mamadrama
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Posts posted by mamadrama
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21 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:
I agree with this but I do think there are still several 'mysteries'/unanswered questions.
Who is Annabelle?
What was the gunshot that Vince/Jamie/Jeanette heard?
How was Kate rescued/Martin killed?
Why does Kate think Jeanette saw her? (Since it seems blatantly obvious that Jeanette did not see her.)
What was the voicemail?Right, that's what I meant by the "traditional sense" and how it all falls together. We know the big answer, the "who", we're just still trying to learn all the "hows." For some who are still expecting time travel, all of this to be a dream, etc the ending might be a letdown. I personally enjoy it. I like watching all the pieces slide into place.
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12 hours ago, EllaWycliffe said:
This sort of tactic only works for so long. You can't rule over the proletariat if the proletariat dies out. You can't take all the viable fertile daughters of the lower class for handmaid duty for the upper class without depleting the lower class workers.
Yes! This has been my fundamental issue with the whole system from the beginning, and what I was thinking when they opened the new red center. It's fine when you have unholy women left over from the previous world, but what happens when those people age out? I don't think there are going to be enough women committing enough infarcations to supply the need. They can keep changing the rules, but eventually people are going to figure out ways to hide shit.
IMO the only way this will continue to work is if Gilead trades women/supplies with other countries and/or if they turn it into a nun-type deal where women choose to enter the "service." Likewise, if Gilead offers financial or other incentives then some families might tag their daughters for service upon birth and raise them to be Handmaids.
I just don't think the current system, as is, is going to work long term. Commanders, Guardians, etc are going to need wives and it appears that not many of the Handmaids are reproducing right now, and if they do there's no guarantee they'll have boys. They're going to eventually run out of women.
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5 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:
I’m just amazed at how many people sincerely believe that Mallory is evil and that she was somehow involved in the abduction and framed Jeanette for it. Seriously?
Look, she may not be likable at times, but I honestly haven’t seen any indication that she’s evil for God’s sake.
Ooh good points. That entitlement seems to rear its head in a bit from the trailer where Kate and Jeanette confronting each other, which goes like this:
Jeanette: Can you not see how you’ve ruined my life?!
Kate: You STOLE mine!
Jeanette: YOU DIDN’T EVEN WANT IT!
That made my jaw drop. Jeanette is basically justifying taking Kate’s place because Kate didn’t appreciate it? Wooooow. And if this fits with Jeanette and her lawyer using the chatroom to accuse her of faking the kidnapping because she secretly wanted to run away with Harris, then Jeanette has lost what little sympathy I have for her.
I have no idea how Annabelle is going to pan out.
I'm afraid that many people are going to be disappointed in the ending. Marketing this show as a mystery has people actively trying to solve it, and I've seen theories ranging from time travel to multiple personalities. I don't think there IS a mystery to it, though. At least not in the traditional sense. We know who the bad guy is-the rest is just seeing how it all falls together. In the end I think everything will have a simple, rational explanation. For instance, there were people who thought that Jeanette knew about Kate before anyone else because SHE was the one who kidnapped her when, in actuality, she simply overheard the conversation.
The only villain is Martin. Everything else seemed to just happen by chance-one little event after another after another, much like the Rube Goldberg machine. Jeanette, Mallory, Jamie...all these people seem to be average, normal folk. Some more troubled than others, some in need of intense therapy, but no criminal masterminds and nothing evil.
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8 hours ago, JenE4 said:
So, that is interesting that it was nighttime when the shot—singular, not quite what I would define as “a shootout”—took place, but the Police didn’t arrive until morning to get Kate out of there? Because otherwise the first thing they would do is get the victim removed to safety. It’s possible (yet unlikely) that this is a continuity error. It’s also possible that “Annabelle” shot Kate, not the police. I think it was the episode with the hunting trip that I speculated that they wouldn’t have shown Kate to be an expert shooter if this wasn’t going to be relevant to the story. I tend to think Kate’s dissociative “Annabelle” personality came out that night with Kate’s marksmanship skills and SHE shot Martin, but she doesn’t remember doing so. She may have been in the “Annabelle” state all night, and then only the next day “Kate” woke up to find Martin shot, with vague recollections of Annabelle and the freedom to finally call the police. I think once she begins to remember “who” Annabelle is, it will all come back to her.
