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In addition to Samira's win, The Handmaid's Tale also won the following Emmys last weekend:

Outstanding Production Design For A Narrative Contemporary Program (One Hour Or More) - "June"

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Drama Series - Wendy Hallam Martin, Editor
 

Edited by ElectricBoogaloo
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Shut out at the Emmys.

I'm kind of glad really, not because I don't like the actresses, I most certainly do.  

What I'm hoping is that these show runners are paying attention, and FIX what they are doing wrong, and top of that list is "this is not a 10 season show you can drag out forever with almost no forward movement."  The rest of my list is in the "things we hate" thread.

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I don't necessarily put a ton of store in awards like this anyway, although I do think winning as big as they did last year certainly spurred a lot of the 10-seasons talk and maybe led down some of the less well thought out plot paths we suffered through.  I can also feel a little bad for the cast who were certainly doing their absolute best with the material they were given, with Yvonne Strahovski in particular sucking every last molecule of air out of every scene she was in.  But yeah, I'm also hoping the showrunners take a hard look at this shutout and all the criticism they were racking up at the end of the season and really think about what it is they're doing.  Because the source material is incredible.  The cast is incredible.   They went into the start of last season a critical darling.  It's almost criminal to squander that like they did, and let's be honest, no show wants to be remembered primarily as the show with the most spectacular flame out.

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49 minutes ago, nodorothyparker said:

I don't necessarily put a ton of store in awards like this anyway, although I do think winning as big as they did last year certainly spurred a lot of the 10-seasons talk and maybe led down some of the less well thought out plot paths we suffered through.  I can also feel a little bad for the cast who were certainly doing their absolute best with the material they were given, with Yvonne Strahovski in particular sucking every last molecule of air out of every scene she was in.  But yeah, I'm also hoping the showrunners take a hard look at this shutout and all the criticism they were racking up at the end of the season and really think about what it is they're doing.  Because the source material is incredible.  The cast is incredible.   They went into the start of last season a critical darling.  It's almost criminal to squander that like they did, and let's be honest, no show wants to be remembered primarily as the show with the most spectacular flame out.

co-sign

They have all they need to be outstanding, but the showrunners really let them down this year, as did the rather obvious plan of dragging this out to keep the cash cow going.

I have great hope that the critics and the Emmys make them regroup and come back stronger.  I'm rooting  FOR this show, not against it, but the writers need to do their part.

First up, continuity and follow through, they can't just keep writing drama filled Emmy draw single episodes that have almost nothing to do with each other. Don't set up massive peril or action, and then go on to ignore it in the next episode! 

Don't have Aunt Lydia be loving and funny in one episode, and then have her mutilating her "girls" in the next!  I'm all for Serena being complicated, but fuck, it's like whiplash watching her character behave, almost in an "opposite" way to the episodes before and after each switch of intent/action/motivations.  Yvonne is outstanding, and her conflicted emotions/actions could be believable as hell, but again, the writing doesn't support that, just shows her a monster one minute and a victim the next, without context or reflection.

Don't have a bomb go off right next to your lead man, and have him barely injured the following week!  Don't have a (wonderful!) disaster in Canada and then ignore that for the rest of the season!  Don't have Serena and Fred freak out in an empty house, and then sweep the consequences under the rug in not only the next episode, but the entire rest of the season!  I could go on here, but you get the idea I hope.   It was endless, no follow through.  Don't have teeth falling out in radiation hell, and then not show the desperation that causes Gilead leaders to bring back those poisoned Handmaids, at least have a scene with them discussing it, the science of radiation poisoning vs pregnancy/healthy births.

I mean, obviously, most of us are very good at fan-wanking, but that's NOT our job.  It's the showrunners.

Second up, which very much relates to the above, but is different enough to mention, stop nonsensical recycling, or at least set up, explain, and follow through on it.   Best example, "June escapes!  Oh wait, no she doesn't!"  I don't fault Elizabeth Moss, God knows she sells each conflicting action  but NO ONE can keep doing the same shit over and over (and have no follow through) and keep an audience's interest. 

It's not the acting, it's the writing.I mean, seriously, 3 escapes in one short season for June?  I could have easily bought into that, had it been handled expertly, but it wasn't, so it became ridiculous and insulting.  SET UP, FOLLOW THROUGH, tell the story about how difficult escape was if needed, but they did none of that, and frankly, I'm not sure that story even needed to be told, and if it did, certainly not in the way they chose.

