The Mighty Peanut

Yep, I thought the same sort of thing. She honestly feels it's just a matter of having a more sensible theocracy, the kind she imagined in her book. I think she really believes that clean air and water and faith cures infertility. The way she was muttering in the hospital about the doctors refusing to let things resolve themselves naturally, that was from her heart. She doesn't seem to ever really connect that Gilead is totally evil because in her mind they've got the right idea and are just working out the kinks.

I wonder if the blue haired woman was done on purpose given that "blue haired feminists" represent everything wrong with society according to incel/men's rights groups (especially if they have *gasp* tattoos). Well, I'm calling Serena as the first member of New Bethlehem. And yeah obviously she's betrayed Gilead tons of times so it doesn't make any sort of continuity sense, but I think overall, thematically, it fits. Serena is the only character who really is between nations. She wants the personal freedoms of Canada and the religion of Gilead without the inconveniences of either. She wants exactly what Lawrence described--Gilead without the crimes against humanity. Of course she only cares because the atrocities finally started to affect her personally, but unlike June, Serena is a believer and would be perfectly willing to be a mouthpiece. We know she's good at PR.

I'd like to see Janine as one of the Aunts with it being implied she was Lydia's first pet project as a triple agent. They've made it so clear in HMT that June can't function without exhausting every possible option to get Hannah back. So like others I see some sort of scenario where Hannah rejects June and June is finally forced to make due with Nicole and Luke. Then Hannah could do her own mission and wind up in Canada or NB reunited with her mom who in the show would not be a stranger but would also not be a fully welcome presence. It would be somewhat clean if they ended the show with Hannah, June, Luke, and Nicole beginning the process of living as a family (I'm fanwanking Moira is somewhere experiencing everything good in life far away from The Osborne Family Shitshow). Though a more cynical way of looking at it would be everyone settles. Luke settles for June who is always half in Gilead, June settles for having Hannah back but not a Hannah that feels like her daughter, Hannah settles for parents who are strangers and continues to miss the Mackenzies, Nicole settles for being the child of a forced sexual encounter ..living under the same roof as June's golden child that June was always leaving Nicole for. Yay!

I feel stupid, I didn't pick up on the swastika imagery. I thought they looked like narrow U's like from a college sweatshirt. I even thought Wife U. Nazi U makes so much more sense.

This, but I'd add Lawrence especially should have an axe to grind because June hid the kids and Marthas for Angel's Flight in his home and nearly got Lawrence tortured and executed. Mainly though I just meant June is enemy #1 and a Gilead higher up can't show any support for her without putting themselves at risk, so June really put them in harm's way by demanding to speak with them as if they were her lawyers, and it seems like the TPTB are just going to treat it as a throwaway comment.

So. June assuming she had any kind of pull with her captors that they'd call anyone on her behalf--why? And why would she so clearly imply an alliance with two people who are supposed to want her dead? She just outed them as traitors. So they kind of just glossed over being about to harvest Esther's uterus, which is weird (also, creepy). It seems so at odds with so many other things, I don't even know where to start. I guess the main thing is Esther's fertile years have just begun and even if we assume Giladean science is so advanced that uterus transplants are commonplace and generally successful (which why would they be if they had to bring back Emily and Janine because handmaids were in such short supply) it's still nothing compared to 20+ years of breeding potential. She seems like a perfect candidate for the Magdalene Colony. I feel so bad for Esther. I hope she gets to kill someone eventually for therapeutic purposes. Normally I wouldn't say this but I think it would be good for her.

I still like it. There are weird little moments that make it real to me. Like when Alan is having his therapy fantasy and trying to come to terms with his past resentments so he can get ready for his own murder, and they got into that debate over whether saying "best kosher steak" secretly really was him being shady on some subconscious level (assuming Alan's mentor is really Alan talking with himself). I also thought it was interesting how willing the manager was to do something he was clearly sketched out by because of social conventions. Don't dare say no to this super bad vibe guy because he wants to take you to see this thing he saw that he wants you to see too and then that way you'll both have seen it. Don't piss of Sam the actual serial killer who is already pissed off enough to kill you over some other stupid thing.

