Umbelina July 11, 2018 Share July 11, 2018 Why Did The Handmaid’s Tale Season 2 Finale Have to End Like This? The show appears to have a limited idea of who its protagonist, June Osborne, really is. Yay! Keep on them reviewers! This show can be saved, they just need to pull their head's out of their asses. Quote Alas: “The Word” is a singularly frustrating end to a season that, despite its high points, often struggled to find its purpose. The final moments of the episode have the added effect of undermining and negating much of the season’s loveliest moments. In the finale, June (Elisabeth Moss) lands a sudden, surprise windfall of good fortune when she learns that she and her new baby will be whisked out of Gilead and into Canada. (It turns out that the Marthas have developed an Underground Railroad of sorts.) A house nearby is set on fire as a distraction—or so it seems; the audience isn’t given more details than that—and then Rita hands off June and the baby to another waiting Martha. On the way, they are accosted by Serena Joy Waterford (Yvonne Strahovski). But much has changed for Serena Joy over the past year—including the events earlier this episode, where she was mutilated by the state as punishment for reading aloud from the New Testament. She tearfully says goodbye to the baby, and lets June disappear into the night. Quote June ought to be afraid. She’s choosing to lengthen her stay in a repressive regime that has repeatedly sanctioned her own rape—that has mutilated her, tagged her, whipped her, and confined her to the life of a glorified broodmare. She’s choosing to leave her daughter, whom she is still nursing, in the hands of another woman—a ridiculous oversight, given how much emphasis the show put on lactation in the final few episodes of the season. This would appear to be the dumbest possible decision, and yet the show highlights it as a moment of unmitigated triumph. Something is very wrong here. Just a couple of quotes, but the whole thing is well worth a read. 7 Link to comment
Umbelina July 11, 2018 Share July 11, 2018 A few more (mostly) negative reviews of the direction (and lack of direction) of the show this season. https://www.thewrap.com/handmaids-tale-season-2-finale-june-offred-stays-gilead-nicole/ From the show-runner, some good news at least. Quote As for where Gilead is headed in Season 3 (which doesn’t yet have a premiere date, but is already being created by Miller and company) and after, we’re “returning to both Jezebel’s and the colonies and not just these colonies but other colonies.” He of course, calls the colonies "colonies of women" instead of what they actually were in the book, but at least we may see more of Gilead. Finally. Variety: https://variety.com/2018/tv/reviews/handmaid-s-tale-season-2-finale-1202870094/ Quote This show is wearying in a way few others are, and not merely because of the painful viscerality of its subject matter. I’ll be relieved, sure, not to have an hour of the very worst things humanity can do to one another in a discomfitingly not-so-very-far-away milieu to watch, but more than that, I’ll be relieved to have some months away from a show that’s so frustratingly hard to pin down. “Handmaid’s,” in my view, improved a great deal in its second season, but still has certain vexing core qualities, like its lack of a handle on basically any of its characters. It’s a show that’s very good, but one that, up through its season finale, I wanted to be so much better. http://www.vulture.com/2018/07/handmaids-tale-season-2-finale-review.html Vulture calling it a "good but frustrating season." Quote That worries me because I don’t want The Handmaid’s Tale to fall victim to the same problems that plague The Walking Dead, which, after a couple of seasons, became an exercise in repeating the same plotlines in only slightly different contexts. On The Walking Dead, there is no chance for the world to get back to the way it was. It’s playing a really, really, reallly long dystopian game. Bruce Miller, The Handmaid’s Tale showrunner, has indicated he may have something similar in mind: He has said he can envision the series running for ten seasons, a notion that sends a cautionary chill up my spine. I’m not sure any drama this grim needs to last that long. Indeed. http://ew.com/tv/2018/07/11/the-handmaids-tale-season-2-finale-review/ June, and the show, make the wrong choice. Quote Still, some of Handmaid’s edges are beginning to fray. The power of those extreme close-ups — June’s face quivering fear, pain, rage, or grim determination — is growing weaker with each use. Two thwarted escape attempts in 13 episodes is one attempt too many, and the writers’ unwillingness to commit to Serena Joy — is she an irredeemable villain or a woman capable of reform? — has left the character in a kind of Westworld-ian narrative loop. Like HBO’s sci-fi western, The Handmaid’s Tale is at a pivotal juncture in its creative arc: Both shows need to put their stories on a path to conclusion or succumb fully to creative stasis. https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/7/11/17555532/the-handmaids-tale-season-2-review-recap-finale The Handmaid’s Tale season 2 was masterful. But it may have broken the show. Quote But I’m more worried than ever — and I was already pretty worried — that the series has no long-term plan beyond rubbing viewers’ noses in misery. And worse, even if it does have a plan to alleviate the sorrow, embarking on such a plan might be antithetical to the spirit of the show, breaking it even more. https://tv.avclub.com/the-handmaids-tale-ends-a-frustrating-season-on-a-frust-1827507984 Quote The Handmaid's Tale ends a frustrating season on a frustrating note Quote If that’s what The Handmaid’s Tale wants to be—if it’s “Burning Down The House”—then fine. That’s what it is. I can imagine a show where that’s enjoyable. Let June be a Commander-punching, rebellion-stoking, Serena Joy-turning, sex-having ass-kicker. But if that’s what The Handmaid’s Tale is going to be, then it needs to let that other, more interesting mode die, because the whiplash is doing the series no favors. I'm thrilled that the reviewers have stepped up and nailed the issues with the second season. 