Speaking of Chekhov’s gun...we wouldn’t have seen Jamie’s gun if THAT wasn’t going to come into play somehow. But we know HE didn’t shoot Martin—or whomever was shot that night—because we saw him saying goodnight to Jeanette when it happened. Vince was also there. Anyone else is fair game, I guess! (I’m sticking with Kate as Annabelle.) But what I want to know is who is ultimately going to be shot by Jamie’s gun?? Otherwise there’s absolutely no reason for him to have it, and it’s breaking a cardinal rule of playwrighting!
If you're interested in this alter ego Annabelle theory then it's actually been addressed by one of the series' main stars:
Spoilerhttps://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a36619514/cruel-summer-season-1-finale-annabelle-theory/
with just two episodes remaining, Allius has ruled out one potential outcome: Annabelle is not Kate or Martin's alter ego. Asked about his favourite fan theories, Allius told Elite Daily: "A funny one [is] that Annabelle is Kate or Martin's alter-ego, and that Martin has passed on this different personality to Kate and trained her to become another person.
"That was pretty crazy. It sounds like a really good show. Unfortunately, it's not ours."
I tried to hide this under a spoilers thingy. Not really sure if it counts as one since it's not exactly giving anything big away, but you never know.
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1 hour ago, Cinnabon said:
No IVF in Gilead.
I think she meant pre-Gilead.
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1 hour ago, RachelKM said:
Everyone learned of Kate's rescue the next day. We don't necessarily know when everything went down.
They showed Kate being led from the house with police in the daylight.
Edited: sorry @peachmangosteen I just saw your post!
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I watched Angel of Mine with Yvonne and went in with the same expectations that I would go in for a Lifetime or Sunday night movie. I was pleasantly surprised, though. It was cheesy, but remarkably more enjoyable than I expected.
I still love STILL with Madeline Brewer. As an Appalachian I generally go into those films with gritted teeth. My kids and I made up an Appalachian BINGO game to play when watching them. Surprisingly, none of us won watching STILL. It was a good movie. Kind of a mystery/mountain fable.
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1 hour ago, Pepper the Cat said:
Huge Lois Duncan fan here! Agree Daughters of Eve fits this perfectly! Have you read her updated version?
Didn't know there was one! I hated how they adapted I Know What You Did Last Summer and fucked it up by turning it into a slasher film with a hook and fisherman. The OG story was great.
I loved the look on Serena's face when Fred was yammering on his bullshit during the testimony. She had this "this is so embarassing, this fuck face is going to get us both executed" look. Hated seeing the supportive crowd but not surprised. Terrible people almost always have at least some supporters. Her questioning him about whether he believed what he was saying made me laugh. To me it came across as are you REALLY dumb enough to believe that shit you said? Then, later, walking through the crowd, Well, my husband IS a dumbass after all but to my benefit at least his weak mind is going to work to my advantage!
A coupe? Civil war? Stripping of women's rights? Kidnapping? Treachery? Mass murder? Sexual slavery? Physical, emotional, and religious abuse? This selfish bitch sure put in a lot of effort to get a baby. If anyone can understand the lengths that June has gone through to get HER baby then it should be this heifer...
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8 hours ago, RachelKM said:
Huge Duncan fan here. But I don't think i read that one. Now I have to go look it up.
I recommend her memoir, Who Killed My Daughter, if you haven't read it. Totally different from her paranormal books (Daughters of Eve isn't paranormal either) but it's very good.
I'm starting to feel like there's something wrong with me. On a scale of 1-10 I liked this episode around a 6, but I haven't been higher than that since the 2nd season. I'm completely whelmed by the whole thing. I think I've become Handmaid weary and am just burned out. Having to wait a year between seasons, and 2 years for this last one (which I know isn't their fault), is just killing my interest. The cinematography that I used to find beautiful and interesting just falls flat to me now. I don't like June, but I like Lizzie's acting even less. I can't care about her character anymore. I'm much more interested in Emily, Lydia, and Serena Joy. The latter two might be villains but I still find them more interesting to watch.
If I start a series then I'll stick with it until the bitter end, but I miss actually looking forward to midnight.
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11 hours ago, Pixel said:
I don’t see how the snow globe sound on the voicemail is relevant unless it ties Jeannette to Martin’s house. Maybe she was hiding and butt dialed Jamie. She was probably in the closet, holding the snow globe, when it accidentally went off or something.