Audiences don't like "bait and switch" and frankly, I think they need a new showrunner.  The problems with this show, to me anyway, come from the top.  They are not coordinating the scripts, all of which are well written as stand alones, but almost none of which make any sense as a "whole" season.  That's their job, and they are not doing it.  They were idiots to spout off about "10 seasons!" but honestly, even if they hadn't?  Audiences are smart enough to see exactly what they are doing.  Capitalizing on their amazing (female) cast, giving them all "Emmy bait" at the expense of story and keeping our interest in the whole.

Edited by Umbelina
added stuff
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I was watching this and Fiennes came on around 52.0 minutes and says a few things, among them, slightly paraphrased:  "I think the second season, it's always difficult to follow up, it's like a second album or something, I think, kudos to the team, the directors, writers blah blah, they kept it authentic and they cued it up a notch or two which is great...for season three maybe they can bring it back down a bit, maybe we can see resistance coming in I don't know."

This makes me think they are well aware of the criticisms, but maybe looking in the wrong direction.

I'm still kinda/sorta watching while doing other stuff, so I don't know what others of the cast may have said.

Anyone else pick up on red comment comments from the crew of this show?

ETA

I do like his comment about the resistance.  That would expand the world view, and move this sucker along faster than the showrunners' optimistically planned.

Edited by Umbelina
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I'm a little butt-hurt that Yvonne didn't win last night, because I think her performance deserves it, but with three actresses from the same show competing, it's just about impossible for one to win. I haven't watched Westworld and I don't doubt that Thandie Newton deserved the win as well. But damn, I wanted Yvonne to win for playing Serena Joy.

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Yeah, three in one show kind of cancel each other out, and I think there was also a voter backlash about a pretty stupid season.  Also, the way the stories and personalities that were all over the place, it honestly appeared the showrunners gave them all "Emmy episodes" deliberately, and I think other actors could resent that, or be bugged by it.  

I don't watch Westworld, but she was good in the clip they showed.

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On 9/19/2018 at 4:06 PM, Umbelina said:

Yeah, three in one show kind of cancel each other out, and I think there was also a voter backlash about a pretty stupid season.  Also, the way the stories and personalities that were all over the place, it honestly appeared the showrunners gave them all "Emmy episodes" deliberately, and I think other actors could resent that, or be bugged by it.  

I don't watch Westworld, but she was good in the clip they showed.

Yep, I thought that Yvonne's performance overcame the uneven writing, character development and plotting, but have to say that I think great acting needs great writing to nab acting awards. Generally. There are certainly exceptions.

Edited by Ashforth
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Television is not the main medium for actors to show their talent. That would be the theater. 

A good writing and a good direction can make a near mediocre actor shine, even if it only for a scene or two. Some actors are really great, some are better on TV, and some are not only "better" on TV but also lucky (or well connected enough) to have a decent career, sometimes a great one. But they are not, on itself, great actors.

Now, as for award shows, I don't think they are usually fair anyway. There is a lot to lobbying and depending on who is backing which actor, said actor will get more voters. Remember, Hollywood is just like politics: it is all about money and connections. Sometimes the choices match the popular favorite, or the actual best actor (if you look at the whole body of work) but it is mostly a big PR party.

And since they have to submit a certain episode, it is easy to dismiss big failures and rely on that ONE scene from ONE episode. 

Not a very popular opinion but I have seen this happening a lot, when I used to watch TV more regularly.

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3 hours ago, PepSinger said:

I disagree. They are two entirely different mediums. Not comparable, IMO.

I don't understand "two entirely different mediums". How do you see them as entirely different?

My statement wasn't really my opinion, but something I have heard from actors, that made me think and I agree. They were referring to the pace of TV, how things are shot several times and out of order, then put together in the editing room. There needs to be a vision that comes from the director. They are the ones who will piece things together to make the whole we see.

In theater, the actor needs to be "in the moment" and the interaction with the audience is in real time. There is no piecing together or a do-over - not with the same audience. 

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4 hours ago, alexvillage said:

I don't understand "two entirely different mediums". How do you see them as entirely different?

My statement wasn't really my opinion, but something I have heard from actors, that made me think and I agree. They were referring to the pace of TV, how things are shot several times and out of order, then put together in the editing room. There needs to be a vision that comes from the director. They are the ones who will piece things together to make the whole we see.