5 Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo July 12, 2018 Share July 12, 2018 (edited) Not entirely about the show, but this woman posted about her self-described Handmaid’s Tale-esque encounter with U.S. Customs and Border Protection: while returning from Europe with her teenage daughter, a woman was interrogated about why they didn’t have the same last name Quote I just experienced a Handmaidens [sic] Tale moment at the DFW airport by Customs and Border Protection. I was traveling back from Rome and stopped by US customs. I was asked if Sybonae was my daughter and I said yes. Then they asked why if she was my daughter I didn't have the same last name. I told them I had already established my career and earned my doctorate with my last name Acosta so I had decided not to change it. That is why we had different names. Then the customs office said, well maybe you should have taken your husbands last names so you could prove you were her mom. I told him I had a lot of proof she was my daughter without having had his last name. He then took me to another room where they proceeded to interrogate me and my daughter to prove I was her parent. I had to reexplain why we didn't share last names and again one said well maybe you should consider changing your name to reflect that you are her mother. I then proceeded to tell them that they were perpetuating an institutionalized misogynistic system which required that a woman take her husbands name and after that and a whole lot more about what I thought about what they had said to me that they let us go. I am furious. The response from U.S. Customs and Border Protection: Quote U.S. Customs and Border Protection has reviewed the audio and video of the encounter between a CBP officer and a woman travelling [sic] with her daughter, and found that the video does not support the claim as it has been reported. The audio and video prove that there weren't any inappropriate questions discussed. CBP strongly recommends that unless a child is accompanied by both parents, the adult traveling with the child have a note from the child's other parent (or, in the case of a child traveling with grandparents, uncles or aunts, sisters or brothers, friends, or in groups*, a note signed by both parents). Edited July 12, 2018 by ElectricBoogaloo 2 Link to comment
AnswersWanted July 12, 2018 Share July 12, 2018 The Emmy nominations are out. Variety’s Emmys Nominations List The show grabbed up quite a few noms, as expected I’d say. But I bet it will only convince the show they’re doing things right so, now I really doubt much of anything will change with season 3. 1 Link to comment
PepSinger July 12, 2018 Share July 12, 2018 (edited) https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2018/07/12/emmy-nominations-2018-complete-coverage/?utm_term=.41567b730248 I am thrilled for all of the acting nominations. This show has never had a problem in that regard. I'm also elated that Yvonne picked up a nomination. She deserved it. Edited July 12, 2018 by PepSinger Oops someone else beat me! 4 Link to comment
AnswersWanted July 12, 2018 Share July 12, 2018 Heh, just barely PepSinger. It is a good thing that Moss has no other lady from the show to battle against for the Lead Actress spot, otherwise I wonder if she’d win. I think a lot of people would argue in favor of Yvonne for this season. I do wish Sam had been given enough screen-time to get a nomination, they really underutilized her this season. But I am glad to see Alexis and Ann were recognized as well, they had very limited scenes but I thought that they had some of the best standouts as well. They really turned Fred into an even bigger monster this season, but that paid off for Joesph it seems, he did do a brilliant job acting the part. 2 Link to comment
Umbelina July 12, 2018 Share July 12, 2018 Samira got a nomination, as guest actress, which was smart on her part, the "supporting" category is full. We'll see who wins, the actresses certainly all deserve it. As for best show? I doubt Handmaid has a chance this year. 2 Link to comment
AnswersWanted July 12, 2018 Share July 12, 2018 Samira didn’t get anything to do hardly, there was no way she could try for a supporting spot. Like I said, she was underutilized and it’s a shame because I think she’s easily in the top three actresses on the show, Moss not included. 5 Link to comment
Umbelina July 12, 2018 Share July 12, 2018 Has anyone found a list of the writing nominations? I saw it mentioned in one article that Handmaid's got one, but I can't find any details, or the episode, etc. For this or any other show obviously. Link to comment
jhjhjh July 12, 2018 Share July 12, 2018 2 hours ago, Umbelina said: Samira got a nomination, as guest actress, which was smart on her part, the "supporting" category is full. We'll see who wins, the actresses certainly all deserve it. As for best show? I doubt Handmaid has a chance this year. She was also missing from most episodes which is what makes her eligible for Guest, the way that Bledel was last season and isn't this season. Link to comment
nodorothyparker July 12, 2018 Share July 12, 2018 4 hours ago, Umbelina said: Has anyone found a list of the writing nominations? I saw it mentioned in one article that Handmaid's got one, but I can't find any details, or the episode, etc. For this or any other show obviously. It's nominated in the writing category for June, the season opener that I wasn't overly thrilled with because of the group hanging fakeout. I would argue it's actually one of the weaker episodes of the season, and not surprisingly comes from Bruce Miller. It also received a directing nod for Kari Skogland for After. Complete list 3 Link to comment
Umbelina July 12, 2018 Share July 12, 2018 Thanks so much! Hey, Luke's wife got an Emmy nod! WELL deserved, she was wonderful in that role, and it's tough to do that kind of short guest role and make it so memorable. Guest Actress in a Drama Series Viola Davis, Scandal Kelly Jenrette, The Handmaid's Tale Cherry Jones, The Handmaid's Tale Diana Rigg, Game of Thrones Cicely Tyson, How to Get Away With Murder Samira Wiley, The Handmaid's Tale It will be tough to beat Diana Rig and Cicely Tyson, and also 3 from one show could cancel each other out. 1 Link to comment
nodorothyparker July 12, 2018 Share July 12, 2018 I will give the show credit that it's consistently brought the talent. That's why I feel particularly bad for all three actresses in the supporting category. They all did terrific work with the material they were given, but it was really Yvonne Strahovski's year and I hate that they might end up splitting the voting. I don't dislike Elisabeth Moss the way some seem to, but I've been less impressed with her this season than I was last season Yet she's the lone lead actress nod for the show. 4 Link to comment
