THT Spoilers

[Anela]

Episode 4-6.

https://www.reddit.com/r/TheHandmaidsTale/comments/bxz0a7/spoiler_s3e6_episode_46_summaries/

[AnswersWanted]

45 minutes ago, Anela said:

Emily faces her past crimes - something about the ongoing diplomatic crisis. Of course they can't leave her alone. Damn it. 

So it does appear as if they will address Emily rightfully fighting back against her rapists and captors, when she ran over the guard and her attack on Lydia. 

I mean really...if they intend to play around with the premise that Canada might be willing to send her back as part of some diplomatic deal...I already feel irritated. 

I am also now wondering if the Waterford's think they could haggle June's release for getting the baby back. They might assume since June has been so problematic it would be no loss to be rid of her, and getting back a healthy baby to raise as a Gilead citizen is more important. 

That would definitely send June reeling, feeling completely betrayed since she worked on getting Luke to allow Serena access to the baby, and it would certainly cause a "national stir" in DC.

[alexvillage]

1 hour ago, AnswersWanted said:

I mean really...if they intend to play around with the premise that Canada might be willing to send her back as part of some diplomatic deal...I already feel irritated. 

That will be the line they cross for me. The mansplaining, the victim blaming, the authoritarianism erasing human rights - too close to reality for me to even hate watch. It evokes everything about oppression that history and humanity tells us was/is wrong: the "good negro" trope, the "good girl" bullshit, the "deserving 'legal' immigrant" absurd, the "appropriately dressed" woman fucked up idea.

[Anela]

I've just seen on reddit, that tonight's/tomorrow's episode features an attempted child swap. Apparently this was from someone who was on set, and said that Hanna was there.

I still haven't watched last week's one. If they send that baby back to Gilead... I don't know how they would have Hannah, though. Unless they convinced the "mother" that she would be returned.

Edited June 19, 2019 by Anela

[LordOfLotion]

Israeli trailer for 05x06:

[Umbelina]

Oh crap!  Is Nick going to admit paternity?  Doesn't that open a hell of a huge can of worms for Nick and June?

What?

[AllyB]

The only part of that trailer that intrigued me was the Swiss(?) diplomat saying "I don't think you know who Mr Blaine is." The thought of getting some more insight into Nick and who he really works for is appealing. Is he known to the US as a spy for them and the Swiss want to keep him exactly where he is for the eventual overthrow of Gilead. Maybe he was always a spy for an agency like the NSA and his very first run in with the man who became Commander Price was deliberate? It's either that or he is actually a very bad person who just happens to like June enough to bend the rules for her, but I think that him handing over the letters to Luke puts paid to that possibility. 

[AnswersWanted]

The preview for episode 7...can they just go ahead and give June her own car so she can get around a little easier, and we can skip over all the implausible bullshit that allows her freedom to hunt down Hannah yet again? 

Also, they seem to have the handmaids taking part in hanging some Marthas, so I imagine we’re in for some lingering closeups of an internally raging June. 

They didn’t show any shots from Canada as far as I could tell so I fear that group, yet again, will be left on the back burner.

After episode 6 it would have made all the sense for them to spend episode 7 primarily if not solely in Canada, giving us information about what’s going on with Luke and the custody fight. They could show him giving an interview to combat Fred’s bullshit Gilead service announcement. And we definitely need to see more of Emily and her journey. 

This show is just tanking hard left and right. 

[Umbelina]

https://www.thewrap.com/handmaids-tale-washington-dc-june-serena-nicole-bruce-miler-warren-littlefield/ 

Not really a spoiler, but kinda.  Looks like we may be in DC a lot, or possibly permanently? 

https://www.thewrap.com/handmaids-tale-yvonne-strahovski-dc-serena-june-breakup-nicole/

Serena  (Yvonne's) new look at Fred.

[Deputy Deputy CoS]

Quote

“At this point, they’re pretty done, you know? And this is definitely like the breakup scene because their relationship is like such a dysfunctional lovers’ relationship, really,” Strahovski said. “They’re so up and down, they quarrel all the time, and it definitely felt like a breakup.”