In theater, the actor needs to be "in the moment" and the interaction with the audience is in real time. There is no piecing together or a do-over - not with the same audience. 

Well, TV is filmed. Theatre is in front of a live audience. Therefore, they are entirely different. Also, I am an actor as well, and I don't agree. Just because other actors have said it doesn't mean it's fact. I stand by my opinion that they are two different mediums. That's why some film/TV actors don't do as well on stage, and it's why some stage actors don't do as well on TV/film. Some aren't as adaptable. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.

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5 hours ago, PepSinger said:

Well, TV is filmed. Theatre is in front of a live audience. Therefore, they are entirely different. Also, I am an actor as well, and I don't agree. Just because other actors have said it doesn't mean it's fact. I stand by my opinion that they are two different mediums. That's why some film/TV actors don't do as well on stage, and it's why some stage actors don't do as well on TV/film. Some aren't as adaptable. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.

Fair. I didn't say that because I think it is a fact. I just happen to agree with them. I do agree with you that each person will have a favorite/better medium. I didn't mean to imply that an actor needs to be a theater actor to be considered good. I just meant to say that an actor can show their craft more broadly on a stage, while a director can do that on TV. Historically, if I am not messing up my history, acting didn't used directors because obviously there was no TV them (middle ages/renaissance). I know that villagers would perform in a very improvised way. 

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1 hour ago, nodorothyparker said:

The long-awaited sequel to The Handmaid's Tale, The Testaments which picks up the story 15 years later, has a release date.  Coming Sept. 2019.

I love the official video announcement.

 

I posted about this in the book vs. show thread. I'm glad about it, both because Margaret Atwood is one of my favorite authors and because the show runners seem to be kind of lost without source material, so I hope they take advantage of it. They'd be stupid not to.

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A book sequel at this point would seem to be of necessity a show sequel, or at the very least, an explanation of where the show has taken the original story and where she thinks it should go. Atwood is, after all, involved in the TV adaptation.

Edited by Ashforth
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1 hour ago, Ashforth said:

A book sequel at this point would seem to be of necessity a show sequel, or at the very least, an explanation of where the show has taken the original story and where she thinks it should go. Atwood is, after all, involved in the TV adaptation.

 

She is not as involved as the show runners would like us to believe. 

She is also not obligated to pick up from where the show took the story. It is her story, she gets to decide its progression. 

Edited by Deputy Deputy CoS
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Something tells me that she thought she would have more control in the process of writing for the show - or knew she wouldn't but allow the adaptation anyway - then realized that her ideas would be distorted, mangled, changed and completely messed up at the hands of that team of people who have no idea of what they are doing more than half of the time, so she decided to save her legacy. Glad she did

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I was under the impression from last two seasons that the amount of Handmaids were not that many (and in the books how they were getting more by "incriminating Econo families and taking those women as Handmaids).

So the photo confuses me.  This looks like they have more than what was indicated previously. 

handmaid.jpg

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I'm hoping that this combined with the maps they were suddenly throwing around at the end of last season means we're finally going to get a larger sense of scale of Gilead beyond just this one Boston area district.  If, for example, that's the entirety of the handmaids from the former continental United States, it's still not really that many.  There's roughly 320 million people in the country Gilead took over.  How many of them were purged or fled vs. how many are still there?

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On 2/11/2019 at 1:56 PM, chocolatine said:

Meh. I think it's too dark to be a summer show. I preferred the April release dates of past seasons.

Yeah, the end of April makes more sense. I'm not sure if I'll watch, but I have friends who will be. If I do, I'll need spoilers first. 

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Official season 3 trailer dropped today:

I'm mostly intrigued that Serena may actually be pissed off enough at how badly this has all gone for her that she might be open to June dragging her along into the Resistance or that June would think she could truly be able to trust her.  If that's what happening.  Also glad to see June connecting with quirky Commander Lawrence since he's clearly got some outside connections as well.

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I am really not sold on the amount of potential this season may hold with everything that happened during season 2. 

I know I am not looking forward to Serena "joining the good fight". I just have no use for the character at this point. Heck, I am struggling to care about June's dumb ass at this point. 

The one highlight I did take away from the promo was the shot of Luke holding the baby. That actually got me in the feels, knowing she is out of Gilead and safe, and Luke now has a baby girl to raise again that connects him to June. 

