Cornhusker12

3 episodes in I really like Katie, I think she's sincere and charming and probably fun to be around, but I'm not sure she's really up to the task of being the lead unfortunately. There have already been several times when she's seemed FAR too gullible and susceptible to guys trying to manipulate the situation. I hope she finds some more solid ground and feels more secure as more time goes by and she feels more comfortable with certain guys. I REALLY liked the way she and Michael fit together, not only with his tragic situation but on their entire date, and I'm definitely rooting for them so far.

Thomas is so strange. On one hand, he seems incapable of lying by omission, or even "massaging the truth." He said straight up (without even being asked!) that he was originally there to create a platform for himself, and then admitted he was thinking about the possibility of becoming the Bachelor. That is probably true of 90% of people on this show. But the fact that he doesn't know how to communicate those things in a way that seems disarming or humble makes him seem like he's completely insincere about everything else that comes out of his mouth. To admit that you joined the show for attention but then out of the other side of your mouth say BUT WAIT I'M ALREADY FALLING IN LOVE makes the whole house of cards fall down. Ironically, I know lots of people hate Nick Viall, but I could actually imagine someone like him being able to thread that needle a lot better. I can picture him doing his faux-shy/mischevious bit and being like "well yeah I mean... the chances of finding love on this show are 30-1... how could I expect little old me to be the one? Every one of us here came on this show hoping for love but also thinking in the back of our minds that if we don't find love, we'll at least have different life opportunities afterwards. But... something unexpected happened, and all of that went out the window on the first night when I actually got to meet you... (yada yada yada)" Thomas isn't sincere OR capable of that haha so he comes across like a weirdo.

I think something interesting about discussing this show is whether you are judging by a list of actions the characters do, or by how well the show portrays and executes the telling of the story of those actions. For me, OF COURSE all of this stuff is happening in an fictional reality of horrific fascism, war, oppression, and widespread abuse. My logical brain understands that things happening in that moral gray area don't fall into "good" or "bad" the way they do in our lives. But it's also my opinion that the show doesn't always portray things in ways that drive that point home very well. Certain things that should send a shiver down anyone's spine, like a brutally violent group revenge killing that includes biting and mutilating a body, could be portrayed as brutal and horrifying while also being cathartic for these people who have been corrupted and pushed to their brink by their circumstances. On the other hand, to my irritation, it was portrayed as something mischievous and fun, with makeouts and gleeful grins and "You Don't Own Me" playing over the scene until the main character is covering her own baby in the dead guy's blood. Yes, I completely understand why these people would want to destroy their oppressors by any means necessary in real life, including doing things that seem totally outlandish to someone who isn't in their position. But the SHOW itself doesn't seem to handle those things with as much nuance and skill as I wish it did I guess. The elements that they decide to make elevated/realistic/heroic/ironic/surreal/romantic/brutal/glorified often don't feel calibrated quite right.

Yeah I definitely agree. There are tons of fascinating characters in tv/movie history who are supposed to be vague/mysterious/buttoned up/poker-faced, but through the writing and acting we as the audience somehow learn and understand WHY they are that way and for what purpose. I just get nothing from Tuello haha it just feels like a wasted character so far.

More random Tuello thoughts because he is such a strange character, simultaneously dreadfully boring and insanely powerful: I'm still unsure who he works for or in what capacity. He can arrest people and put them in custody of USA, Canda, and/or the International Criminal Court. As someone else mentioned, he also seems to have certain diplomatic decision-making powers and responsibilities normally reserved for the US Secretary of State. He mentioned having a "boss" for the first time in this episode, was he referring to the exiled US President?? He can apparently arrange phone calls/meetings with any and all major players in Gilead, a locked down authoritarian fascist state, inside or outside of the country, with ease. He also happens to be one of the most boring/monotone/personality-free tv characters since Gunther on Friends, only with him it isn't a comedic persona it's just... Tuello. The only time he's shown any sort of liveliness was when he whined to June about finding him on his jogging route.