What in fresh hell?

[kieyra]

19 hours ago, AnswersWanted said:

After episode 6 it would have made all the sense for them to spend episode 7 primarily if not solely in Canada, giving us information about what’s going on with Luke and the custody fight. They could show him giving an interview to combat Fred’s bullshit Gilead service announcement. And we definitely need to see more of Emily and her journey. 

Emily has 'atoned', no need to revisit her story. 

/s

[Souris]

From the ep 8 trailer, finally Lydia backstory!!

[AnswersWanted]

Ann is going to kill it,  but honestly I wish it was Rita. Lydia gets so much more screen time already, I’d love to see Rita expanded on and fully explored. 

Frankly as long as June and Serena aren’t the main focuses in the episode, I will take it. This week’s episode makes me never want to see either of them again for the rest of the season.

Edited July 3, 2019 by AnswersWanted

[Umbelina]

More flashbacks instead of forward movement.  Sigh.

[Brn2bwild]

I find it interesting that in one moment, Aunt Lydia says to June: "Tell your girls [don't recall exact words] to back off."  

Does she not have power to discipline them for turning on a handmaid who was, essentially, doing what she was supposed to do?

[AnswersWanted]

4 minutes ago, Brn2bwild said:

I find it interesting that in one moment, Aunt Lydia says to June: "Tell your girls [don't recall exact words] to back off."  

Does she not have power to discipline them for turning on a handmaid who was, essentially, doing what she was supposed to do?

Aunt Lydia is no longer a match for Sassy Super June. Even she with the cattle prod realizes June is the one really in control. In fact, if Lydia isn’t careful she just might end up on the wall if she makes June irritated enough, she and her little snitching pet ofmatthew (I think that’s her name). 

At this point I fully expect to see people start bowing whenever June enters a room. 

[maggiegil]

The Israeli trailer! June really gives Ofmatthew a taste of the own medicine

[Umbelina]

37 minutes ago, maggiegil said:

The Israeli trailer! June really gives Ofmatthew a taste of the own medicine

Good for June! 

That said? 

I am so sick of flashbacks I could scream.  Why not just call them "emmy reels" and be honest about it.

Ann Dowd is wonderful, but I don't care what made her character into a monster, and I am really over these in depth looks into anyone, at the expense of moving the damn story forward, and writing something sensible.

I'm never going to feel sorry for Aunt Lydia, and I would bet just about anything that is what this flashback is supposed to do.  She's another horribly written character, or, she's the actual bi-polar person in this tale. One minute she's weeping and kind, the next cutting off a clitoris with glee, or beating feet, or burning hands, or removing an eye, or leading murder mobs.  I'll also bet that we are going to see some drivel explaining that she "loves her girls" that she tortures and maims regularly.

Show us Emily, Luke, Moira, Erin, and Holly trying to get transportation out of Canada ASAP, show us spy guy advising them to run, or arranging an escape.  Show us the USA government reaction to this Canada/Switzerland BS. 

Or hell, show us more of the culture in DC, which at least is something fresh.

Enough with the damn flashbacks.

Edited July 5, 2019 by Umbelina
Ann Dowd is not a monster, her character is. ;)

[Brn2bwild]

OMG, can it really be true?  Are people in-universe starting to get as sick of June as we are?

Promo for Episode 309

[chocolatine]

3 minutes ago, Brn2bwild said:

OMG, can it really be true?  Are people in-universe starting to get as sick of June as we are?

Promo for Episode 309

Yay, Janine!

[mamadrama]

I wish the rest of the episodes would go ahead and get leaked so that someone could spoil the season for me. Because I don't know how much longer I can watch. 

[Anela]

They bullied a pregnant woman so much, that she's in the hospital? I'm not watching it. 

[AnswersWanted]

13 minutes ago, Anela said:

They bullied a pregnant woman so much, that she's in the hospital? I'm not watching it. 

More like they bullied her and shamed her over not wanting her baby, and her already fragile psyche cracked and shattered to the point where she ended up attacking Janine brutally, then she killed a guard, grabbed his gun, and finally ended up nearly shooting Lydia before another guard stepped in and shot her down, leaving her apparently, according to the previews, brain dead. 