And of course Moira will be over the moon about her new niece surely, so I am definitely looking forward to that stuff. I just hope it isn't condensed down to a few, short, scenes. I would really like to see a lot more of the Canada group and things going on in the free world. What's left of it anyway. 

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16 hours ago, AnswersWanted said:

I am really not sold on the amount of potential this season may hold with everything that happened during season 2. 

I know I am not looking forward to Serena "joining the good fight". I just have no use for the character at this point. Heck, I am struggling to care about June's dumb ass at this point. 

I am glad I am not the only one rolling my eyes at the promo.

The writers fixation on Serena Joy in S2 almost derailed the show. They will most definitely ruin everything good about it if they went full blown. It started with June naming her rape baby in "honor" of one of her rapist.

I am dumbfounded the writers actually think June joining forces with her tormentor is where the show should go. 

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(edited)
On 5/2/2019 at 12:16 AM, AnswersWanted said:

I am really not sold on the amount of potential this season may hold with everything that happened during season 2. 

I know I am not looking forward to Serena "joining the good fight". I just have no use for the character at this point. Heck, I am struggling to care about June's dumb ass at this point. 

The one highlight I did take away from the promo was the shot of Luke holding the baby. That actually got me in the feels, knowing she is out of Gilead and safe, and Luke now has a baby girl to raise again that connects him to June. 

And of course Moira will be over the moon about her new niece surely, so I am definitely looking forward to that stuff. I just hope it isn't condensed down to a few, short, scenes. I would really like to see a lot more of the Canada group and things going on in the free world. What's left of it anyway. 

Serena isn’t joining the fight, imo. She’s just now catching up to how she didn’t only screw over other women, but herself too. She’s not going into this for anything but selfish reasons and she didn’t care a thing about Gilead until it chopped off her finger for reading. 

Of course they could portray this differently and in a way that somehow forgets that just a short while ago, Serena didn’t just encourage but held down a pregnant woman while her husband raped her, but June’s voiceover isn’t wrong. To turn over Gilead, she needs people with power and if there’s anyone I want to see punished more that Serena, it’s her dear ol’ hubby. Even if Serena’s assistance is part of his pain, I’ll enjoy it.

Regarding Canadian scenes, it’s the site of a non revolution, where no one’s doing a dang thing but moping. I love Moira and I hope Emily and the baby’s presence will ignite her and the Canadian scenes. And if Luke can be more than a soggy mess, that’d be cool too. I’m glad Holly’s safe, I’m glad she’s with family, but...meh. 

My interest in S3 is seeing June in all these scenes, seemingly exhibiting a lot more freedom. I’m hoping that isn’t just lazy writing and is actually some interesting duplicity about. I’m curious about S3 Lawrence and Nick and the Marthas and the Resistance. We sat through the slow torture porn and gestation of S2, everything to make sure that June could never actually escape. I’ve accepted that she likely never will, so now let’s see what she could possibly *do*. 

Edited by VagueDisclaimer
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I watched the promo and I don't believe there was any new footage.  It was just a rehash of clips from the previous season(s).  It really didn't give me a clue as to what was coming. 

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On 5/7/2019 at 9:09 PM, VagueDisclaimer said:

Serena isn’t joining the fight, imo. She’s just now catching up to how she didn’t only screw over other women, but herself too. She’s not going into this for anything but selfish reasons and she didn’t care a thing about Gilead until it chopped off her finger for reading. 

Of course they could portray this differently and in a way that somehow forgets that just a short while ago, Serena didn’t just encourage but held down a pregnant woman while her husband raped her, but June’s voiceover isn’t wrong. To turn over Gilead, she needs people with power and if there’s anyone I want to see punished more that Serena, it’s her dear ol’ hubby. Even if Serena’s assistance is part of his pain, I’ll enjoy it.

Regarding Canadian scenes, it’s the site of a non revolution, where no one’s doing a dang thing but moping. I love Moira and I hope Emily and the baby’s presence will ignite her and the Canadian scenes. And if Luke can be more than a soggy mess, that’d be cool too. I’m glad Holly’s safe, I’m glad she’s with family, but...meh. 

My interest in S3 is seeing June in all these scenes, seemingly exhibiting a lot more freedom. I’m hoping that isn’t just lazy writing and is actually some interesting duplicity about. I’m curious about S3 Lawrence and Nick and the Marthas and the Resistance. We sat through the slow torture porn and gestation of S2, everything to make sure that June could never actually escape. I’ve accepted that she likely never will, so now let’s see what she could possibly *do*. 