I wish they would've reminded us viewers about that somehow instead of focusing on the Jezebel's bit and the "biting", I totally forgot and didn't make that connection in the moment.

Tuello is one of the most boring people I've ever seen on a tv show

Whatever the intent was, the sex scene reminded me of the scene early on in Breaking Bad when Walter comes home after doing some kind of "bad"/cathartic deed and finds Skyler in the kitchen and wordlessly goes up behind her and starts trying to have sex with her. Skyler is somewhat amused at first but quickly gets annoyed and then furious because he's acting so weird and pushy and she finally has to scream at him to stop before he finally does. Similarly to the scene in this episode, it wasn’t about Skyler, it wasn’t about sex, it was about power and anger and domination. There are obvious differences when a man is the one doing it, and the situations involving the context and characters are extremely different as well. But Breaking Bad made it very clear that what he did was shameful and gross AT BEST. The scene in this episode could've been a lot more clear about whether we as the audience were supposed to view it as Powerful June Reclaiming Her Agency or Traumatized June Desperately Needing Therapy And Resocialization. In a different show I might appreciate the subtlety and ambiguity, but Handmaid's Tale doesn't really do subtlety and ambiguity very well in my opinion and I doubt it'll factor into the plot again.

Unbelievable that it was just like "Alright welcome to Canada! ... Enjoy your hotel!... ok seeya later!" I kept saying she needed the full Captain Phillips treatment!!

I actually wondered if Hannah would be revealed to be a hologram or something haha. I just can't imagine the conversations that had to lead up to them taking the real Hannah and getting her into that situation... "Hey parents! We need to borrow your priceless stolen daughter for a few days, don't worry it's an all expenses paid trip. Yeah we just need to bring her into this dungeon lair to torture her birth mother. She'll be safely enclosed in a glass box the WHOLE time we promise!" "Hey Hannah! Thanks for being here. Sooo we're gonna need you to hang out here with us - er, CHILL OUT as the kids say, heh heh... So yeah you WILL need to get inside this Hannibal Lector style cage in the middle of the room BUT we'll let you play with this one single doll while you're in there! Sounds fun right? Now hop on in there you little rascal!"

This season seems to be an improvement so far, but there are still things that make me roll my eyes. The stakes are just all over the place, constantly changing from scene to scene. For example, the "Angel Flight" was clearly a giant international incident, we were told that it could start a war that could "kill millions." It presumably brought universal attention to the horrific atrocities being perpetrated by Gilead. But when we cross the border into Canada... it seems more like a cause for a pleasant suburban bake sale fundraiser?

Yup I figured they were holding back on Biden appearances because they were fine-tuning some new angles and ideas for the impression, but it turns out they just have literally nothing. I totally understand how it's a tougher assignment than Trump or Clinton or Bush or any of the classic SNL presidents, but come on. I expected more from Alex for some reason, but it's like a gruff vaguely Southern-ish accent out of touch guy? That's the Biden they came up with? He has SO many little verbal tics and go-to moves that they should easily be parodying in their portrayal but instead it's kinda one of the worst and laziest SNL president portrayals I can remember so far. The Dana Carvey impression is incredible, I hope they're done with the era of bringing in non-castmembers to do impressions but maybe they should just ask Dana for permission to rip him off haha

Siiiigh, Maya has a serious case of diminishing returns. It seems like she and several other former castmembers (Tina Fey and Kristen Wiig come to mind) all do the EXACT same bit any time they host or even make an appearance, which is putting on the big placid famous-person smile and saying SUPER WACKY things while expecting to be treated like a god, and then whoever they're talking to in the bit will just be like "ummm ok Ms. Rudolph?" We saw yet another very lame example in the monologue. In general, I enjoyed Maya as a castmember and when she's had supporting roles on other shows/movies, but I don't have the same fond feelings that a lot of the internet seems to have. She is talked about as this Superstar Queen of SNL by a lot of fans and other sites and I'm not exactly sure where that came from or why it has grown legs over the past several years.