I would still strongly suggest it’s not worth watching.

Imho it was quite possibly the worst episode so far this season, and that is saying something for me. 

As for next week, can June just do us all a favor with that scalpel and take both herself and Serena out? I’d be eternally grateful.

[Umbelina]

They bullied her to send a message to snitches that get people killed.  Actually, they shunned her.

[Anela]

1 hour ago, Umbelina said:

They bullied her to send a message to snitches that get people killed.  Actually, they shunned her.

And it seems they killed her in the process. That's no better.

[Umbelina]

12 hours ago, Anela said:

And it seems they killed her in the process. That's no better.

Like most groups that are oppressed or suffering, NO ONE likes a snitch.

That said, saying that they "drove her" to killing that guard and pointing that gun at various people, to me anyway, is a stretch.

Like most of them, Gilead is what broke her, not being snubbed.  Perhaps guilt at her snitching causing those people's deaths as well, and as she said, fear because she thinks this baby is a girl.

[Brn2bwild]

I thought I read in an article that Lydia had a son out of wedlock that she was ashamed about.  Does anyone else recall this?

[lavenderblue]

Israeli trailer is out and I for one can't wait to see these writers and June alike indulge their bad psychological horror film whims.

[Umbelina]

8 minutes ago, lavenderblue said:

Israeli trailer is out and I for one can't wait to see these writers and June alike indulge their bad psychological horror film whims.

I'm kind of thrilled that we have action, finally, from another handmaid.

We had Emily steal a car and run over that guard, then stab Lydia.  We had that handmaid blow up the new Handmaid training center with a suicide bomb.  We had the handmaids, as a group, refuse to stone Janine to death.  We had Moira beat up an aunt, and escape TWICE (once successfully.)

It's past time for June to snap/break and take on Gilead, and with almost no hope of finding Hannah now?  She has nothing else to lose, but her life in Gilead, and fuck that noise.

If she's seen as a villain for fighting that system in any way she can?  That is just whack to me.

I'm all for unleashed June, and for any other unleashed slaves that want to revolt as well.  I just wish the spoiler showed the resistance as well.  It's bizarre to me that they haven't shown them yet, especially because, no, I don't believe most Americans would support this system, and seeing the resistance is important.

[AnswersWanted]

50 minutes ago, lavenderblue said:

Israeli trailer is out and I for one can't wait to see these writers and June alike indulge their bad psychological horror film whims.

Welp, I guess if they want to fully torpedo the premise this season ever had a point or purpose, this type of episode will do nicely. 

This is just getting ridiculous.

June basically is playing 10 different characters at this point, and none of them are good.

So we're back to a season 1 throwback, June in isolation losing her mind, but we're now holed up in the hospital, because sure, why the fuck not, and we're going to have a physical altercation that will surely lead to more of nothing because June and Serena are not going anywhere.

Yawn.

I already feel like this mess has truly turned into a horror show, they really didn't need to prove it with this kind of episode.

[Umbelina]

Same character to me, just one, like Emily and Moira and the suicide bomber before her?  Pushed into violence, and no longer caring about civilized reactions.

They have finally drummed that "work with them" out of her. 

Frankly, it's about time.

[Deputy Deputy CoS]

1 hour ago, Umbelina said:

I'm kind of thrilled that we have action, finally, from another handmaid.

We had Emily steal a car and run over that guard, then stab Lydia.  We had that handmaid blow up the new Handmaid training center with a suicide bomb.  We had the handmaids, as a group, refuse to stone Janine to death.  We had Moira beat up an aunt, and escape TWICE (once successfully.)

It's past time for June to snap/break and take on Gilead, and with almost no hope of finding Hannah now?  She has nothing else to lose, but her life in Gilead, and fuck that noise.

If she's seen as a villain for fighting that system in any way she can?  That is just whack to me.

I'm all for unleashed June, and for any other unleashed slaves that want to revolt as well.  I just wish the spoiler showed the resistance as well.  It's bizarre to me that they haven't shown them yet, especially because, no, I don't believe most Americans would support this system, and seeing the resistance is important.