Umbelina July 12, 2018 Share July 12, 2018 9 minutes ago, nodorothyparker said: I will give the show credit that it's consistently brought the talent. That's why I feel particularly bad for all three actresses in the supporting category. They all did terrific work with the material they were given, but it was really Yvonne Strahovski's year and I hate that they might end up splitting the voting. I don't dislike Elisabeth Moss the way some seem to, but I've been less impressed with her this season than I was last season Yet she's the lone lead actress nod for the show. The writing, editing, and directing has been pretty terrible for Moss most of the season, if you look at it as a whole. Still, she had wonderful moments, when they weren't marred by inexplicable time wasting, or completely contradictory actions from one episode to the next. As you pointed out in one episode thread, as stand alones? The episodes were usually very good. As part of a whole? They pitifully sucked often. (Well, that last part was mine.) 1 Link to comment
AnswersWanted July 13, 2018 Share July 13, 2018 I don’t think Moss is walking away the winner this year, her work overall was not nearly as good as last season and a good majority of her competition have had a better year. I see Sandra Oh winning or I will eat a can of rancid Gilead peaches. They have overlooked her for far too long, she’s a magnificent actress. Out of the three supporting ladies Yvonne is the only one who hasn’t won anything for THT before, Ann and Alexis have already, so I think she gets the win, plus she had the most screen time as well to produce more content to judge so that always helps. 4 Link to comment
Umbelina July 13, 2018 Share July 13, 2018 I think actors and actresses only get to submit one episode. Am I wrong about that? I used to think it was two, but I think I just read it's one now. Link to comment
jhjhjh July 13, 2018 Share July 13, 2018 2 hours ago, AnswersWanted said: I don’t think Moss is walking away the winner this year, her work overall was not nearly as good as last season and a good majority of her competition have had a better year. I see Sandra Oh winning or I will eat a can of rancid Gilead peaches. They have overlooked her for far too long, she’s a magnificent actress. Out of the three supporting ladies Yvonne is the only one who hasn’t won anything for THT before, Ann and Alexis have already, so I think she gets the win, plus she had the most screen time as well to produce more content to judge so that always helps. I don't think any drama has had 3 different main cast members win a lead or supporting actress award. 1 Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo July 13, 2018 Share July 13, 2018 Full list of Emmy nominations: Outstanding Drama Series Lead Actress in a Drama Series - Elisabeth Moss Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series - Joseph Fiennes Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series - Alexis Bledel Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series - Ann Dowd Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series - Yvonne Strahovski Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series - June by Bruce Miller Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series - After by Kari Skogland Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series - Samira Wiley Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series - Cherry Jones Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series - Kelly Jenrette Outstanding Production Design For A Narrative Contemporary Program (One Hour Or More) - June Outstanding Production Design For A Narrative Contemporary Program (One Hour Or More) - Seeds, First Blood, After Outstanding Casting For A Drama Series Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-Camera Series (One Hour) - June Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes - Seeds Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Drama Series - June Outstanding Makeup For A Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) - Unwomen Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (One Hour) - June Outstanding Special Visual Effects In A Supporting Role - June 2 Link to comment
LittleRed84 July 13, 2018 Share July 13, 2018 Tidbits about what’s to come -and who stays on the show- in season 3. Questins answered by show exec Spoiler https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/film-tv/a20127456/the-handmaids-tale-season-3-news-date-cast-spoilers/ 1 Link to comment
LBS July 13, 2018 Share July 13, 2018 I love reading the recaps in Vulture, Vox, and AV Club. They always bring up points that I may not have got or different point of views. I love getting into the nitty-gritty details that they provide. That being said, these recaps had me rolling. I've read the whole season worth of recaps and they are very snarkily funny. Fair warning: you'll either love her writing/slang/use of gifs or you'll hate it. Once I got into the rhythm of them I found them hilarious. and a nice welcome break from the seriousness of the season. Here's the recap on the finale: https://betches.com/handmaids-tale-s-2-finale-recap/ 4 Link to comment
Umbelina July 13, 2018 Share July 13, 2018 13 hours ago, LittleRed84 said: Tidbits about what’s to come -and who stays on the show- in season 3. Questins answered by show exec Reveal hidden contents https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/film-tv/a20127456/the-handmaids-tale-season-3-news-date-cast-spoilers/ Taking this to the spoiler thread. Thanks! Link to comment
alexvillage July 14, 2018 Share July 14, 2018 I don't think EM deserves or will win the Emmy's. I saw this in another thread and couldn't help myself some snark: "Tatiana Maslany as Sarah Manning, Helena, Alison Hendrix, Cosima Niehaus, Rachel Duncan, Krystal Goderitch, Elizabeth (Beth) Childs, Jennifer Fitzsimmons, Katja Obinger, Tony Sawicki, Veera Suominen (M.K.), Camilla Torres and Unnamed Clone" Elisabeth Moss as June's close up 1, June's close up 2, June's close up...37. Sorry, I haven't watched any one of the other women in the category but I would find it hard for any of them to better TM (which will not win, I am sure) 2 Link to comment
jhjhjh July 14, 2018 Share July 14, 2018 While quality is subjective, the post above seems to imply that automatically playing multiple characters means more quality than playing one character. It's not snarky when it is the literal truth that, yes, most actors play one character when they're on a show. I'm rooting for THT to dominate again. 2 Link to comment
