THT Spoilers

[AnswersWanted]

So...just watched the promo for next week...

 I know Canada is diplomatic and all, but really?

Letting a leader from Gilead freely into Canada even though they know that many of the survivors from Gilead have escaped there? 

Waterford is obviously one of the main figureheads of the regime, that’s like inviting Hitler’s general to your dinner party. 

But I guess is that really any different to modern day, how many of us watch on as our government leaders wine and dine well known war criminals and dictators that starve and rape and murder their own people.

[Umbelina]

Canada may also be trying to avoid war, or make the first tentative steps toward diplomacy as a way to help the people of Gilead.

 

Finally!  Progress, the outside world!  Protests!  A book deal for Serena!  Take it and RUN woman!

Edited June 6, 2018 by Umbelina

[nodorothyparker]

That link's not showing up.  Try this one.

 

I admit I'm more excited than I probably should be for this.  Hopefully this means we're finally going to see the international reaction element so many of us have felt we've been missing this season.

[chocolatine]

Is that Sam Jaeger (Joel from Parenthood) as the "representative of the American government"? I hope he gets Serena to defect.

[GraceK]

Next weeks episode look AMAZING. Although Serena’s shocked face at protesters is hard to believe. Really Serena? Really? It’s hard to believe that the rest of human society may not be totally okay with genoicide , rape and torture?

[mamadrama]

Not a huge spoiler or anything but if you search long enough, you'll find some comments out there by Emmy screeners who have already watched Ep.9. One said that it's the craziest episode of the season and that it will make you change your mind about a few characters. I'm excited.

[mamadrama]

And then there's THIS from TVGuide's "Recap". The material has been removed from the original link, but this is what it said:

In this week's episode, The Waterford's were sent on a diplomatic mission to Canada, and naturally Nick (Max Minghella) went along with them. Thanks to one very high quality newscast, Moira spotted Waterford (Joseph Fiennes) arriving in Canada and identified him to Luke, who then stormed over to the Waterford's hotel for a very public confrontation.

Obviously it was super cathartic to watch Luke shout and scream and call Commander Waterford a rapist (even if it didn't do much good in the end), but the confrontation that ended up mattering more was between Luke and Nick.

In the safety of a dark bar, Nick was able to update Luke on June's life, including her pregnancy, and he even promised to take a message of love and devotion back to her. Umm... awkward. Nick wisely decided it wasn't the right time to tell Luke that June's unborn child wasn't, in fact, by Waterford but by himself, which was probably a pretty charitable omission. Nevertheless, that white lie feels like it's going to come back to bite him.

In the end, Nick decided Luke was the perfect recipient for the package of letters June got from Mayday. At first, Luke and Moira just poured over the letters of imprisoned Handmaids with disgust and rage, but eventually they realized that while the mysterious package wasn't quite the bomb Moira expected it to be, it could still "go boom." They decided to post the letters online, proving Gilead to be an oppressive police state full of women who were dying to get out. The backlash from the letters even caused Canadian officials to kick the Waterfords out of the country.

Let's just hope Luke had the foresight to black out the names before posting them. Some of those girls could still be in Gilead, meaning their Mayday letter could also be their death sentence.

Original link:

http://www.tvguide.com/news/the-handmaids-tale-luke-meets-nick-commander-waterford/

Web archived link: https://web.archive.org/web/20180606154721/http://www.tvguide.com/news/the-handmaids-tale-luke-meets-nick-commander-waterford/

Edited June 6, 2018 by mamadrama

[GraceK]

24 minutes ago, mamadrama said:

ey decided to post the letters online, proving Gilead to be an oppressive police state full of women who were dying to get out. The backlash from the letters even caused Canadian officials to kick the Waterfords out of the country.

Thank you for sharing!!!

what I’m confused about is , I thought the rest of the world was already aware? Isn’t the fact that Canada is a refuge for Americans enough evidence? Why did Canada even invite the Waterford’s? What was the point?

[mamadrama]

3 minutes ago, GraceK said:

Thank you for sharing!!!

what I’m confused about is , I thought the rest of the world was already aware? Isn’t the fact that Canada is a refuge for Americans enough evidence? Why did Canada even invite the Waterford’s? What was the point?