There is a large group that wouldn't mind seeing Serena earn "redemption" and the show keeps trying to have it both ways with her, especially during last season, and knowing the guy behind the shows, and some of his older shows and how they turned out, I am not convinced he wouldn't go there. 

I will never think Serena cares about anyone else more than herself at the end of the day, it's who she is. If she is going to join the H team with June to help topple the Gilead leadership, it definitely is because she's ready to get her way again and regain her own freedom. 

But to do so she still would be joining the fight, it's the only fight that gives her what she wants. If she doesn't become apart of the resistance and underground, assisting June, then she stays stuck in her personal hell.

That's what I was getting at. Serena is going to trade sides it appears, but frankly I don't care if she does or doesn't, she could have been drowned at the end of last season and I would have been perfectly happy having a totally Serena free show from now on. 

I see the show implying an alliance of sorts between June and Serena and, yeah...I am not in favor, at all.

As for Canada, I just think it's been underused. There is tons of material they could utilize to expand on the outside world, but instead they'd rather keep showing rape scenes and murders. And the same goes for the group in Canada. They don't get any real attention or care from the show. Just small snippets that don't really give us anything. 

Of course the main focus of the show is, and should always be, Gilead, but Atwood did build the foundation for a lot more to be discovered outside of it. And now that this is season 3, I, personally, am ready to see what lies beyond on a far grander scale. 

As far as June goes...I really had a hard time feeling for her the same way in season 2 the way I did during season 1. And I mostly blamed the writers and director.

I just thought they kept her on such a short leash, making dumb shit decisions left and right just so they could keep her tethered to Gilead and unable to escape. I hated the obviousness of the plan and the lack of imagination and cleverness that could have been involved if that was to be the season long goal.

I just want less obvious dumb shit this season. But that promo didn't give me a lot of hope. 

I would definitely love to see more of the amazing Rita though. She should really be given a lot to do this season, they just don't use her enough. 

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15 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Leslie Jones dressed as a handmaid to discuss the Alabama abortion ban passed this week on Weekend Update:

Thank you for posting this. I've watched it three times today. 

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FYI - Margaret Atwood is doing a book tour to promote The Testaments, the sequel to The Handmaid's Tale, which will be released on September 10. The tour dates begin in September. You can check the schedule here (you have to click on a specific month to see the available dates).

These are the dates listed so far (I'm putting them under the spoiler cut because there are a lot but no spoilers here!)

Spoiler

Mon Sept 9 - London (Waterstones Piccadilly)

Tue Sept 10 - London (Lyttelton Theatre)

Mon Sept 16 - Toronto (TBA)

Tue Sept 17 - Ottawa (Southminster United Church)

Wed Sept 18 - Montreal (Concordia University)

Fri Sept 20 - New York (Town Hall)

Sat Sept 21 - New York (Lincoln Center)

Mon Sept 23 - Dallas (SMU)

Tue Sept 24 - San Francisco (Carol Channing Theater)

Wed Sept 25 - Portland (Keller Auditorium)

Thu Sept 26 - Vancouver (Chan Centre for Performing Arts)

Fri Sept 27 - Victoria (University of Victoria)

Sun Sept 29 - Calgary (Mount Royal University)

Mon Sept 30 - Winnipeg (Royal Manitoba Theatre)

Thu Oct 3 - Halifax (Central Library)

Fri Oct 4 - Charlottetown (Prince Edward Island Convention Centre)

Sat Oct 26 - Gateshead (Sage)

Sun Oct 27 - Salford (The Lowry)

Mon Oct 28 - Birmingham (Symphony Hall)

Wed Oct 30 - Oxford (New Theatre)

Thu Oct 31 - Brighton (Concert Hall)

Sat Nov 2 - Dublin (National Concert Hall)

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(edited)

Will the third season drop 12am east coast time or do they usually do they wait for the West Coast to hit 12am?  thanks!

Nope, I'm not excited at all!  🙂 

Edited by Valny
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(edited)

I just saw a Facebook post saying the first three episodes drop at 8pm est.  So I went to Hulu and it says they are available on 6/4.  That’s today!  I guess I’ll know in 10 minutes!  I’ll share what I find.

Well, I guess not........

8:00 pm on the West Coast!  12:00 midnight EST.  Sorry for any hopes I got up!

Edited by kathe5133
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