The Handmaid's Tale on Hulu

[Dreadcrumbs]

10 minutes ago, LilMissMetaphor said:

I thought they were using the strips of sheet to mark the trees so no one got lost.

They tore those strips before the decision to travel by foot was made.

[Blahblah]

16 minutes ago, LilMissMetaphor said:

I thought they were using the strips of sheet to mark the trees so no one got lost.

They did. But when they were ripping up the strips they didn't know yet that they needed to go  through the woods.

Someone up thread thought  they were wrapping food with them, but the food was in a square cloth when June gave that first girl a parcel to eat.

[SilverBeach]

3 hours ago, Blahblah said:

Wasn't she leaning over June at the end though?  Unless June was hallucinating, Janine helped carry her away I think.

I was on the treadmill watching on the smaller tv, so I missed some details. Need to watch again.

3 hours ago, Blahblah said:

Someone up thread thought  they were wrapping food with them, but the food was in a square cloth when June gave that first girl a parcel to eat.

That was me. Again, I need to re-watch, although I got all the high points.

Edited August 16, 2019 by SilverBeach

[Blahblah]

@SilverBeach I love reading your posts! You pick up stuff that I miss all the time

[TuringMachine]

15 hours ago, Blahblah said:

There’d better be an underground people smuggling network for all 52+ Martha’s who stole the 52+ children and will end up on the wall otherwise. That first Martha who ran away has surely been interrogated and strung up by now after revealing everything and everyone. 

Were the Marthas who walked with the children supposed to get on the plane, but then inexplicably decided to run off with the random assortment of Handmaids (who had come along for who knows what reason) to help June throw rocks at that guard instead? As for that, why didn’t June just pull her gun on him in the first place, maybe while he was lighting his cigarette and his own gun wasn’t in his hands? Same outcome without all the rock throwing and dramatic running through the woods, and getting shot.

I think the idea was for at least some of them to get on the plane too, but decided to help June distract the guards. The whole point was to save the children, so it doesn't seem that inexplicable to me. Also I don't think there were many marthas by that point. I think a lot of them dropped off the kids then fled. At least in the scene with Lawrence reading it didn't seem like there were as many marthas as children, though I could be wrong on this one. 

As for the gun, there were two guards at first, so shooting them at the beginning wasn't a good idea. June's probably not a very good shot. Running through the woods helped lure the one that didn't get hit with rocks away from everyone else, while also giving June an opportunity to get a better shot. Plus I thought the rock throwing and running through the woods was a some nice poetry with season one.

[adidas]

Now that I’ve stopped crying over Luke begging for Hannah to appear in the aeroplane door ......

 

I read an interview today - it was with someone on the production team. Writer, director, can’t remember. If I find it I’ll post it. 

It said that the story was written for now, not the future- that they don’t know yet what will happen to June or how she’ll get her way out of this situation. The quote was something like ‘we wrote the story for now and we will worry about the future storyline later - there are other people to deal with fixing it’ ...

Like I said, if I find the link I’ll post it. 

Anyway - my thoughts at this early stage:

The Martha (not Beth, the other one - June told her to pull her finger out and she refused to iron commander Lawrence’s clothes ... is her name Sienna?) said something about medical training or college. She might help June with her bullet wound? Or the dr who delivered ofMatthew’s baby seemed sympathetic.  There has to be someone on the Underground Femaleroad (or Martha network) to help.

Or will Nick somehow find out what has happened and come to the rescue?

Or - very long shot - will the Dr who helped baby Charlotte/Angela make a reappearance? 

Random thoughts:

I thought it was interesting that June’s bullet wound mirrored Serena’s. 

It looked like the Handmaids were pallbearers carrying a casket at the end. Combined with the song (I can’t remember the exact title but it was something like ‘into dust’ ... as inashes to ashes, dust to dust?) what is the significance of this ‘death’? 

 

[adidas]

I found it. Last question here:

https://ew.com/tv/2019/08/14/handmaids-tale-season-3-finale-bruce-miller/?utm_content=link&utm_campaign=entertainmentweekly_entertainmentweekly&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_term=CED97C48-BEB6-11E9-A1D4-553E3A982C1E&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR1Pppq1Q60SMxhkXARFsyQLT9GdnjMgeKNL4yDmATgJSmOilurp_EKhzhE

[Mama Mia]

About some of the plot holes—

- The missing Martha - Didn’t some Mayday Martha tell June they had found her and “taken care of her” so she wouldn’t ruin the plan? 