alexvillage July 15, 2018 Share July 15, 2018 16 hours ago, jhjhjh said: While quality is subjective, the post above seems to imply that automatically playing multiple characters means more quality than playing one character. It's not snarky when it is the literal truth that, yes, most actors play one character when they're on a show. I'm rooting for THT to dominate again. I didn't mean to imply anything. I just thought it was somewhat funny how TM nomination was listed. I don't think that playing multiple characters makes and actor more deserving or better. I think Tatiana Maslany playing THOSE characters, in THAT show, make her deserving and, to me, unbeatable. 6 Link to comment
Anela July 20, 2018 Share July 20, 2018 On 7/13/2018 at 4:47 PM, LBS said: I love reading the recaps in Vulture, Vox, and AV Club. They always bring up points that I may not have got or different point of views. I love getting into the nitty-gritty details that they provide. That being said, these recaps had me rolling. I've read the whole season worth of recaps and they are very snarkily funny. Fair warning: you'll either love her writing/slang/use of gifs or you'll hate it. Once I got into the rhythm of them I found them hilarious. and a nice welcome break from the seriousness of the season. Here's the recap on the finale: https://betches.com/handmaids-tale-s-2-finale-recap/ Thanks for the link. I need a laugh tonight. On 7/15/2018 at 6:59 AM, alexvillage said: I didn't mean to imply anything. I just thought it was somewhat funny how TM nomination was listed. I don't think that playing multiple characters makes and actor more deserving or better. I think Tatiana Maslany playing THOSE characters, in THAT show, make her deserving and, to me, unbeatable. I haven't watched since season two, but she was wonderful in that show. My favourite was the gun-toting housewife, who gets everyone organized. 1 Link to comment
Umbelina July 21, 2018 Share July 21, 2018 \ For explanation of why these photos are here instead of where I tried to put them, see my quote below. On 7/13/2018 at 1:47 PM, LBS said: I love reading the recaps in Vulture, Vox, and AV Club. They always bring up points that I may not have got or different point of views. I love getting into the nitty-gritty details that they provide. That being said, these recaps had me rolling. I've read the whole season worth of recaps and they are very snarkily funny. Fair warning: you'll either love her writing/slang/use of gifs or you'll hate it. Once I got into the rhythm of them I found them hilarious. and a nice welcome break from the seriousness of the season. Here's the recap on the finale: https://betches.com/handmaids-tale-s-2-finale-recap/ LOVED this! It reminded me of some of Erin's recaps on TWOP. Thanks for posting it. Quote To recap, these are things we learned about Eden before her death: – She likes the color yellow. – She can make soup. Also pie – She has read the Bible. Quote Now I want to take a moment to talk about how freaking dark this show is. And I don’t mean dark as in emotionally dark, I mean just like dark. I’ve talked at length about the lack of lamps in the Waterford household, but this is fucking ridiculous: Quote This is an actual screenshot of Handmaid’s Tale. Who did this? Why? Who benefits from having every scene take place in a cave? (And yes the brightness on my screen is turned all the way up don’t @ me.) After literally downloading this screenshot into a photo editor and increasing the brightness, I saw that it is actually Rita watching the lovely couple from afar. This is an important moment because it plants the seed that she is going to help June get the baby out later, but I almost missed it because it was invisible to the human eye. This is the shot brightened up: THE PHOTOS ABOVE GO IN THE ABOVE TWO QUOTES. 3 Link to comment
LBS July 21, 2018 Share July 21, 2018 @Umbelina as soon as I read her dark scenes rant I immediately thought of the 10 Things I Hate About Handsmaid Thread!! ? 2 Link to comment
alexvillage July 21, 2018 Share July 21, 2018 That article was so perfect! I am glad I am not the only one disturbed by the music in the car. I, too, was relieved when the music stopped. 2 Link to comment
Medicine Crow July 22, 2018 Share July 22, 2018 Sorry to bother, but there's nothing showing in my line-up for tonight. I know most of you see the show on Wednesday, but here we get the show on Sunday. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks. Link to comment
LBS July 22, 2018 Share July 22, 2018 The season finale was on July 4th (The Word). Did you get that one? 1 Link to comment
Medicine Crow July 22, 2018 Share July 22, 2018 1 hour ago, LBS said: The season finale was on July 4th (The Word). Did you get that one? Yes, I didn't know that was the end. Thanks!! 1 Link to comment
Idiotboy July 23, 2018 Share July 23, 2018 (edited) Quote (I’m also not convinced Aunt Lydia is dead. Or maybe I’m just hoping that, since the last thing The Handmaid’s Tale needs is to become suddenly Ann Dowd-less.) Thankfully, Spoiler she isn't and THT won't . Not only does Ann Dowd have the role of her career and is absolutely killing it, she serves an important function among the dramatis personae. Aunt Lydia shows the danger of a true believer, the only regular one on THT, as Serena and -- especially -- Fred flout Gilead's rules when they find it expedient. Edited July 23, 2018 by Idiotboy 1 Link to comment
Shangrilala July 25, 2018 Share July 25, 2018 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/joseph-fiennes-on-how-the-handmaids-tale-mirrors-real-life/ 9 min video with Fiennes - the last 30 seconds or so include some season 3 thoughts which may or may not be spoilers. It is so nice to see him under real lighting and less "hooded." Link to comment
Umbelina July 25, 2018 Share July 25, 2018 Quote Gold Derby can exclusively reveal that Yvonne Strahovski is entering “The Handmaid’s Tale” episode “Women’s Work” as her Emmy submission for Best Drama Supporting Actress. This installment streamed June 6 and was the eighth episode of the second season for the Hulu show. In this segment, Serena Joy (Strahovski) and June (Elisabeth Moss) are writing in the study and actually getting along. She gets permission from her husband Fred (Joseph Fiennes) to allow a woman doctor admission to the hospital. The sick baby is going to die, and Serena allows the mother to see the baby one last time. Fred is angry with Serena for forging his name on documents, so he beats her. Enjoy our recent video chat with Strahovski discussing this season and her career. https://www.goldderby.com/article/2018/yvonne-strahovski-the-handmaids-tale-emmy-episode-drama-supporting-actress-exclusive-news/ Trying to find the rest of the submissions. Probably someone else will find them before I do (I hope!) Link to comment