To butt dial Jamie's number would have to be pre-programmed into Martin's phone. However, I do agree with the gist of your post. Martin has a cordless phone, we've seen it. Kate could've sneaked it into a closet or someplace and dialed Jamie's number but was then unable to speak because Martin walked back into the room. I do think the snow globe went off by accident.
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It would be interesting if, with all this animosity, it was Mallory who actually saw Kate in Martin's house (through the window) and not Jeanette.
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7 hours ago, BrindaWalsh said:
Was anybody a Lois Duncan fan growing up and if so did you get Daughters Of Eve vibes to the nth degree in those therapy sessions?
Speaking of therapy, what is this group stuff? Every single one of these ladies should be inextensive private counseling, group led by a trained psychologist and some likely on a prescribed anti-depressant and/or anti-anxiety.
And as for June, I know why the show is going in this direction but honestly the show is so dark, I was hoping for some moments of light and love for June. Remember the beautiful reunion of Moira and Luke, that he had listed her as family? Yes, it is a dark show, but where is the poignancy?
Who in their right mind in Canada would be fans of the Waterfords.
You're the first person I've ever met who also loved Duncan. Daughter's of Eve is dead on in this situation.
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22 hours ago, AdorkableWitch said:
A lot of the language that Sidian uses is much more from the polyamourous community and they talk a lot about compersion aka being happy in someone else's happiness. I would not be surprised if they are polyamourous off camera.
I haven't heard Sidian use that word, only Dimitri, but it doesn't surprise me. I'd respect Tosha's excitement more if she were getting action from another wife. Because her excitement over Sidian is a head scratcher.
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It sucks that the only plot they seem to be able to come up with for Sutton is fucking with her marriage. I guess the actor couldn't commit. They'll probably bring him back for one last jiggy jiggy in the final episode.
Jane's got more plot armor than June Osborne. I'd like to see The Devil Wears Prada staff get a hold of her.
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44 minutes ago, Umbelina said:
Luke's lived with them though, and worked with them at the center.
That mute woman who wouldn't speak? Moira? He knows Emily too.
It's not as if the dude has no experience with survivors of Gilead.
That's just it-his experience is with survivors of Gilead, not so much with Gilead itself. Especially not with Gilead as a woman. While he experienced losing his wife and family, getting shot, and escaping to Canada those are vastly different experiences than what a female trapped and imprisoned there for several years went through.
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1 hour ago, Umbelina said:
The parts of this episode that fell apart for me (yes, I am watching again) are everything to do with Lydia and with Commander Lawrence.
None of it makes any real sense to me.
I get Lydia with her little pet she's abused for so long, Janine, but the rest of their stories?
WTF?
What is Lawrence's motivation now? What the hell is Lydia's?
I adored all the Canada scenes, but the disconnect with Lawrence/Lydia's actions is jarring.
Lawrence's character is puzzling to me. It's hard to figure him out and it's less of a "complicated character" issue and more of a poor character development one. He seems to fit whatever the plot needs to move forward with at each moment.
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1 hour ago, greekmom said:
Happens all the time.
Wizard of Oz. Great Expectations. The Devil Wears Prada. Thorn Birds (god one of my favourites!). North and South. Goodfellas. Children of a Lesser God. Outlander.
1 hour ago, EllaWycliffe said:I'd add Poldark, the Hannibal Lector series and The Walking Dead. Source material is different from movies and shows but it all works.
I'll add Roots, Anne with an E, The Haunting of Hill House (considered one of the best horror novels of all time AND award winning), Bones, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Call the Midwife & Orange is the New Black (both true memoirs that highly deviate from the true story), Little House on the Prairie, The Queen's Gambit...Even Atwood's other book, Alias Grace, had changes for the series.
What's considered good, and even a classic, is highly subjective. At the end of the day this is a dystopian science fiction novel. A good one, but still fiction.
This is a television show, not an audio book. It's a completely different form of storytelling. They can change whatever the hell they want, and if they think they have an idea that will keep people watching and subscribing then they will. Once you sign that contract it's no longer just your book; it also belongs to the network executives, the showrunners, the producers, the directors, the actors...
Millions of books have been optioned and have never seen the light of day again. I've had 3 and they've sat in developmental hell for years. All optioned means is that nobody else can touch them. With other streaming apps gaining popularity it's no wonder they'd want a head start.
