in S2. All of them eventually put their children's needs in front of their own, at their own peril. June's mother couldn't consistently self sacrifice and June will not become her Mother - given as a womon, she now live in Gilead and not the US of A.
Nah, you've got it all wrong. First of all, I knew that Emily's commander was going to be woke - there were so many clues. Second of all, it's clear that the rebellion has begun! Nick's threatening stance with Fred, the burning of houses, cars, etc. There is no 'home' to go back to. We're going into a coup.
58
June’s decision to stay made sense to me. One of the themes that began in Season 1 was that June was not like her activist mother. There were several scenes where Holly Senior called out June on her complacency in light of the threats. Beginning with the ballpoint pen moment, you could see June regaining her confidence as an educated professional woman. The birth scene also had her thinking back to her mother. She also seemed to be in awe of the Martha’s.
Given what happened to Eden, June has even more reason to try to get to Hannah. Fred knows that Hannah is June’s weak spot. Too many things could happen to Hannah while June attempted to free Hannah.
And that gleam in June’s eyes at the end demonstrated a resolve to try to give it to the patriarchy.
21
The more I reflect on the finale, the more I dislike it. Most glaring is that based on Offred's last attempt to flee Gilead she knows that it could take time - who is going to feed the baby without her breast milk? That alone was the most crazy and flawed part of the writing in the finale. And it's just so tired that Offred almost escapes than doesn't - especially given the risk to the baby without her - and now to herself back in Gilead. The Waterfords are just supposed to take her back - again?? And Rita? Nick? They put their lives literally on the line to get June and baby out - now will they also be forgiven? OR does the season start with all of them on the wall - but June is somehow the one forgiven. Either way - it's messy and unworthy of the great book. I hope Season 3 is able to write themselves out of this mess...and stay away from more cheap deaths!
36
While Atwood gave her permission for them to write new episodes....they do not correlate with ANYTHING in the original book (published 1985!!!) nor did Atwood do any kind of sequel in the last 33 years HERSELF.
It really changes one's whole interpretation of the NOVEL if you believe that the storylines invented out of whole cloth by the SHOWRUNNERS are now "canon" with the original book.
1
The season was compelling, and magnificently acted. However Junes behavior in this finale is baffling, unfathomable. This newborn needs to eat frequently and on a schedule. So June just hands the baby off without supplies. Foisting her onto completely unsuspecting people. On the wing and a prayer that they will be able to find formula on the hours long treacherous journey from Boston to Ontario Canada. Hoping the wails of a hungry baby won't give everyone away. When she, June, is the only one prepared to handle that particular, on the fly type of demand. Let alone all the other reasons a mother would want to, need to, stay with her newborn and raise her.
I could be convinced that a new mother would sacrifice her own safety to try to save her firstborn that is still in danger, the scenario of the finale is hard to accept.
Therefore we are left with the obvious reason for the character's decision... to further the show.
I admired the artistic effort of season one and two but now I wonder if The Handmaid's Tale has jumped the shark.
28
I think June is going to attack Gilead (and of course try to rescue Hannah) and is not (planning on) returning to the Waterford's. Totally want Lawrence in the mix for all this. Fred will survive to about mid season 3. Ideal would be for Serena to take him out. Agree that this show has one season max left in it. It's been a hard watch but great dramatic moments. Moss rocks but the character and story will benefit from other characters getting more time.
40