secnarf July 26, 2018 Share July 26, 2018 Obviously written by someone who has never seen the episode. Serena did not get permission from Fred to allow the Martha doctor admission to the hospital. Just the opposite, actually. 4 Link to comment
nodorothyparker July 26, 2018 Share July 26, 2018 Joseph Fiennes reveals The Handmaid's Tale scene he refused to do I guess if there's anything good to be said, it's that at least the actors sometimes get that less is more and that not every damn scene needs to be a hammer of unrelenting horror and misery. Holy hell. 7 Link to comment
dleighg July 26, 2018 Share July 26, 2018 18 minutes ago, nodorothyparker said: I guess if there's anything good to be said, it's that at least the actors sometimes get that less is more and that not every damn scene needs to be a hammer of unrelenting horror and misery. Holy hell. I think it was much more effective the way it played out. Serena can be brought low by the "small shamings" (such as being handed a wordless agenda and the scene at the elevator) more effectively and subtly than by something like what was proposed. 2 Link to comment
nodorothyparker July 26, 2018 Share July 26, 2018 That's what I mean by less is more. The show was heavy handed enough as it was this past season in handing out grotesque punishments like Halloween candy to drive home the idea that Gilead is a very VERY bad place when often it was the smaller stuff that was actually more effective in being quietly devastating to who these women had once been. A once celebrated lecturer and author isn't allowed to see words on a damn itinerary and has to beg other adults like she's a small child for permission to read the freaking Bible. 7 Link to comment
Lemons July 28, 2018 Share July 28, 2018 https://www.thedailybeast.com/handmaids-tales-aunt-lydia-shames-sarah-huckabee-sanders-your-actions-have-real-consequences?ref=home This is a good article on Ann Dowd who plays Aunt Lydia. I didn't know she was from Massachusetts. Actually western Massachusetts, that's why no trace of Boston accent. She was a Broadway actress. It's an interesting article and she says she coming back for Season 3! 2 Link to comment
alexvillage August 2, 2018 Share August 2, 2018 I don't agree with everything in this article. One of the top pick commenter makes a better case regarding THT season 2. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/aug/02/tvs-boom-and-bust-cycle-why-shows-are-hot-and-then-suddenly-not#comment-119023506 Link to comment
Umbelina August 2, 2018 Share August 2, 2018 (edited) 9 hours ago, alexvillage said: I don't agree with everything in this article. One of the top pick commenter makes a better case regarding THT season 2. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/aug/02/tvs-boom-and-bust-cycle-why-shows-are-hot-and-then-suddenly-not#comment-119023506 I like many of the other articles much better. For one thing? Breaking Bad was, IMO, the perfect length. The problems with discussion of The Handmaid's Tale and how long it should run are multiple, but really come down to one idiotic comment by the show runner when renewal was announced, and he's repeated that comment too often. "10 SEASONS" Just no dude. Even if that's your secret dream? You never say shit like that, honestly, it's bad enough to even THINK it. You especially don't follow up a comment like that with the second season you just gave us, which was little more that great acting and "wowza" stories that stand alone, but don't even hold together enough to have season 2 make sense, let alone give you something to build another 8 seasons with. Characters are all over the board, which again, makes for compelling episodes, but not for even one season that makes sense, let alone a long haul of 10 (or even 5) seasons. You can't just have characters delivering great lines and performances when they contradict both logic and established characters, and then, have them switch back in the very next episode. A few examples: June terrified of Fred one minute and taunting him/slapping him the next, while both could be true, if carefully done, it isn't carefully done and it shows. Aunt Lydia's multiple personalities are making me dizzy. One minute you can talk back to her and she's loving or appreciative, another minute she's likely to cut off your tongue simply because you say "hi" the wrong way. Pick a personality, or give her a multiple personality disorder because she makes no sense at all now as a character. The Guards and their rules also change on a whim, Janine is knocked to the ground by one, but in practically the next scene, a whole group of Handmaids are gossiping and using real names and the guards don't care one bit. Hello! You've set up rules, for example only 2 handmaid's together, then you abandon them for a scene you want. No. June's completely inexplicable slowness when "escaping" just makes her look stupid, and I get you were going for dramatic but you didn't get that, you got frustration and viewers wanting to slap her. Use slow mo if needed, but have the woman RUSH to escape. Ditto Serena joy's long goodbye and blessing. Good God. One minute you have a young bride, Eden, following every rule, the next, with no in between that actually made us care about her love story, she's dying a horrible death because she defied Gilead. What could have been sad, compelling, and made perfect sense, young love is powerful after all. Why should we, or would we, CARE about the young lovers. We only saw them interact minimally, and as for him, you had him knock down helpless Janeen! Would it have killed you to show the happiness and hopefulness of young love BEFORE you murdered them both? You only wanted the "shock of the moment" murder, you didn't bother to tell a whole story. You can't create tension and drama and "peril" and then never address it again, or hand wave it away, and expect anyone to give a shit about your show's future, and you've long sense passed the "boy who cried wolf smell test." Fred standing right next to the bomb that went off, comes out practically unscathed, except for a short stay in the hospital (allowing the Serena/June writing scenes) and a cane. Don't have him standing next to the damn bomb if you don't want him dead. Bait and switch again. Fred and Serena (in the best episode of the season) in Canada, but when they get home, they don't even have a conversation about it, let alone any repercussions for