In another post I compared this to the war in the former Yugoslavia. That "conflict" (what it was referred to at the time) had been going on for a couple of years, and the US was even taking in refugees, yet the general public outside of Bosnia and Croatia had almost no idea of how bad things truly were. The mass graves, rapes, kidnapping, tortures, camps, etc? Most of those things didn't start leaking out until a long time after and we're still learning things 20 years later. Sarajevo had been under siege for a couple of years, yet most Americans had no idea. We knew things were "bad" but we didn't know how bad they were. This was a western country with people who enjoyed shows like "90210" and wore trendy western clothes, and ate at American chain restaurants and yet they were literally locked into their own city. They had to close all the schools because snipers were literally taking out kindergartners as they walked to class. There was very little food or water left in the city and the electricity was sporadic. Buildings crumbled every day from shrapnel. Markets might have a few pieces of moldy fruits and vegetables but most people didn't dare venture there because of the snipers and explosives. People ran in zig zags when they crossed the street. Women were kidnapped from their homes and placed into virtual brothers for the soldiers. They dug a tunnel that ran under the airport (I've been in that tunnel, it's crazy scary) so that relief groups could smuggle supplies, and sometimes people, in and out of the city. NONE of this was really known on a wide-scale basis until U2 started doing live feeds with Sarajevan citizens during their concerts. My friend, Bill Carter, was a relief worker at the time and he was the one running the feeds on the Sarajevo side. (You can find some of these on You Tube.) 

I see this "letter storyline" as being something similar-the people under attack and probably still living in the situation are sharing their stories on a wide-scale basis in their own words for the first time. 

I did a solo backpacking trip across Croatia and Bosnia when I was 23. It was eye-opening. On my first day in Sarajevo I went to the tourist information office, they were still working from boxes, and the only thing they could offer me was a map of the city. When I asked what the red circles were, they explained that they represented the areas that still had unexploded ordinances and landmines. The city map was basically crimson. I paid $10 to rent a private room from a family (all the hotels had been bombed except for the Holiday Inn), and learned that the son had brain damage from when he'd been shot in the head (he was 6 at the time), and the wife still had PTSD from where she'd been gang raped by soldiers and held as a prisoner for 11 months. 

Why did Canada invite the Waterfords? Who the heck knows but it seems to happen all the time. 

[HeySandyStrange]

3 hours ago, mamadrama said:

Why did Canada invite the Waterfords? Who the heck knows but it seems to happen all the time.

For diplomatic and practical purposes, I would guess. Gilead is Canada's closest neighbor, and the Canadian government probably didn't want to upset the totalitarian country that so recently eradicated one of the world's Superpowers and their former alley America. Plus, maybe they figured putting on a friendly face and letting Gilead officials like the Waterfords in would keep a line open to Gilead so they can receive as much information as possible, instead of pushing Gilead away, thus raising border tensions and giving raise to Gilead going totally "dark" as far as information getting out at all. It could also be a  very passive-aggressive move on Canada's part; they take in refugees, bar trade with Gilead, and do joint military exercises with Britain on the border, but role out the red carpet for the Waterfords (and let them run smack dab into angry protestors, of course:).

I can't wait to meet the American Government representative. Hopefully he will give us some insight into how things are holding up in Hawaii/Alaska for what is left of America. And I will cheer Luke on, that is the confrontation that needs to happen. Sucks for Nick, I guess, but honestly I think he was buying too much into this "knight in shining armor/white picket fence" fantasies about him and June and what their relationship really meant.

[mamadrama]

S02E09: "Smart Power"

S02E10: "The Last Ceremony"

A frustrated Serena becomes desperate. The Commander tries to make amends with Offred. Nick pushes Eden farther away. Offred is faced with an unexpected reunion.

S02E11: "Holly"

Offred faces a gruelling challenge alone as she recalls her life as a mother. Serena Joy and the Commander deal with the fallout of their actions towards Offred.

S02E12: "Postpartum"

 

Here is a link for all the episode titles: https://www.pogdesign.co.uk/cat/The-Handmaids-Tale/Season-2/Episode-12

The synopsis for 10 & 11 originally appeared on SBS's website. It looked as though they're both airing the same day because they are preempted for the World Cup. However, the descriptions were taken down not long after they were put up. I haven't found the web archive for it yet, but it's probably out there. 

I think Offred gives birth alone. I also think that she's reunited either with her mother or with Hannah. "Issac" is apparently a guardian assigned to the Waterford's house while Nick is in Canada with the Waterfords. I am speculating that he and Eden get in trouble and they're the ones who are thrown into the swimming pool in the season 2 trailer. (I am not ruling out the Putnams, but it's definitely not the dress of a Wife.)

