Helena Dax

I'm glad we got closure but I can't say I loved it. I didn't understand what was the point of Wolfgang's flashbacks and I don't buy Rajan's reaction to Wolfgang and Kala's relationship. Also, I don't know if the mythology makes sense, but it's too boring to try. Things I loved: Sun and her supercute boyfriend and her dog, that guy with the Sun-wig, the gang pretending to be tourists, Hernando trying to understand the cluster stuff and Dani turning Whispers into her bitch.

I wondered the same thing. Maybe she isn't ready to bluff. If he goes down, she goes down too. Another thing I noticed about this episode. All the women, except maybe Eden, were having actual, honest conversations with each other. They were women talking to other women, not a Wife talking to a Handmaid or an Aunt talking to a Handmaid etc. The female doctor forced to work as Martha became a person too. That part felt nice, but I'm not sure this should be happening. I mean why were suddenly all of them acting and talking like real human beings instead of Wives, Aunts, Handmaids etc? And the voiceovers were pretty terrible, tbh.

I I don't blame the doctor. Gildead was built on the premise that babies were the most important thing in the world. I'm not surprised the doctor couldn't even imagine that after everything they've done, a Wife could despise a baby so much.

Oh, Serena... I wanted to see her punished, but not by Fred, never by Fred, and not for that, I agree with you, @LittleRed84; he wanted to drive a wedge between June and Serena, and that's one of the reasons he did what he did. I didn't feel sorry for Serena but it wasn't satisfying either: I was too focused on hating Fred. I really thought things wouldn't go there. They all have dirt on each other and Serena and June could bluff that if they go down, he'll go down as well. But boy, was I mistaken. Now I'm just worried that Fred's death won't come soon enough. And well, tbh, I still don't feel sorry for Serena. I feel sorry for the female doctor, for baby Angela, for Janine, June and the Handmaids. I'm sad for Serena, though. As I said in a previous thread,, that's why I can't dislike women who support patriarchy as much as I dislike men who do the same. At the end, most women like Serena end up learning that supporting patriarchy didn't save them from its horrors. Although I must admit that I hated her when we saw the female doctor, a brilliant woman reduced to a house elf because of Serena and her pals. Everything about baby Angela was beautiful and sad. The special ambulance for babies, Janine's plea... Warren and his wife shouldn't be allowed to keep the baby, they almost killed her. And I don't care if they didn't want her. If they are Commander and Wife is because they helped to create Gilead, so the least they could so is take good care of a baby they stole from her real mother. Omg, send them to the colonies, I can't even. Also, it's stupid to keep the handmaids "working" in the same zone, assignment after assignment. Aunt Lydia surprised me. She's such an hypocrite and so honest at the same time. I have no doubt that she was honestly worried about Janine and wanted to protect her from pain, but at the same time, she would be able to punish Janine in terrible ways. I need so much to know more things about her... Where do Aunts live? What was her life pre-Gilead? C'mon show! We know about June, the Waterfords, Nick, Emily, Moira.... But Lydia's still a mystery!

The garage scene. I can see why other people, especially Americans, would dislike the resolution, but I still understand why Stan did what he did. Throughout the show we've seen several KGB operatives putting something else above their loyalty to their country. Nina chose her own dignity. Oleg chose a world without Russian bioweapons. Philip chose Kimmi's life and his own conscience. This time, Stan chose world peace and the Jennings over his country. If there was no safer way to pass along the info about Gorbachev, Stan did the right thing. (And tbh, if things had gone south in the garage, I wouldn't have bet my money on him. Elizabeth looked like a snake ready to lash and bite). Also, it's been a couple of days now and I still love that ending.

I just rewatched the first episode and there, Moira says Odette was caught, classified as unowoman and sent to the colonies.

Imo, Atwood never thought about all the complexities of a society like Gilead. It was never the point, she isn't Tolkien. Gilead works better as a symbol of a specific type of oppresive regime than as a real society so now that the writers are trying to expand this world, I'm not surprised some things are coming across as unclear -which commander has power over what commander- or unbelievable or repetitive.