The problem with this theory of June unleashing like the previous Handmaids is that they are no longer in Gilead for various reasons. Emily and Moira escaped but for Emily, it wasn't before she was severely punished, (FGM and Colonies) and the others are dead.

None of these things will happen to June for meta reasons so the unleashing of her anger won't have a credible fallout.

[Umbelina]

3 minutes ago, Deputy Deputy CoS said:

The problem with this theory of June unleashing like the previous Handmaids is that they are no longer in Gilead for various reasons. Emily and Moira escaped but for Emily, it wasn't before she was severely punished, (FGM and Colonies) and the others are dead.

None of these things will happen to June for meta reasons so the unleashing of her anger won't have a credible fallout.

It could though.

I agree with you that these writers suck at that though.

Some options?

She makes her tapes and does some real damage and they kill her off.  (this is doubtful though, since we have so few handmaids we know left in Gilead.)

She is scheduled to be shipped off to the colonies, but escapes and joins the resistance.  I think this is possible, it's time to see the resistance, but it's doubtful because they just introduced DC, and UNLESS they put Emily there via the extradition?  Wait!  We know the Wallingfords as well as we know remaining handmaids, so they could just tell the DC story from Wallinfords' POV.

She remains underground in the Boston district somehow, aiding escapees, making her tapes.

I agree though, these writers can't keep doing PERIL with no consequences.  That's where they lost much of their audience.  In decent hands?  This could work, but we all know we don't have that kind of show runner.  Sigh.

I'm encouraged that at least we have a different June though.  She will probably continue to play their game, but increase her sabotage. 

[AnswersWanted]

June operates based on the plot, that's all she's been doing this entire season. 

She didn't escape when it made zero sense to remain in Gilead, she got tricked by Fred and Serena because of course she's super gullible when necessary, she leveled her path to Hannah by being dumb and careless as fuck, she apparently sees no point in working Lawrence for further favors as she displayed in episode 8, and now they've stuck her in a hospital room with the same handmaid they all are clearly aware she openly, like straight up in your faces, hates and despises, and yet they're going to act as if June isn't a huge danger to Ofmatthew, and on top of that she's being "driven insane" and will snap and attack another character impervious to any and all Gilead repercussions.

This show has become the rollercoaster ride from hell.

June has taken so many twists and turns as a character she's practically a pretzel.  

She does what she's written to do, like a plot barbie doll, she functions only to make shit happen while nothing actually happens to her, and seeing her lunge at Serena is not exciting or surprising to me, it's more pointless filler of so called "rebellion" that will render nothing earned or gained. 

For attacking a wife June would be sent to the colonies or hung, will she be? 'Course not, and it's tiring.

She's not rebelling, she's not even resisting because June has no real resistance,  she has to win and survive for the next episode to happen, so since this is just episode 9 we are on, June is guaranteed another pass for openly being the world's worst, most disobedient, and frankly unhinged handmaid.

Honestly they should just have her rewire one of the hospital machines to explode for a diversion, then she could take someone hostage and make her way out to go on the run yet again. 

If Miller wants so badly to change June into this Sci-fi power princess then he needs to stop halfassing it.

But this chick stopped being a handmaid at the end of season 2.

[Umbelina]

Interesting discussion about the various maps of Gilead.

Those red areas?  Are not controlled by Gilead, basically most of their borders. 

THOSE are the places I want to see, I want to see the resistance, which honestly, I do expect book June and perhaps show June to eventually join.

All we really know about June is that she made audio tapes, hidden in popular music tapes, detailing her life, and they were discovered in a cabin in the NE a century or two later.  Efforts to trace her were unsuccessful.  So the speculate she may have stayed in hiding because of family/friends still trapped in Gilead (hence she didn't use her real name in the tapes.)  Or she could have done anything really, escaped and disappeared, joined the resistance, died there, or have been hung in Gilead...it's wide open.

Edited July 12, 2019 by Umbelina

[Brn2bwild]

So in the sneak peak for next week's episode, it looks as though the Waterfords are going to try and pressure/harm Commander Lawrence and his wife.  Sigh.