- I got the impression only a dozen or so Martha’s stayed with the kids, the rest dropped them off and left. Although I assume most would be blamed for their disappearance anyway.

- At the point they left, I think the authorities were only aware of one missing kid, that there wasn’t general knowledge in the community that a massive number were gone. 

- Didn’t they already know they’d be walking? And that’s why they marked the trail? I thought in the previous episode Commander Lawerence said he wouldn’t be able to get them through in a truck because he had restricted access.

— They won’t really have reason to suspect June of anything, there was no child in their house - other than that she is a general trouble maker.

— Those damn red cloaks and white bonnets! I swear the insistence on having them wear those just for the visual impact is the most irritating part of the show! 

 

— Otherwise- really loved it.

 

[Maggie Mae]

On 8/15/2019 at 12:59 PM, Blahblah said:

They did. But when they were ripping up the strips they didn't know yet that they needed to go  through the woods.

Someone up thread thought  they were wrapping food with them, but the food was in a square cloth when June gave that first girl a parcel to eat.

They used them to wrap the food - you can see June give one packet to the first child who arrives - Rebecca/Kiki. They also tied strips to trees to mark the way once the plan changed due to Rebecca's Martha running off. 

I worry that next season will be used to draw some parallels between modern day refugees and unaccompanied minors both in the US and Europe. There were a lot of kids on that plane and I'm sure some have dead bio parents, some were conceived through "the ceremony" and some will have to be reunited with their refugee parents (like Rebecca). It's probably a bit of a strain on Canada and honestly I'd like to see how they handle the challenge. But I'm afraid it might end up being sad, depressing, and maybe a little too much like current times.  Or they might be forced to send some back. Just a horrific thought. 

I actually liked that they wore the white bonnets during the escape. It's unrealistic but it made it easier to see what was happening. I am still salty about that episode of Game of Thrones that was basically a black square for one hour with some screaming. It's okay to be unrealistic sometimes, I don't watch TV to pretend I'm in a battle, I watch it to watch other people be in a battle/escape from totalitarian governments. 

On 8/16/2019 at 2:34 AM, adidas said:

The Martha  said something about medical training or college. She might help June with her bullet wound?

She was studying for her MCATs, she wanted to be a radiologist. 

On 8/16/2019 at 2:34 AM, adidas said:

It looked like the Handmaids were pallbearers carrying a casket at the end. Combined with the song (I can’t remember the exact title but it was something like ‘into dust’ ... as in ashes to ashes, dust to dust?) what is the significance of this ‘death’? 

Probably rebirth from June the Handmaid who just wants to stay alive long enough to save Hannah, to a leader in the resistance. 

[Blahblah]

I’m being pedantic here but I still think there is a timeline error in that the strips were torn up before they knew they needed to mark the way through the wood. They definitely weren’t used to wrap the food bundles.

The food was wrapped up in the kitchen in larger pieces of white fabric with a blue stripe that look like dish cloths / tea towels - top left of this screen cap:

And here is the bundle of food at right of screen:

Spoiler

 

The Martha then collected stacks of sheets and went down to the basement where they were torn into long thin strips - apologies for the quality - it’s hard to catch just the right moment:

 

Spoiler

The bundle of long white strips was then shoved into a small bag:

Spoiler

 

Spoiler

 

[motelmum]

Thanks @Blahblah I was just about to do this too. 

I didn't think I had mis-remembered. I wondered at the time why the strips, especially when they shoved them in the bag. That's why I thought perhaps I missed a bit & they had mentioned bandages or something. Although they usually still roll hand made bandages.

[Dreadcrumbs]

5 hours ago, Maggie Mae said:

I actually liked that they wore the white bonnets during the escape. It's unrealistic but it made it easier to see what was happening. I am still salty about that episode of Game of Thrones that was basically a black square for one hour with some screaming. It's okay to be unrealistic sometimes, I don't watch TV to pretend I'm in a battle, I watch it to watch other people be in a battle/escape from totalitarian governments.

That's fair. I don't like it when I can't make out anything on the screen either.

[SilverBeach]

On 8/19/2019 at 5:41 AM, Dreadcrumbs said:

That's fair. I don't like it when I can't make out anything on the screen either.

THT is filmed so darkly! I find it irritating sometims. The reason for leaving on the red cloaks and light headgear may have been to make movement through the forest more visible for the audience. It's hard for me to totally suspend common sense, but I realize the program is fictional "entertainment".