No, that's pretty normal, especially since they're not used to speak in Russian at all. Yes, yes he does, and it's amazing. I'm in awe of that scene. I love how Stan is trying to see Russian spies and Philip is trying to make him see the Jennings. I think even his mention of EST is a way to do that. Like, "see, I'm still old, good Philip with my dumb ideas about EST" I don't know if the FBI could find and identify Paige's hair in one of the KGB cars, but imo, there's no way to prove she was really there. I mean, she was Philip and Elizabeth's daughter, she saw them regularly and it's logical to assume there was some hugging involved at some point. And sometimes you hug someone and you get a hair from them on your shoulder or your shirt. If she doesn't confess, what other proof do they have against her? Honest question, what do they have against Oleg? He wasn't spying on the Americans. He didn't commit treason. So he's guilty of meeting a Russian spy, but what kind of crime is that?

I can understand why some people would hate the episode but I LOVED it. The scene in the garage was insane! I couldn't believe it when Stan let them go. Tbh, Philip's balls are made of steel. The way he played Stan was masterful: he told the truth when it suited him -his quitting, Gorbachev, what he really thought of their friendship- and lied when it didn't. And I'm sure someone has already said this, but I think one of the reasons he let them go was Oleg. Because he felt guilty about Oleg and now Philip and Elizabeth happened to be in the same side as Oleg, so I think some part of Stan thought "I can't save you, but I still can save them". That, and the fact that he loved the Jennings, of course. (Anyway, I agree that Oleg should be fine in a couple of years). And the comment about Renée? Omg. I guess Philip`just wanted to warn him, but what a way to destroy the marriage of the man who has just put you and your family above his country! And I'm not disappointed by the lack of action, meaning fights and stuff. I never thought The Americans was that kind of show. It was about marriage, about them. At the end, they are together, back home again. To me, it was perfect,

I know that lots of Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors had healthy children, so maybe Emily still can get pregnant, who knows. But I' not sure the writers made the right move here. Doesn't Gilead feel smaller now? Why would you send Emily back to the same community? I wasn't surprised by Aunt Lydia's words. When the Inquisitors had you tortured and burned it was also for your own good and your inmortal soul. Ah, Serena... I think they all understand they're in the same boat too. In the eyes of Gildead, Eden is the only innocent left in this house. Even Rita hid those letters for a while and probably knows about June and Nick. That's pretty interesting because the dynamic in this house has to change after something like that. Serena took a huge risk when she made Nick and June sleep together, but she still had the possibility of saying that she didn't know anything. Now she can't do that. If they find out, she's fucked. And while I don't know if I really want a redeemed Serena, I just can't wait to see Fred's face when he finds out.

The first episode was meh until the end, when we met Azrael, although I agree that she wasn't very impressive. I did love the second one, though. It was funny and well-thought. Linda's cleavage, for instance: she's now a TV star and she's way more sexualized. Or Chloe's make up, heavier around her eyes. Loved Maze's mask and followers. And the fact that God was the narrator (and his good will was obvious) seems to prove once and forever that Lucifer has been misunderstanding everything his dad does. I know third season sucked, but now I think fourth season could have been better, with a bigger dose of supernatural stuff, Chloe knowing etc.

That's from The Americans, if I'm not mistaken, heh.

I would like to see Fred without some limbs and/or severe brain damage, forced to depend on the women he used to lord over. Can you imagine Serena taking care of him? Me neither. But I'm not just saying this out of spite; it would be interesting to explore what happens when the master loses his power. Yeah, he isn't a rapist. In fact, she wanted to do it and he did it under coercion.

I don't know, that scene rubbed me in the wrong way, but this time I want to be wrong because I don't want to believe that the show is telling us that the other side drew the first blood like it's something significant. Imo, the first time June just wanted to show Serena (and Eden) that she was above Serena's shit. If a baby throws something to the floor, do you get mad? But when Serena told Eden to do the same, June saw it wouldn't be good for her relationship with Eden -who seems to understand she's a human being-, and for Eden herself, and that's when she decided to use the fake cramp card. And somehow, this made the move even better, because June obeyed the obviously petty order first, such a good girl, and then Serena showed she was even pettier by doing it a second time and when June faked the cramp it looked like Serena was risking the baby. Eden must be thinking Serena's creepy. I wish she told Aunt Lydia.