Fred, or discussion among the "leaders" of Gilead about the disaster there. It was as if it never happened. AGAIN. Luke, Moira, and others escape Gilead, but aside from one petulant plea from Luke to Canadian authorities, apparently just sit on their asses. They don't tell their stories to the world media, no one, not them, not any of the other escapees has bothered apparently, no one even has a website up. They don't do shit for those left behind. Meanwhile, a group of letters is enough to cause Canada to expel Fred? HELLO! REAL LIVE PEOPLE THAT CAN TELL WHOLE STORIES LIVE THERE! A few short letters compel action rather than the hundreds/thousands of refugees you have right there? Don't even get me started with Nick being captured and Fred arranging for June to see Hannah, and giving birth alone! Next episode? One (stupid and unbelievable) comment is all that's made about the multitude of issues that little visit caused. One moment Fred and Serena are talking about hanging on the wall side by side, the next? Hey no biggie, that story didn't matter, let's move on to our next story! All of the episodes and characters are like that now. There IS no thru-line or believable logic to their behavior, let alone to a storyline. Everything is "stand alone" and please ignore what happened last week, or what will happen next week, because it has absolutely nothing to do with the story we are telling this week, or in some cases, this SCENE. Add to that the obvious delaying tactics by the writers trying to stretch this story out, and the repetitive June escaping, oh wait, no she isn't! bait and switch? You lose your audience. Although, once again, it COULD be believable that June may have to try escaping many times before it happens, not the way they are writing it, especially with Moira's unbelievably easy escape as a benchmark. There is no connective tissue here. A body, or a body of work, needs that to hold together. They desperately need a continuity expert, and a much better showrunner, who wants to tell a whole story, not a bunch of little short stories showcasing talent that have no relation to the short story the week before, let alone the ones coming up. ETA For me personally? I don't want to watch all bleak or all horror all the time, there are opportunities (many of them) for hopeful and even happy stories to counter the never ending awfulness. For crying out loud, USE them. Canada people are your chance, Rita's underground was one, the (even if doomed) young love story was your chance, it doesn't have to be all drudgery all the time, and in today's world which is already full of horrors, I don't want to submit myself to more, not without some relief here and there. Edited August 2, 2018 by Umbelina 8 Link to comment
alexvillage August 3, 2018 Share August 3, 2018 14 hours ago, Umbelina said: I like many of the other articles much better. For one thing? Breaking Bad was, IMO, the perfect length. The problems with discussion of The Handmaid's Tale and how long it should run are multiple, but really come down to one idiotic comment by the show runner when renewal was announced, and he's repeated that comment too often. "10 SEASONS" Just no dude. Even if that's your secret dream? You never say shit like that, honestly, it's bad enough to even THINK it. You especially don't follow up a comment like that with the second season you just gave us, which was little more that great acting and "wowza" stories that stand alone, but don't even hold together enough to have season 2 make sense, let alone give you something to build another 8 seasons with. Characters are all over the board, which again, makes for compelling episodes, but not for even one season that makes sense, let alone a long haul of 10 (or even 5) seasons. You can't just have characters delivering great lines and performances when they contradict both logic and established characters, and then, have them switch back in the very next episode. A few examples: June terrified of Fred one minute and taunting him/slapping him the next, while both could be true, if carefully done, it isn't carefully done and it shows. Aunt Lydia's multiple personalities are making me dizzy. One minute you can talk back to her and she's loving or appreciative, another minute she's likely to cut off your tongue simply because you say "hi" the wrong way. Pick a personality, or give her a multiple personality disorder because she makes no sense at all now as a character. The Guards and their rules also change on a whim, Janine is knocked to the ground by one, but in practically the next scene, a whole group of Handmaids are gossiping and using real names and the guards don't care one bit. Hello! You've set up rules, for example only 2 handmaid's together, then you abandon them for a scene you want. No. June's completely inexplicable slowness when "escaping" just makes her look stupid, and I get you were going for dramatic but you didn't get that, you got frustration and viewers wanting to slap her. Use slow mo if needed, but have the woman RUSH to escape. Ditto Serena joy's long goodbye and blessing. Good God. One minute you have a young bride, Eden, following every rule, the next, with no in between that actually made us care about her love story, she's dying a horrible death because she defied Gilead. What could have been sad, compelling, and made perfect sense, young love is powerful after all. Why should we, or would we, CARE about the young lovers. We only saw them interact minimally, and as for him, you had him knock down helpless Janeen! Would it have killed you to show the happiness and hopefulness of young love BEFORE you murdered them both? You only wanted the "shock of the moment" murder, you didn't bother to tell a whole story. You can't create tension and drama and "peril" and then never address it again, or hand wave it away, and expect anyone to give a shit about your show's future, and you've long sense passed the "boy who cried wolf smell test." Fred standing right next to the bomb that went off, comes out practically unscathed, except for a short stay in the hospital (allowing the Serena/June writing scenes) and a cane. Don't have him standing next to the damn bomb if you don't want him dead. Bait and switch again. Fred and Serena (in the best episode of the season) in Canada, but when they get home, they don't even have a conversation about it, let alone any repercussions for Fred, or discussion among the "leaders" of Gilead about the disaster there. It was as if it never happened. AGAIN. Luke, Moira, and others escape Gilead, but aside from