Still no sign of Emily or Moira...

[AnswersWanted]

I swear, wasn't it in almost identical episode order last season when Emily was moved into Lawrence's home and his wife was set off by being exposed to the ceremony ritual? 

How original of the show to want to drag that well again, but with interference from the always annoying fucker Fred and Commander Keller. 

Though I am almost certain all of this is going to lead to Lawrence deciding to help June with her "plan", basically doing for her what he did for Emily, again another rewind back to last season. 

If the show's execution of its' ideas wasn't so clunky and sloppy, and tiresome, not to mention redundant, they really could be succeeding so much more. 

[Deputy Deputy CoS]

It looks like he’s going to be forced to force himself on June. As if this wasn’t a fucked world already. 

Taking a wild guess that if that’s what’s going on, he won’t be able to get it up 

[greekmom]

12 hours ago, Brn2bwild said:

So in the sneak peak for next week's episode, it looks as though the Waterfords are going to try and pressure/harm Commander Lawrence and his wife.  Sigh.

Still no sign of Emily or Moira...

It looks like the Waterfords and Commander from D.C. are going to pressure Lawrence and his wife to go through the ceremony.  In front of them?!?!?!  Looks like the wife will have a breakdown over the mention of the ceremony.

I mean they could just lie and say she went through the ceremony.  Why would they want actual proof Lawrence is doing it???

Ugh.... I hate the misdirection of previews. 

[Umbelina]

I can't even find the damn previews!  I really dislike the set up on Hulu so very much.

ETA

found it on Youtube

Edited July 17, 2019 by Umbelina

[Ariam]

51 minutes ago, Umbelina said:

I can't even find the damn previews!  I really dislike the set up on Hulu so very much.

ETA

found it on Youtube

It looks horrible. But seriously what would that even prove? Fred wasn’t able once either (season 1 maybe, when Serena offered to “help him”) and it would be quite likely that a man would not be able to perform with all those people watching. It doesn’t actually prove to them that they have never done the ceremony. 

[Ariam]

13 hours ago, AnswersWanted said:

I swear, wasn't it in almost identical episode order last season when Emily was moved into Lawrence's home and his wife was set off by being exposed to the ceremony ritual? 

How original of the show to want to drag that well again, but with interference from the always annoying fucker Fred and Commander Keller. 

I don’t remember that happening. With Emily she was waiting for him in the room and he came in doing something and she asked him a question or pointed out that it was ceremony day to which he responded that he wasn’t going to do that with her. At least that’s how I remember it. Was his wife present or exposed to the idea at some stage? 

[AnswersWanted]

42 minutes ago, Ariam said:

I don’t remember that happening. With Emily she was waiting for him in the room and he came in doing something and she asked him a question or pointed out that it was ceremony day to which he responded that he wasn’t going to do that with her. At least that’s how I remember it. Was his wife present or exposed to the idea at some stage? 

I went back and found the episode I was thinking about, and I got the wife's freakout scene mixed up with the ceremony part. It happened instead when she came in to meet Emily in her room, and she tells her about Lawrence's role in creating the colonies. 

It was seeing the familiar breakdown that triggered my half memory, heh, it took me right back to season 2. 

Everything just seems so similar to last season to me, especially with episodes framed like this one. 

5 hours ago, Deputy Deputy CoS said:

It looks like he’s going to be forced to force himself on June. As if this wasn’t a fucked world already. 

Taking a wild guess that if that’s what’s going on, he won’t be able to get it up 

It looks like it's going to be everything in a scene featuring BW that I have absolutely no desire to watch.

Why not have Commander Keller make a strong move on Fred? It's about time he get a taste of his own putrid medicine.

[Ariam]

41 minutes ago, AnswersWanted said:

I went back and found the episode I was thinking about, and I got the wife's freakout scene mixed up with the ceremony part. It happened instead when she came in to meet Emily in her room, and she tells her about Lawrence's role in creating the colonies. 

It was seeing the familiar breakdown that triggered my half memory, heh, it took me right back to season 2. 