Wow, that was intense. I can't believe they're on the run! When I saw Pastor Tim, I thought he was going to talk. Like some part of him had been waiting for that call for years. But he didn't. I get he was trying to cover his own ass, but it surprised me anyway. Oleg's the best. He doesn't deserve to end up in prison. The writing of Paige has been the biggest -and I'd say only- mistake in this show. I understand why she found out the truth: it helped to add a lot of tension to the plot and gave us some memorable scenes. (I almost died when she called Pastor Tim and told him about her parents). So in that sense, yes, it worked. But as a story itself, Paige comes across as completely, hopeless dumb. Now she realises spying includes sex? Wow, maybe in a couple of years she'll realise her parents have been murdering people too. C'mon, Paige, you can do it!

I hated the whole "Serena got shot" part, because if I'm not mistaken, by then she was just someone with stupid and dangerous ideas and I got the feeling of "see, they started it by attacking her, they were the first ones to cross the line". It left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Otoh, it explains something I didn't quite understand until now: the lack of sex between Fred and Serena. Because it's one thing to forbid sex to older couples, unable to have children (like the Waterfords in the book) and it's another to forbid sex to a couple who could have children if God said so. Meaning it wouldn't be the first time a couple think they can't have children for some reason and she gets unexpectedly pregnant. You know, the "we had been trying for ten years and when we gave up, I got pregnant". But now I think I get it. There's medical proof she can't have children, ever, so of course sex is completely out of the table under Gilead rules. But imo, other married couples are allowed to have sex until the woman gets old enough. The episode was pretty "meh" until the last five minutes with June's "cramp" and the awesome, brave Ofglen. The whole thing was beautifully shot, by the way. I guess most Commanders love -or don't hate- their wives, so I don't think their regular plans for widowed Wifes are too nasty. But if Fred died there and the other Commanders thought the attack was his fault, perhaps Serena could end up losing all her "privileges" and becoming an Aunt or a supervisor (not sure if it's the right word) in the colonies, or, in the worst case, an "unwoman". A warning for other Commanders if they don't do their duty properly.

There's a huge difference to me between sexist men and sexist women, and that's also the reason I can still feel a bit of sympathy for the later: no matter how sexist these women are, in the eyes of sexist men, they're still women, sexual objects, second-class citizens, less important people. These women are still raped, harrassed or mistreated as much as feminist women. And the moment they step out of the line, they are punished as quickly. Serena is great proof of that. She thought that she could be one of the guys because she supported the same things and she was different, not like every other woman. She was obviously wrong. So even if I'm always mad at this kind of women because I know they hurt other women, the ones fighting for real equality, I'm able to see them as victims as well. Aunt Lydia's another gender traitor and to me, it's more difficult to see her as a victim, since she seems to enjoy her power and situation so much. Serena may be slowly losing her mind, but Aunt Lydia doesn't seem to miss anything. And yet I'm sure there's some man with power over her. I doubt Aunts work without being somehow controlled by someone. And what happens if this someone doesn't like you? Aunt Lydia's ceirtanly more submissive to the general than to Serena. But, and this is a huge "but", Aunt Lydia and Serena are also collaborationists and disgusting human beings. Serena's a terrorist too. I want them to get what they deserve, which is a trip to the colonies (or life sentence, in a normal society) . For Fred, there isn't punishment good enough. We would need to borrow Hannibal Lecter and Ramsay Snow from other books.

I must confess that when Elizabeth refused to help Claudia I felt very proud of her. And yes, I agree that Erica touched her in a way that her other targets didn't do. One of the reasons was that Erica didn't let Elizabeth rule their relationship. I bet Elizabeth started this job with the idea of taking care of Erica's needs, of being gentle and patient. And Elizabeth would be in control, like she always is in these situations. But Erica changed the script. Maybe because she was an artist and always tried to see beyond the obvious. She tried to reach the person behind the nurse and the only real person there was Elizabeth, not Stephanie? Margaret? I don't remember what name Elizabeth was using. But maybe the best part is that she didn't change that much. She's still loyal to the USSR and his president and the party, like she's always been. Ironically, saving Gorbachev would lead to the end of the Soviet Union. I loved this episode and I just can't wait to see what happens next. Is Philip going to get caught while talking to the Russian priest? What if Stan has to team up with the Jennings and Oleg in order to stop the people who want to destroy Gorbachev? Too contrived, I know, but some part of me thinks it would be awesome. Is someone going to die? Regarding Renee, I'd think she's just Stan's wife if she hadn't apply to the FBI. I mean, c'mon. There has to be something there. And Stavros knows. I'm dying.