one petulant plea from Luke to Canadian authorities, apparently just sit on their asses. They don't tell their stories to the world media, no one, not them, not any of the other escapees has bothered apparently, no one even has a website up. They don't do shit for those left behind. Meanwhile, a group of letters is enough to cause Canada to expel Fred? HELLO! REAL LIVE PEOPLE THAT CAN TELL WHOLE STORIES LIVE THERE! A few short letters compel action rather than the hundreds/thousands of refugees you have right there? Don't even get me started with Nick being captured and Fred arranging for June to see Hannah, and giving birth alone! Next episode? One (stupid and unbelievable) comment is all that's made about the multitude of issues that little visit caused. One moment Fred and Serena are talking about hanging on the wall side by side, the next? Hey no biggie, that story didn't matter, let's move on to our next story! All of the episodes and characters are like that now. There IS no thru-line or believable logic to their behavior, let alone to a storyline. Everything is "stand alone" and please ignore what happened last week, or what will happen next week, because it has absolutely nothing to do with the story we are telling this week, or in some cases, this SCENE. Add to that the obvious delaying tactics by the writers trying to stretch this story out, and the repetitive June escaping, oh wait, no she isn't! bait and switch? You lose your audience. Although, once again, it COULD be believable that June may have to try escaping many times before it happens, not the way they are writing it, especially with Moira's unbelievably easy escape as a benchmark. There is no connective tissue here. A body, or a body of work, needs that to hold together. They desperately need a continuity expert, and a much better showrunner, who wants to tell a whole story, not a bunch of little short stories showcasing talent that have no relation to the short story the week before, let alone the ones coming up. ETA For me personally? I don't want to watch all bleak or all horror all the time, there are opportunities (many of them) for hopeful and even happy stories to counter the never ending awfulness. For crying out loud, USE them. Canada people are your chance, Rita's underground was one, the (even if doomed) young love story was your chance, it doesn't have to be all drudgery all the time, and in today's world which is already full of horrors, I don't want to submit myself to more, not without some relief here and there. I just want to quote the whole thing because it is perfect. That's all. 5 Link to comment
Token August 20, 2018 Share August 20, 2018 Serena Joy Sympathy? Not me! I have zero sympathy for the character, nor any empathy for what she is going through. SJ is the maker of her own misery. She gladly forces women into subjugation and rape, then expects sympathy? I don't think so! 4 Link to comment
Umbelina August 21, 2018 Share August 21, 2018 The Handmaid’s Tale’s Samira Wiley on the Emotional Toll of Playing Moira “I want her to be a badass again,” Quote It’s so interesting to me how this show has coincided with what is going on. There are the obvious things that I think we acknowledge about the show, which is [that] the first season came out around the same time Trump took office and there were some parallels there, and then in the second season the #MeToo movement [happened], side-by-side with the sexual violence against women in our show. . . . There’s that scene in Season 2 where June has to be separated from her daughter. We know what’s going on at [the U.S.-Mexico] border right now. I cannot think of anything more horrible than that. When I read [that script], I was just so much feeling how horrible that would be. And then to see it happening in our own world, yeah, I don’t know. I’m going to tell my writers, please be careful when you write. I hear people in my ear talking all the time about, “This could happen. This could happen, all of it, and look what’s happening,” but I, as Samira, am a believer that . . . I just believe in the people of my country and I think it’s similar to believing in the collective handmaids’ fight in Gilead. . . . I think it’s so easy to sometimes just think all hope is lost, but that is not how you get out of something like this. Quote I don’t have any clue of what is going to happen, but of course, I have hopes and dreams for her. I want her to be the hero. I want her to—I’m not going to hypothesize the way this would manifest itself—but I just want her to get her spirit back, and I want her to be a leader. I want her to be a badass again. 3 Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo August 24, 2018 Share August 24, 2018 I saw Margaret Atwood speak about The Handmaid's Tale at UC Berkeley last night. She talked about both the book and the tv show. Among the many things she said: The costume designer looked at 50 shades of red before selecting one for the handmaids' robes (Margaret Atwood also made a 50 Shades of Grey joke). Bruce Miller talked with her about making some changes from the book for the tv show to make sure that she was okay with them before they began filming. One of those proposed changes was having some non-white characters/actors, which she approved. As has been mentioned before, all of the things done to women on the show (both restrictions to their freedoms and punishments) had to be something that had already been done to women in real life at some point. She did research to find old laws and punishments including the Code of Hammurabi, laws about which women could wear certain things (veils, ermine, the color purple). Some of her research included women from the resistance during WW2 and women who lived during the occupation. One French woman told her, "I hope you have never have the occasion to be a hero." When asked about characters like Commander Waterford and Serena Joy being more humanized on the show, she said that not all bad people are all bad and they don't all start out that way. People make decisions for different reasons (to get power, to take advantage of the situation, because they're true believers, etc) but what it all comes down to is that both Waterford and Serena made decisions and now they have to live with the consequences. I'm not sure how serious she was about this so I'm going to put it under the spoiler tag as it concerns a specific character's possible fate: Spoiler She told Bruce Miller that they couldn't kill Aunt Lydia because they can't have a show without her, so Aunt Lydia is alive! She also