Emily Thrace

He might have said he was grad student or working as a junior prof they don't make much. Watching Eva listening to Peter with Simon and Susie confirmed what I've thought about her reasons for giving up her baby. I don't think it was ever about Aiden and her and more about her not wanting to be a single mom and wanting her kid to have a dad. The show has never said anything about her father but it seems like he was absentee. I think she wants to give Susie a mum and a dad and thought Peter and Toyah could do that.

Well they fucked that one up in record time. Although that's something I like about the show these guys are not perfect. They are good but hot headed and impulsive. Will could be a completely over the top action hero but they manage to keep him an everyman. Katie could be useless but her fire makes her the best person to recruit and keep everyone fighting. Will can't do that he's to cynical about war in general. He will fight but he can't bring himself to try and sell people on freedom and glory he knows better. As we saw this week Broussard is not a poeple person. He is good at bringing the paranoia though. Even Snyder is starting to find his place as the team Rap expert. MacGregor was a control freak leading a rag tag band of rebels his days were always numbered. If it wasn't the Bowmans it would be his own second in command.

Ah I think I might be mixing up the actor with his Alpha'a character. Although San Francisco and Vancouver are similar accents.

Straithairn is nailing the accent its his cadence and speech pattern that is still slightly Jewish Vancouverite. Which to be fair is the hardest part of your speech to change. Besides not all Belters would have the same accent anyway. Also is Melba's actress Aboriginal? (I couldn't find anything either way online but my Neechee detector is 80 percent certain) If she is putting Savage across her back is kinda unfortunate. Its kinda like sticking Naomi in a monkey jumpsuit.

It makes so much sense to bring him back the first time we see "Miller" again.

I actually feel its more the Rutherfords who are dragging over the same ground. They are assholes and I really don't see what else there is to say about them. Trying to mine more sympathy for the devil feels repetitive at this point. Even this week the walk with Serena and June felt like something we had seen before. Serena was fake nice, June shut her down and Serena reverted to bitch mode. Nothing we really haven't seen before. I think there are ways they could have kept the character's on the show without putting June back in that house. I feel like June's growth and character could have been explored in better ways even as a handmaid in a different house. I also am slightly uncomfortable with how far they have taken breaking down June and bring her low. Its not that I think a feminist work needs to only build up their female characters. Its more that if in June's case I wonder if it actually serves the story at this point. It feels more like they needed to give the character something to do while they set up other stories. Which is a terrible reason to go for a full blown breakdown of the main character. I also have issues with the level of violence and the constant threats. Last year the threats were implied. Jeanine was mutilated but it was off screen, people were killed but it wasn't anyone we knew. Now they are showing the mutilations and the death threats are daily and implicit. I get that they are trying to raise the stakes but I think they could do that(putting Luke in harm's way or showing more of without resorting to throwing violence in our faces. I would hate for this show to become something the MRAs watch to see "the bitches get what they deserve".

Well I think John Goodman just won another Emmy. This was good. I liked the continuity with the previous episode. There is something truly poignant about how the family is struggling even now. I loved the joke about the misspelled tweet. It was funny but didn't hit you over the head.

This season is dragging a bit. I don't think putting June back with the Rutherford s was the right choice. The show is dragging over the same ground as last year and its so hard to watch with so little payoff. There is a fine line between political commentary and misery porn the show is getting awfully close to the line. For all the complaints about Nick's actor he was really good this week. His face in the ceremony said everything. Also I suspect Fred was trying to ship him off to the front lines. Which explains why Boston seems so important if DC is a battleground. I actually liked the scenes in the Colonies best this week it actually seemed hopefull.