I was worried for Alan when Sam wanted to talk and Alan said he was too exhausted, turning away from slam and closing his eyes. I read it as an unforgivable offense that would put him in the category of someone Sam could justifiably kill. Sure enough Sam is shopping for a new therapist. I think it's interesting that for all his will to survive and his understanding of Sam he still sometimes sees his situation as something that could be helped by setting healthy boundaries when someone is too demanding of his energy.

As unfair as the money thing is, the queens are all going to make bank in booking fees, sponsorships, tours, appearances, etc. Monet said at the Roscoe's viewing party that she agreed to do Secret Celebrity Drag Race "because the check was right". Vivienne and Trinity are touring, Jinkx and Dela...none of them are hurting for money. IIRC both Trinity and Alyssa Edwards said something to the effect of the prize isn't the crown, it's the gigs. So yeah the principle of the thing bothers me (especially with Yvie, getting no money after all the emotional and physical stress), but the queens are alright.

That's really too bad. Drag Race twitter is a shit show. Shea fans mad because they think the show was rigged against Shea. Monet fans mad because she won the lipsync and still lost, there was even a #JinkxMustAbdicate movement. Jinkx fans are mad at Monet fans because Jinkx was the stronger overall performer. The only fans that don't seem upset about the top 4 are Trinity fans. And I have to wonder if that's because Trinity is very open that she'll block anyone who trash talks the cast. There is also a twitter narrative that Bob hates Jinkx and thinks she robbed Monet, even though Bob posted a picture congratulating Jinkx and referring to her as the most talented drag racer he ever met, of whom he is in awe. Meanwhile, Raja just has a bot post updates for her daily zodiac. She's just sitting pretty with her wine and 50k. Raja ftw as always.

Wow. I feel really bad for Yvie. One thing I think that can be concluded about this season (and I say this as someone who really enjoyed it) is that there really is a lot to be blamed on the edit. The Viv, Shea, Monet, Trinity, and Yvie have all said something. I think I may have been too hard on Viv bc of all the sour faces she made...if more than half the cast says something is true, it's more than likely true. I really enjoyed having such a positive season but not at the cost of someone who was struggling a lot being reduced to a happy "big dick mascot". (BTW, obviously none of this is Jinkx’s fault. I am not meaning to denigrate her in any way).

I am curious if the "...and performances throughout the season" line was always going to be there or added in because Monet ate that lipsync. Just to clarify, I'm glad Jinkx won. And very happy for Raja. I liked when they asked her what she would do with 50k and she said get a sugar glider.

Was Shea's outfit a tribute to Kennedy Davenport? Because it had the red floppy things and the crystals. Maybe she lost the lip sync because the session with Trey went badly... I thought Monet won the lipsync but based on the performances all season was very happy to see Jinkx win.

That's odd. Trinity had said to watch how they edit the cartwheel so it cuts away before the landing...sure enough, it did. Maybe they reshot and she landed the 2nd? This show and their shenanigans.

I don't think the tomfoolery is all that bad when you take into account the charity stars. Jinkx and Trinity were the strongest competitors in terms of challenge wins and both made the top 4 despite having been blocked. Jaida's original top 4 placement was luck of the draw from Jinkx giving her a charity star, so I don't see it as her unfairly losing the lead so much as competing from where she would have been anyway (and I'm sorry but she has long since milked the last drop from the cow that was "Look over there"). Shea and Yvie both only won a single challenge and were even except Yvie had the other charity star. The "real" twos were just barely ahead, there was no obvious leader among them. In the end, Shea got lucky and Viv got unlucky, having been most affected by the block. Monet deserved that win and even if she had only won a single star it would have still put her up with Trinity and Jinkx. Yes, it would have been fairer to do a lipsync but I don't think the results would have changed much. The final spot was always going to be a wildcard. As much as The Viv's moping has bugged me, she did get shortchanged the most.