Everything just seems so similar to last season to me, especially with episodes framed like this one. 

It looks like it's going to be everything in a scene featuring BW that I have absolutely no desire to watch.

Why not have Commander Keller make a strong move on Fred? It's about time he get a taste of his own putrid medicine.

Yes I agree it’s repetitious. And makes no sense at all that Fred and Keller would be interested in what’s going on with Fred’s old handmaid, as this does obviously relate to her. If they must keep Fred and Serena in the show they should be moving on with their lives separately from June. 

Edited July 17, 2019 by Ariam
Typo

[Umbelina]

13 minutes ago, Ariam said:

Yes I agree it’s repetitious. And makes no sense at all that Fred and Keller would be interested in what’s going on with Fred’s old handmaid, as this does obviously relate to her. If they must keep Fred and Serena in the show they should be moving on with their lives separately from June. 

It makes "show" sense, but I still hate it.

Aunt Lydia mentioned it with the whole apple/barrel thing.  June was sent to Fred's house (bad barrel obviously since his previous HM killed herself, and at least some people seem to know he hangs in Jezebels.)  Her next posting is to the very weird but powerful Lawrence, with the crazy wife, and a JUST escaped HM as well, so another 'bad barrel."

To determine if Lawrence is "doing his sacred duty" and his wife his helping him rape their handmaids, I can actually see Lydia stirring the pot, after all, Lawrences last HM also tried to kill her and did wound her.

As far as Fred's motivation?  He's had a long series of dings, and he's been demoted, turning the focus on ANOTHER Commander is a move I can see Fred making.   Much like a child who is being punished pointing his finger at someone else.

Fred's mistakes keep adding up.  HM suicide, wife reading in front of people and demanding changes to the rules on reading for females, the Canada disaster with the "trade deal" crap long ago, the HM new center is blown up, his new baby is "kidnapped" and then his wife split's to her mother's house to get away from him...I'm sure there are more.  Getting the focus on someone else is a tried and true technique of cowardly wrong doers.

In addition?  June knows an awful lot about Fred and Serena that could put them both on the wall.  This may be his attempt to get her back in his house and under his control.

Either way?

This whole thing blows.

[LittleRed84]

Anyone have a link to the Israel trailer for e10?

I think Lawrence being forced to do the ceremony might be the tipping point for him to be fully on the side of resistance... at the cost of his wife’s sanity and despair. 

I cant imagine that they’ll have Fred/Serena IN the bedroom though?? Maybe outside the door? 

And what reasoning are they giving Lawrence?  “We don’t think you’re actually raping your handmaid proper so we’re gonna watch and make sure?”

???

[greekmom]

20 hours ago, AnswersWanted said:

Why not have Commander Keller make a strong move on Fred? It's about time he get a taste of his own putrid medicine.

Sooooo much on my wish list.  Keller forces Fred (ie. it's the wall with trump up charge or me!) and Serena catches them. 

[Deputy Deputy CoS]

I don’t understand Serena’s appearance in the hospital nor their appearance at this forced ceremony. Of all the “observers” to pick from, why them?

It worsens an already contrived plot 

[Umbelina]

16 hours ago, LittleRed84 said:

Anyone have a link to the Israel trailer for e10?

I think Lawrence being forced to do the ceremony might be the tipping point for him to be fully on the side of resistance... at the cost of his wife’s sanity and despair. 

I cant imagine that they’ll have Fred/Serena IN the bedroom though?? Maybe outside the door? 

And what reasoning are they giving Lawrence?  “We don’t think you’re actually raping your handmaid proper so we’re gonna watch and make sure?”

???

They usually come out closer to air time of the episode, ballpark, a few days before.

13 minutes ago, Deputy Deputy CoS said:

I don’t understand Serena’s appearance in the hospital nor their appearance at this forced ceremony. Of all the “observers” to pick from, why them?

It worsens an already contrived plot 

They weren't observers.  They were there to pray for the baby.  Serena was probably friends with the "mother."  Also, other wives may have also come to pray during the months June was there, but why would the show include them?  It was just the typical prayer group.

[DuckyinKy]

Israeli Preview