Yeah it's a weird vibe this season. I do think Matt seems like a pretty nice guy - not a complete dud personality like Pilot Pete and not at all a disrespectful playboy like Juan Pablo or a famewhore or anything like that. But he just seems like what he kind of is: A guy who was pushed along into the role by his Bach-famous friends instead of a guy who was actively seeking out the role, or even seeking out a relationship. He seems like he would've been cool with finding love on the show, but if it doesn't happen he won't be phased at all. In my opinion he's just been a passive observer. He could've had a better shot at finding at least ONE meaningful relationship if someone was shepherding him through the process and facilitating conversations and stuff haha, but left to his own devices he's kinda just getting lost in it all and not establishing any connections. It's like he doesn't know how to have full back-and-forth conversations. And like I said, it's not even like he's cutting off the convos to make out because he's a horndog, it's more like he's just waiting for someone to tell him what he should be doing.

Yup, and she's gotten that treatment for at least 4 years now, it's unreal.

Absolutely. At this point McKinnon unfortunately annoys me more than any other cast member I can remember. She is talented but I'm praying she finally moves on after this season.

Ah yes Jared, the Manliness Expert of Bachelor Nation, AKA the guy so insecure and wishy washy that he married his own stalker.

I'm curious if we'll end up getting any more peeks behind the curtain after the season regarding the quarantine/La Quinta part of it all. It SEEMS that there must be some other wing of the resort that is housing other Bachelor Nation people who they are planning to have pop into the season like Deanna(?), Chris & Bri, etc. Production-wise, they NEED to have some kind of way to fluff up these DIY dates in place of all the extras and outsiders who would normally populate a Bachelor season. Maybe they even just put out an open call to any former castmembers who were up for quarantining for two weeks to be able to go stay in the bubble for fun, who knows? My guess is that Tayshia was already there in that out-of-the-way part of the quarantine resort with other Bachelor Nation people. So when they realized Clare was well on her way to "blowing up the Bachelor" they were lucky/prepared enough to have Tayshia on hand already, and she could slide into being the lead instead of waiting around in the pool with the other Bachelor Nation crew to give Clare advice in episode 10 or whatever. Again, no inside info at all but that would make sense based on how they've managed to have guests come in and have a replacement ready to step in right away. I think it's a lot less far-fetched than ABC breaking their own quarantine rules or planning for Clare to blow up the show all along. The four limo guys though, I'm not sure. Maybe they didn't make the cut but the show kept them around as alternates in case some of the guys ended up leaving early for their own reasons.

Haha my ears perk up on those moments too, I know she did a "cheers me" but if I remember correctly she also said "I'd like to toast to all of you" and "cheers to love," that's a not-bad 2/3 for this show! I had zero opinion of Brendan before his date and expected nothing from him for some reason, but I ended up surprised! He just seemed like a totally pleasant nice guy who stumbled into the Bachelorette universe from the real world where normal people live! I hope that continues.

I used to think I wanted a different Biden but after rewatching some of his sketches I totally agree. He could tone down his characterization to fit with the 2020 Biden and still nail it much better than Woody or Jim Carrey.