Except it actually makes perfect sense if you consider history. No Coloniser every thinks of themselves as monstrous murderers. There is always a justification for mass murder no matter how horrific. The British Empire had common strategy of befriending one group in an area they were moving into, allowing them to slaughter whoever their enemy was and then turning on their "Ally" and ruling over them. Even Japanese soldiers who participated in massacres still saw themselves as "Honorable Warriors". This particular Rap was a pilot probably not someone in the high ranks. He could be just parroting whatever propaganda he has been told. I also think since we are dealing with alien robots they could have a very different meaning for ally and equals.

Lori was not Sarah's fault. The writing was shit because the writers on TWD have mommy issues and don't like women. Watching Katie come into her own as a leader has been one of the best parts of this show.

A thought that occurred to me a while ago was that the Raps aren't truly Aliens but rather time travellers sent by future humans. It would explain why they sent robots and seem to be trying to save Earth itself. Its interesting that the Rap called the humans Allies because I could see how a robot race might see thier actions as simply logical and not realize humans with our emotions would see things differently. To a race of robots sacrificing 1 million people to save the rest make sense. Humans see it differently. Broussard's adventures could be interesting if it pays off but right now it feels a little like padding. I do like the doc though. MacGregor is every inch the asshole I thought he would be. Judging by the way he was talking about the Rap I would say he was some type of scientist. The arrival procedure he had the Bowmans on is very quarantine like as well. I suspect he was a failed or wannabe soldier before and is now living out his fantasy as resistance leader. Either he probably should shut up and let Will talk to the Rap. He probably know what he is doing more than anyone else they have.

They are waging war against Canada (and Britain as well) though as the last couple episodes have established. Any modern war requires massive amounts of oil. Your right Gilead wouldn't attack Canada unless they had something Gilead truly needed. (Canada also wouldn't just attack Gilead since they probably have thier own problems.) Oil makes sense although clean water might also be a possibility. I just think the lack of cars tells it own story. Even in this weeks episode these high ranking men carpooled to the skeet shooting. As Jezebels shows spiritual deprivation doesn't apply to the high ranks so why would these men be carpooling? Unless there truly is a shortage and they are trying to conserve. There is very little oil in the US itself and its only in specific areas Gilead could easily control most of the US and still not have any oil.

Something that occurred to me with all the talk about Canada is that unless Gilead reaches as far in land as the Dakotas Gilead doesn't have any oil supplies of thier own. As I pointed out last year Canada wouldn't invade Gilead automatically. Gilead might attack though if they needed something bad enough and Canada has plenty of oil. That's probably why we don't see a lot of cars in Gilead they don't have gas to run them. Interestingly that was what brought down the Nazis too in the end.

Yeah I'm hoping Space will keep airing rights in Canada whatever happens. Maybe they'll offer to help with production costs like they did with Orphan Black.

I'm starting to wonder if perhaps the whole Toyah and Eva mess isn't going end with Eva taking the baby back. I wonder if its actually going to be that Eva leaves her daughter with Peter and Toyah but Johnny finds out the truth and sues for custody. Which could get interesting. Technically Eva is the childs mother and if she decides to allow her friends to adopt her child that should be her right since Aidan is dead. Johnny would have rights too though which could complicate things. Could he actually sue for custody on the U.K.?

Or a survivalist group. Yeah that only one person is in charge and is pissy enough to not speak to people bringing in valuable intel is not a good sign. A council of war is a thing for a reason. It helps prevent mistakes and makes for better strategies. Although I fully expect our heros to be running the place by the end of the season.

I wondered if maybe he owned or worked for a landscaper.

As per usual just as we are about to write Snyder off as a simplistic weasel he shows some humanity. He clearly did not want to join the resistance. It was also clear it wasn't just for his own sake. He does care about the Bowmans. He would sell them put to save his own skin but he would prefer it if he could get what he wants without them getting hurt. I also liked his snarky line about trains. The show has always had Holocaust and WW2 parallels and Snyder hanging a lampshade was darkly funny. It also reinforces Snyders Ambiguous Judaism. Also Broussard is back Yay. Hes also about to be reunited with the Bowmans. I like his new ally this show was in danger of becoming way to male heavy so its good to have another female badass around.