Hats off to you super-observant folks about the sheets. All I know is that they had no zip lock or paper bags!

[Pretzel]

I have my computer screen set to the brightest mode and still often have trouble seeing properly what's going on in THT as it is filmed just so darkly. I understand that from a cinematographic point of view it makes sense to make it seem dark and scary, and film sterile places like the hospital or the grocery store in very cold and bright light. But it's all so straining on the eyes. 

I've caught up now on the last few episodes of season three. I have to admit that I have only watched recaps and short clips of season one and two, and still have skipped some parts of season three. There are some plot holes that make no sense to me and EM's acting is just so tiring. Note to the producers: When your heroine's facial expressions (or rather: lack thereof) make the audience want to hit their screen every time they see her, you're doing something wrong. I get that June is traumatized and sick of Gilead, but so are all the other handmaids and I am just so over June. High five to Janine for telling June that she is making everything about herself. Also, isn't something off with the timeline? When June went over the handmaid files in commander Lawrence's basement, she said the kids had been taken from them over 5 years ago, which doesn't make sense to me. The country has been in full-on Gilead mode for a max of two, maybe three years. Or was there a time leap that I missed? 

I wondered why June let Eleanor die. Wouldn't that raise a lot more suspicion than making sure Eleanor would help in the escape of the kids and join the plane? Also, Eleanor mentioned she was only allowed herbal teas in Gilead but she suddenly had access to sleeping pills to kill herself? Wouldn't a low dose of the latter have helped in keeping her at bay till the escape? 

Also, IIRC when June came into the house again, she said there were way more than just 52 kids. So, how many were there after all? 70? 90? Over 100? A country as big as Gilead, despite fertility problems and whatnot, doesn't make a number of 52+ kids seem like a big deal. Where does June live? DC? What about kids in Texas? In California? Etc. How large is the population of Gilead? It doesn't make sense to me at all. Are kids SUCH a rare occurrence that roughly a hundred missing kids would vitally endanger the future stability of Gilead? Roughly 100 kids are missing and nobody has noticed so far? Do commander's wives ever even take care of the kids or are kids just property and in reality the Marthas' responsibility? 

When Serena and Fred were at that other commander's place, a lively and modern-looking city could be seen from the windows of his apartment. Surely, Gilead is not just one populated city. Again, doesn't make much sense. Then on one hand, they're very green and resourceful. Glass bottles, cloth wraps, enamel dishes, and other household items which give a very "good ole times" vibe, yet there's a whole lot of destroyed land but super trendy cars (Fred is driving a 350 E Mercedes if I am not mistaken, so where do they get gas from?) and don't even talk to me about the rather sci-fi looking grocery stores. 

I've read somewhere, and I don't know how reliable that source is (if at all), that THT is supposed to run for 11 seasons. 11 (!) seasons of EM's empty stare, overdone acting, sore knees, and a huge lack of common sense. Where will season four take off? The way season three ended indicates a lot of trouble, yet THT can't run without June so there will probably someone else ending up at the wall but it won't be her. 

What if June is actually pregnant again with commander Lawrence's child? Now that his wife is dead, could a commander marry his pregnant handmaid? If so, June could become a commander's wife which would make for an interesting turn of events. How would the other handmaids react? I know that commander Lawrence handed June a blister of birth control pills, but we all know they would need a month or more to even kick in. It's not like he gave her plan B. Commander Lawrence is an interesting character and I would hate to see him die. He told June he never really had a thing for children, so it makes sense that his former three (four?) handmaids never got pregnant. Plus, he truly loved his wife and did not want to partake in the "ceremony". 

Some time earlier in this discussion, someone asked what would happen in 20+ years when the current handmaids will be old and not bear children anymore. My take on this is that the handmaids are a makeshift solution for as long as commanders' wives are infertile. Once the next generation grows up, they probably won't face the same issues anymore and will (in theory) be able to have children in marriage. What I still don't understand is, are there no 'normal' people with children? Surely not everyone can be a commander? Normal men would need wives too. Are those the econowives? 

Edited September 4, 2019 by Pretzel

[Blahblah]

@Pretzel here’s an article from last year that confirms 10 seasons (no thanks) and talks about econowives.

I Hope Commander Lawrence sticks around too.

[Pretzel]

@Blahblah I can't see a link? 

[Blahblah]

1 hour ago, Pretzel said:

@Blahblah I can't see a link? 

https://www.bustle.com/p/what-are-econopeople-on-the-handmaids-tale-gileads-middle-class-was-fleshed-out-for-the-series-8952644

I shall try again! Sorry !