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17 minutes ago, Umbelina said:
I'm trying to figure out how long Gilead's been around in this show.
I think the best bet is to go by Hannah (but...perhaps not?)
Hannah was played by Jordana Blake, this season anyway, born in 2011. So that makes the actress 10 years old. I thought she was older, maybe playing older?Holy crap, I think she played Hannah in season one as well? That premiered in 2017, so she would have been 6.
June had to be there more than 4 years though, right? Now I'm all confused.
In court June said that she was placed with the Waterfords in 2017.
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New theory:
Mallory saw Kate in the window but didn't tell anyone because, at the time, she wasn't sure what she was looking at. Once Kate was rescued Mallory realized what she'd seen and, and how Kate could've been saved earlier if she'd spoken up, and it tore her up. That's why she's in therapy and why she is being so nice to Kate- penance.
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1 minute ago, greekmom said:
Great points Mamadrama.
Do you think Janine represents the girl that we saw in the flashback with Lydia when she was a teacher? The one that she was trying to save?
Yeah, I think shes definitely a surrogate for that student's mother. I think part of her feels betrayed (she blames her for a variety of things, like falling for a man and loosening her "morals" by getting her to wear makeup) but maybe even guilty for what happened, too, so she wants to "save" Janine from becoming the disappointment the mother was for Lydia.
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Lawrence saying that the new Handmaids have known it for "half their lives." So, what, they're all 10 (at most)?
I think part of the makeup choices for Alexis Bledel is a psychological, 4th wall nod to her stint on The Gilmore Girls. Many of us remember a young, fresh, beautiful Rory. You didn't get more All American Independent, Intelligent Girl than that. Seeing her beaten down by Gilead...😥
Aunt Lydia's love for Janine (which, IMO, is probably real for her) makes it one of the most interesting and fucked up relationships on TV. I'm fascinated by it. Janine is Lydia's humanity-whatever of it is left.
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30 minutes ago, jmcd44 said:
I rewound & took a picture to send to my friends & laughed & laughed!
I do too. I’m not sure why but I just can’t stand Jeanette & I feel bad that I don’t like a teenage girl being vilified by a town. I would like to cheer for both teenage girls & this would help
Vincent remains the best.
So. Much. This. Jeanette's a good example of how a person doesn't have to be likable to be a victim.
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In the real world the media would be been courting Jeanette to get her side as hard as they were going after Kate. If there's one thing they love more than a victim it's a villain. Sally Jesse, Montel, Ricki Lake...all those '90's shows I watched at the time. They'd have loved Jeanette.
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"Your actions have consequences, Jeanette."
I think that sums up the entire show. Everyone's actions led to something else happening. Sometimes the actions were good, sometimes poor, and sometimes well-intentioned but lousy, but they were choices mostly made by young people who were in the moment and acted accordingly. I don't believe any of the teens are bad or evil or immoral, sometimes they just make questionable decisions.
I don't think there's some grand plan here. A crazy person abducted a popular teen and the small town reacted. That's basically the story. In the aftermath everyone is able to trace the lines that led to the things that happened, but that's basically life.
Mallory (videotape), Jamie (interaction with Martin the night Kate disappeared), and Jeanette (she probably saw something in his house but didn't understand what she was seeing) ALL had pieces of the puzzle regarding Kate's disappearance but, unfortunately, they didn't know what they had.
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Season 1 Summary and Speculation
in Cruel Summer
Yeah, I'm nervous about that. It reminds me of LOST. They opened up so many mysteries that there was no way they could ever tie up all the loose ends. With this one I'm afraid they'll either try to shove everything in at once or they'll leave some things ambiguous.
I think there's a good chance Annabelle is a gun, maybe the one Martin's dad died from. Martin said he didn't like guns, didn't like to shoot, but there are literally shooting trophies in his school office...
IMO I think one of the "well, shit" moments will be when Kate learns that it was her new BFF who saw her at Martin's (through the window) and NOT Jeanette (though I still think Jeanette broke in and stole the snow globe) but that there was no real animosity there, just mistakes. I'm hoping that it will end with everyone coming to grips with the idea that they didn't really need a bad guy after all. Kate realizes that Jeanette didn't see her, Mallory feels bad for treating Jeanette the way she did, Ben realizes that the accident was NOT Jeanette's fault, Cindy understanding that it wasn't really Jeanette's situation and Greg that made her want to leave, etc.