talked about not learning to type in high school (she chose home ec classes instead) which ended up being an obstacle when she decided to become a writer (she did eventually learn how to type, although not very well, as she wrote about here). She said that her parents never told her she couldn't do something because she was a girl which was obviously much less common then than it is now. She said one of the things she is often asked for is how to make Handmaid's Tale cupcakes! They're actually very easy (red velvet cupcakes with white cupcake liners folded in half to make the hats). She said she has also seen the Handmaid's Soap (where people wrap a soap dispenser with red cloth and add a white hat to the top) and that lots of people have named their cats Margaret Catwood. When asked what the pre-Gilead people could have done to prevent Gilead from happening, she said we aren't quite at that point yet but that's why people need to vote and support the free press. Her talk was an hour long so she covered a lot of stuff. If I remember any more tidbits, I'll add them! 12 Link to comment
Umbelina August 24, 2018 Share August 24, 2018 @ElectricBoogaloo Could you sense how she felt about season 2 of the show? 1 Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo August 25, 2018 Share August 25, 2018 @Umbelina I don't remember her saying anything specific about S2 (aside from the spoiler above), but she did mention that there were two storylines that the showrunners discussed with her and she was very opposed to them. She didn't say what those storylines were but she said that in their ultimate wisdom, they decided not to do them. They passed out blank index cards at the entrance so that people could submit questions so now that you mention it, I'm surprised that no one asked what she thought about how the story continued in S2. Or maybe someone did but the people collecting the cards chose not to give her that one. One of the questions was about how she satirized academia in the epilogue of the book and she said, "Well, it's not really entirely satire, is it?" HA! She said she visited the writers' room for the show but that they made sure not to have anything written on the whiteboard because they knew they were going to take a picture and they didn't want any fans of the show who saw the photo trying to decipher what was written on the whiteboard to figure out what might happen on the show. She said it was very humbling to see a room full of people who were younger than her grandchildren who were so smart and talented. Someone asked her for book recommendations. She had three: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, The Power by Naomi Alderman (which I loved so I recommend it too!), and one more that I can't remember. 3 Link to comment
Umbelina August 25, 2018 Share August 25, 2018 (edited) 13 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said: @Umbelina I don't remember her saying anything specific about S2 (aside from the spoiler above), but she did mention that there were two storylines that the showrunners discussed with her and she was very opposed to them. She didn't say what those storylines were but she said that in their ultimate wisdom, they decided not to do them. They passed out blank index cards at the entrance so that people could submit questions so now that you mention it, I'm surprised that no one asked what she thought about how the story continued in S2. Or maybe someone did but the people collecting the cards chose not to give her that one. One of the questions was about how she satirized academia in the epilogue of the book and she said, "Well, it's not really entirely satire, is it?" HA! She said she visited the writers' room for the show but that they made sure not to have anything written on the whiteboard because they knew they were going to take a picture and they didn't want any fans of the show who saw the photo trying to decipher what was written on the whiteboard to figure out what might happen on the show. She said it was very humbling to see a room full of people who were younger than her grandchildren who were so smart and talented. Someone asked her for book recommendations. She had three: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, The Power by Naomi Alderman (which I loved so I recommend it too!), and one more that I can't remember. Yeah, SURE the show was "worried about spoilers." I've never seen a show so leaky in my life, spoilers have been everywhere, and it's in a way that definitely suggests leaks from the very top, the show-runner himself. Everything has been spoiled, and was all season long. Actors are not careful in interviews, episodes start to finish have been "spoiled" by numerous people on line. Good grief! How bad were the storylines she was able to nix? Yes, I agree, I can't imagine that in an entire audience not a single person asked her opinion about the first "expansion" of her landmark book to ever happen. Come on now... There are other small things she's said in interviews that lead me to believe, or at least sense, that she's out of their loop for the most part, or at times even frustrated, they were commented on when posted here. Still, I think with the critical responses to the show in season 2, they might try to keep Atwood closer now, and will hopefully correct the course of this series. I don't really have high hopes, I'm beginning to really dislike this showrunner, and if he can't even clean up continuity next season it will be hard to stick around. He wants "Big Moments!" Then he wants to move on to the next "Big Moment!" instead of dealing with consequences or finishing the "Big Moments!" stories. So none of those Big Moments! ever matter...at all. He's letting logic, continuity, and honest character motivations fall by the wayside to capitalize on his amazing cast at the expense of ... everything. Edited August 25, 2018 by Umbelina 3 Link to comment
Anela August 30, 2018 Share August 30, 2018 (edited) I've just heard something about US citizens being denied passports somewhere. It just reminded me of the show. :/ The link was on my phone, which is currently charging. I'm still not looking forward to another season, but I missed the people here. Edited August 30, 2018 by Anela 4 Link to comment
PepSinger September 10, 2018 Share September 10, 2018 Samira Wiley won tonight at the Creative Arts Emmys for Best Guest Actress in a Drama! https://www.goldderby.com/article/2018/2018-creative-arts-emmys-winners-list-sunday-variety-news-719364208/ 5 Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.