[mstee]

I haven’t had a chance to watch season 3 yet , but I like spoilers. Why wasn’t Hannah on the plane to Canada? 

[Maggie Mae]

19 minutes ago, mstee said:

I haven’t had a chance to watch season 3 yet , but I like spoilers. Why wasn’t Hannah on the plane to Canada? 

June kept harassing her kidnapper family, so they moved. 

[mstee]

9 hours ago, Maggie Mae said:

June kept harassing her kidnapper family, so they moved. 

Well that stinks! 

[SilverBeach]

14 hours ago, Maggie Mae said:

June kept harassing her kidnapper family, so they moved. 

Subtlety is not June's strong point. She should have been more strategic in her approach toward Hannah, so as not to blow it all like she did. If I freed all those children, yet my own child remained abducted with a dismal future, I would feel like a failure. Ostensibly, she stayed in Gilead to free Hannah, but June could have just as well escaped to Canada with Holly. At least one of her children would have had her mother then. 

I'm looking forward to reading The Testaments. I've read some spoilers (I don't mind them at all), and it appears that things went in an unexpected direction for some characters.

[DancingPhalanges]

2 hours ago, SilverBeach said:

I'm looking forward to reading The Testaments. I've read some spoilers (I don't mind them at all), and it appears that things went in an unexpected direction for some characters.

I pre-ordered and looking forward to reading it. I’m so frustrated with HMT turning from dark dystopian to pure fantasy, hoping the book helps get me back to the story I originally liked. 

[Pretzel]

3 hours ago, DancingPhalanges said:

I pre-ordered and looking forward to reading it. I’m so frustrated with HMT turning from dark dystopian to pure fantasy, hoping the book helps get me back to the story I originally liked. 

Doesn't dystopian always include a bit of fantasy?

6 hours ago, SilverBeach said:

Subtlety is not June's strong point. She should have been more strategic in her approach toward Hannah, so as not to blow it all like she did. If I freed all those children, yet my own child remained abducted with a dismal future, I would feel like a failure. Ostensibly, she stayed in Gilead to free Hannah, but June could have just as well escaped to Canada with Holly. At least one of her children would have had her mother then. 

I know HMT is a TV show, but it still makes me so angry. If this was real, June blew a chance to be reunited with her husband and take her youngest child with her. She could've had a chance at fighting for Hannah together with Luke from Canada. But she majorly blew it. And just imagine we'll have to endure June's stupidity for 7-8 more seasons! I hope Hulu will put a stop to it after season 4 or 5.

Really, HMT isn't Grey's Anatomy. Make it end.

[AmericanRose]

I have to admit, reading the posts here made me not to want to watch this season ? But I made it through!

I actually really enjoyed it. There were times when I would get annoyed with June, but though I would like to think I would be calm and calculating in that sort of situation... I don't know (and to be honest, I don't ever want to know). It was nice to get a timeline though; in those episodes June was going through the papers in Lawrence's office, I noted she gave birth to Hannah in 2009 and Nichole/Holly in 2017. So... things didn't take too long to change!

I would like to open up the world more. We get to spend time with Commanders, so it would be nice to know what's going on. From what I gather, Alaska and Hawaii are still American, and Chicago was recently captured... what about the west coast? The east coast is clearly Gilead, and I would imagine the south as well, but I want more details! I would also like more backstory about how this came to be.. though really, I suppose it's not much of a stretch to imagine that enough people would kill for a theocracy to turn the US into Gilead.

The Serena and Nichole thing drove me crazy. She's not her mother in any way, shape or form. I guess she convinced herself that any kid born to June would be hers, but I wish more people had corrected her... Moira did, and the social worker gently did so, but they seemed to gloss over that fact. I guess Nichole was a political bargaining chip, but still.

I was pretty pleased to see the Waterfords arrested. Hopefully with them and Winslow gone, Gilead can begin to dismantle. With Serena and Fred testifying against each other, hopefully the rest of the world has whatever it needs to intervene. So for season 4, I would like to see the Waterfords get what they deserve, and more of Canada. ?

Edited to add I find it odd that a presumably religious Gileadian would change a kid's name from Rebecca (fairly religious, no?) to... Kiki.

Edited September 16, 2019 by AmericanRose

[motelmum]

I feel totally vindicated that in the "Testaments" Margaret Atwood spells Nicole as well Nicole! 
Sorry to go off topic I know this is about the TV series not the books, but ....shrug.