My objection to the term "Baggage" was due to it having a negative connotation which is my whole point. Race shouldn't be a drawback or a "negative experience". Diversity has been shown so many times over to be a positive. Its assholes who want to blame someone else for their problems that make it harder. That's why the Expanse's approach to race bothers me it implies our identities are the problem and not the racists.

Actually when Johnny and Aiden first turned up ITV shared a family tree and Johnny and Mick (Michelle's Dad) are first cousin's. Which would make Carla and Michelle 1st cousins once removed and Carla and Ali 3rd cousins once removed. Which is also why I found it odd Johnny never spoke up when Carla married Paul they would have been at fairly high risk of birth defects if they had decided to have kids.

I'm not sure tonight's story unrealistic or more just a sign of things changing. Gross Indecency was repealed only 4 years after this episodes timeline. Its not the Fifties anymore and 1963 was when a lot attitudes started to shift. I also think the fact that one of these men had been married and they had a long standing friendship means people wouldn't jump to a homosexual relationship as their first thought. Especially since Dennis was ill. As far as most of Poplar would be concerned they are just neighbourly and taking in a sick friend. It also wasn't unheard of for gay couples to live together in that era (Delia and Patsy planed to at one point.). They just had to do so quietly and pretend to be roommates if anybody asked. These two also had less to lose than Delia and Patsy, only one of them is employed and theatres would be much more tolerant of gays than Nuns or the NHS. Olive would have been the only sticking point and she came around pretty quickly.

You might be surprised. While suicide probably is common in Gilead, history suggests most people will keep going no matter how bleak it gets. As long is there is some sliver of hope most people hang on believing they might escape or that the someone will save them. In this case I supect its the first. Although I wonder if they might be closer to the front lines at this camp. I definitely think the blowback on Handmaid's rebellion went on for too long. It served little purpose and I actually think if June had simply been taken away earlier it could be just as effective. The barking German Shepherds were a nice touch to reinforce the Holocaust imagery in the intro. I also liked the use of Fenway park I suspect actual hangings are probably what passes as entertainment in Gilead. I wonder if the actual site used for the shoot was Christie Pitts(it was too small to be the Blue Jays stadium). It would be a twisted irony if it was since it was the site of of a fascist riot in 1933. Given all the Holocaust imagery used in the first half I half expected Emily's colony to have 3 tiered wooden bunks and gray striped uniforms. As some who grew up in Canadian farm country it was actually a little disturbing how familar it was. I agree with others though that Emily's story is almost more interesting than June's right now. I have a feeling we are not just following her to just watch her die or at least not to see her go down without a fight. I do think June in the resistance has potential. It will give a bigger perspective on Gilead and how it works. I do think she will end up reunited with Luke at some point. There's to much drama not to. Especially since I don't think she really loves Nick yet. She might think she does but its just the extreme situation. I do think rescuing Hannah is the next order of business. Its too much of a risk otherwise. Serena or Aunt Lydia could use her to bring June in.

Fuck and I watched this thinking it would be a nice way to recover from the Handmaid's Tale. That was truly sad and I don't even like Barbara that much. She was to similar in personality to Sheliagh and just plain dull for my taste. I do wonder though if at some point Tom and Trixie might rekindle their romance. They've both grown a lot since then. It would be a way for the writers to make lemonade out of the other actress leaving.

Yeah I'm actually surprised this didn't come up already. You would think equipment failure would be something they would want to investigate if you have two impeccable employees pointing fingers.

I don't know about putting Carla and Peter back together. I think if TPTB really wanted that they would have put Leanne together with Steve to keep her out of the way. Honestly it feels a little like TPTB are not sure themselves. Also I totally agre with everything you said about Carla and Peter and Carla in general so you are definitely not alone. I'm also not sure it a totally unpopular opinion its just the other side is particularly loud and posts a lot on Twitter.