I forgot, I loved Janine's "cows don't get marry" because it wasn't just funny, it was also wise and poignant. They aren't unwomen, they aren't beasts. They are women who feel, and love and think. When Janine suggested that wedding, it was an act of rebellion, even if she didn't know it -a statement; and I'm glad Emily understood that at the end. It was a beautiful moment.

I don't think the Commanders think handmaids are a long-term solution. I mean, supposedly, God will be happy with everything they've done and the infertility problem will disappear, so in the future, handmaids won't be really "necessary". Of course, they could stll turn a woman into a handmaid as a punishment, but what's the point of so many sacrifices if they don't believe there will be a reward? I saw June pretty broken at the end of the last episode: I don't think she was faking it. I do think it was temporary, though. When she saw the blood, she also saw another way to rebel, even if it was a very passive one, and she choose to take it. And then she almost died and she choose to fight again. I think that Serena hates and resents June, but this hate and resentment are honest, She doesn't have much honesty in her life right now. Also, I find sad and hilarious the fact that Serena just doesn't understand what she really wants. She thought she wanted Gilead and now she feels trapped. She thought she wanted an obedient, meek handmaid and the moment she gets it, she's all "gurl, what's wrong with you?". Medieval catholics weren't as repressed as people may think. Books like The tales of Canterbury or The Book of Good Love make pretty clear that they enjoyed sex even if they had to confess their sins later. There were also tons of prostitutes, which means tons of clients too. In the end, the Church wouldn't have had to devote so much time to fight against lust if people weren't lusting all over the place. Of course, there were also people who believed that sex was evil and wrong, but not all of them. I think it got worse later, with the Catholic Reformation, but that happened in the 16th century and people kept fucking and whoring anyway.

Deckestar shippers aren't the reason this show had a shitty third season and got cancelled. And you can ship two characters and still care about everything else, like good plots or good characterization or the story itself. I shipped them and imo, it's pretty clear that they were endgame since the first episode; however, I was perfectly able to see that this show was making a lot of mistakes and I can only assume that most of my fellow shippers did the same, since that's what I've experienced in the past and I know for sure that shippers can indeed have a critical mind. Did I think they would get married and go to Heaven together and such things? No. Did I think they would have kids together? No. I didn't expect or want a traditional happy ending for them. I just thought they would be solving crimes and facing evil supernatural beings together AND they would be a couple. In fact, my favourite ending would have been very similar to the one we got, except that Chloe would have had time to accept Lucifer and we would have found out what's the deal with her. That's all.

I loved this episode and I think I would be raging if I had found out about the cancellation after watching it. That's what I wanted to see, Chloe knowing, dealing with it and eventually, teaming up with Lucifer to face some supernatural threat. But since the producers said Chloe couldn't know until the end of the show, I can't help but think that their plan was erasing Chloe's memory or something like that in the first episode of the following season. And I would be here again, complaining about showrunners who don't understand their own show. So I don't know, maybe this ending is the best we could get from them. Also, I agree that Chloe had finally accepted the truth in that roof and she knew he was the Devil before she saw his face.

A couple of weeks ago I saw a still from a video that is still haunting me. Something like "teens react to life sentences". And in the still there was that girl, wailing with utter desperation, like a child would do. I don't know who she was and what she had one, but it broke my heart. Even if I'm not fond of Paige, I wouldn't wish that for her. An ending where P +`E and Paige were caught and arrested would be too neat, I think. I'm pretty sure one of the Jennings won't make it. But at its core, this isn't a show about Russian spies. It's a show about marriage. So I think their relationship will play a very important part in the end. Maybe one of them will sacrifice for the other of something like that.

I loved it, it was absolutely wonderful. And the best part of the episode for me was that moment when Sheldon and Amy forgot their own wedding for a moment because of science, and Leonard went after them and forgot it as well. I also like the new girl. And god, Sheldon loves Amy so much... Well done.

I think the Deckerstar was planned since the beginning.