Siiiiigh this was a another bad episode unfortunately. The show is just absolutely not meeting the moment this season. The election season episodes in 2016 were electric, there were so many memorable moments and sketches, even sketches that had nothing to do with the election. The writing was sharp, the cast was on top of their game. It was all on point. This season everyone seems to almost not want to be there. I think they're understandably spooked and hesitant by the pandemic and the restrictions and only having half of an audience. I get it, but it's still resulting in a lackluster show. I also think the cast and writers need pretty much a complete overhaul. The vets have stayed on so long they've been repeating themselves for years, 2/3 of the new hires seem to be blander than ever, and the writing is so lazy at times it's sad. "Crazy people make bug eyes at the camera! Normal guy is mystified! Sketch complete." As for Jim Carrey, I give him a little slack because the writing is just a mess. I can't believe they had all this time to come up with an angle for Biden and they are going with "Senile crazed creepy old man who has no plans and can't remember where he is and is also boring." Basically just right out of the Trump playbook. So strange. Carrey can only do so much when he's given the material, and the material ends up making Trump to seem more grounded, albeit disturbed, than Biden, who is drifting off through the clouds somewhere. Yes, he is elderly, yes he loses his train of thought at times, those are ripe for SNL. But what they are doing with that isn't clever or funny, it's just turning Trump's Twitter caricature of Biden into reality. To his credit, Carrey has some of Biden's looks and voice down but the manic energy and details throw the whole thing off. Anyway I liked Weekend Update! And the two commercials were really good, especially 5 Hour Empathy!

Yeah this is where I landed as well. Watching the finale made me realize that they tried to fit an entire "extended cinematic universe" into the shape of a 10-episode TV show. Each episode was so distinct and only tangentially related to the others that they almost felt like separate shows/movies. Which could have been fine, but the mythology and details that the episodes shared were so intricate and confusing that they were borderline unintelligible. Bringing elements from each individual installment together into the finale as if it was a big "Avengers" style extended universe event didn't work well for me because the gaps between the individual installments were never explained or filled in. It felt like the detours taken in individual episodes needed several MORE episodes each filled with explanation and connective tissue for the plotting to add up in some way. Anyway, it was still definitely worth watching and I'm glad I tuned in every week! It had truly incredible acting and production design and historical symbolism that I was inspired by and really appreciated, and had some of the most harrowing and eye-opening portrayals of the darkness of our society that I've ever seen. But I hope if the show continues they choose to nail down the "who/what/when/where/why" of it all a LOT more. I appreciate mystery and ambiguity, but this veered past those things and into messiness haha.

Montrose and Tic realizing that Tic was the guy with the bat all along = Harry Potter realizing he cast the Expecto Patronum spell at the end of HP3

Haha this example perfectly sums up the thoughts I keep having about this show lately unfortunately 😞 I was all on board for the first few episodes and will definitely stick with it because it's always, at the very least, beautifully acted and designed and makes me think. But more and more I'm left with an empty feeling due to lacking cohesion and ongoing plot. I understand that it's sort of an episode by episode anthology series, but I just can't get used to it being this drastic I guess haha. Each episode has been interesting and enlightening in a lot of ways, especially when it comes to showing Black Americans in ways that have never been explored enough in pop culture, but I still crave a lot more of the "who/what/when/where/why" side of things. The first two episodes set up what I thought was going to be this incredible trio of main characters who we would follow in and out of genres, see them on crazy adventures we've never seen on TV, and get to know them and their families and deeply care about them and their circumstances, but 5 episodes later I unfortunately feel like we have never been given a chance to get any momentum going on any given plot point or character, and it doesn't seem like much of it will ever get brought back around for any sort of explanation or payoff. I don't want to seem like I'm too down on the show, like I said I do look forward to watching it and I'm totally intrigued by the general insanity of the genre-bending, but as of right now I just feel like the scales are weighted way too heavily on the side of "keep the audience off balance" instead of "keep the audience invested." In my opinion they didn't build enough foundation yet to have the show change so much week to week, instead of a wild ride it just feels off the rails and somewhat unearned and laden with plot holes. Maybe I'm just not on the right wavelength though haha. Alright all that being said Aunjanue Ellis gave an amazing performance even when the writing could have come across stilted, and it made me so happy to see Courtney B. Vance come back as George. He was such a warm presence in the first two episodes I keep hoping the next mysterious plot point is that he comes back to life so he can be back in the show for good... maybe??

Oh yeah I agree and that all definitely came through, I'm just not a fan of the creative decision to turn the main character into a war criminal torturer in order to nail that point home unfortunately.