Someone on another board was walking by the "wall" while they were filming and shared pictures of a man and woman hanging. Their heads were covered in purple bags. Janine and Emily are both in the picture, as well as some Marthas I don't recognize. The man is definitely a guardian and the woman looks to be an econowife. COULD be Nick and Eden, but could also be a random guardian and econowife that we haven't met yet. 

Lastly, for your spoiling enjoyment, here is the Israeli trailer for episode 9. 

 

[Anela]

The letters!! Nick must get them to someone to upload them to the internet. 

Looks like June's husband is yelling at Fred?

[mamadrama]

24 minutes ago, Anela said:

The letters!! Nick must get them to someone to upload them to the internet. 

Looks like June's husband is yelling at Fred?

It looks like he's handing them to Luke. From the look on Nick's face when it's announced that the letters have been posted online, it doesn't look as though he thought that was going to happen. In another post up above, a summary from TV Guide, it said that when the letters are posted online the Canadian government asks the Waterfords to leave. I think this is what Serena is referencing in the season 2 trailer about "they'll think we're part of the resistance." 

[mamadrama]

Ha ha, sorry guys. I LOVE spoilers. The reason I am a mystery author is because I abhor mysteries. I know that sounds hypocritical but I absolutely can't go into a story "guessing" about what's going to happen. I am almost unable to enjoy a book or movie unless I know how it ends. I read all movie spoilers before I see it. If I go into blind then I sit there a nervous wreck, spending more time trying to guess the ending than enjoying the performances, storylines, nuances, etc. I write mysteries because it allows me to go into the story already knowing what happens. I guess it's a control thing. If there is a spoiler out there for something then I'll find it. I belong to a mastermind group for horror authors and moviemakers and once a week there's a special "Mamadrama Only" post where they basically lay out the whole plot for me. I'm pretty much the only one who reads it. The new movie "Hereditary"? I needed to know every plot point, from beginning to end, until I could get excited about it. It's a thing. 

[GraceK]

2 minutes ago, mamadrama said:

Ha ha, sorry guys. I LOVE spoilers. The reason I am a mystery author is because I abhor mysteries. I know that sounds hypocritical but I absolutely can't go into a story "guessing" about what's going to happen. I am almost unable to enjoy a book or movie unless I know how it ends. I read all movie spoilers before I see it. If I go into blind then I sit there a nervous wreck, spending more time trying to guess the ending than enjoying the performances, storylines, nuances, etc. I write mysteries because it allows me to go into the story already knowing what happens. I guess it's a control thing. If there is a spoiler out there for something then I'll find it. I belong to a mastermind group for horror authors and moviemakers and once a week there's a special "Mamadrama Only" post where they basically lay out the whole plot for me. I'm pretty much the only one who reads it. The new movie "Hereditary"? I needed to know every plot point, from beginning to end, until I could get excited about it. It's a thing. 

I love spoilers . I get massive anxiety over shows like this with so much at stake that I need to know everything ?

[AnswersWanted]

I think this episode is going to be quite fascinating, I am really looking forward to more Canada scenes especially regarding Nick and Luke coming face to face. 

I wonder what June’s initial reaction will be to finding out that Nick has undeniable proof her husband is still alive. Or maybe he doesn’t tell her right away? 

I wonder if he would worry about hurting her or getting her excited about escaping again.

 I also wonder if Luke will tell him about Moira as well or have time to. I would hope he has time to somehow slip Nick something to bring back for June. 

If only Luke had a gun handy when he sees Waterford’s sicko face to take him out, honestly this would be the perfect time for an assassination attempt that actually succeeds. 

[Brn2bwild]

1 hour ago, mamadrama said:

Ha ha, sorry guys. I LOVE spoilers. The reason I am a mystery author is because I abhor mysteries. I know that sounds hypocritical but I absolutely can't go into a story "guessing" about what's going to happen. I am almost unable to enjoy a book or movie unless I know how it ends. I read all movie spoilers before I see it. If I go into blind then I sit there a nervous wreck, spending more time trying to guess the ending than enjoying the performances, storylines, nuances, etc. I write mysteries because it allows me to go into the story already knowing what happens. I guess it's a control thing. If there is a spoiler out there for something then I'll find it. I belong to a mastermind group for horror authors and moviemakers and once a week there's a special "Mamadrama Only" post where they basically lay out the whole plot for me. I'm pretty much the only one who reads it. The new movie "Hereditary"? I needed to know every plot point, from beginning to end, until I could get excited about it. It's a thing. 

I hear you.  (Including about Hereditary... I'm scared shitless of horror movies, but I still want to know every plot point.)  It's been hard waiting for Game of Thrones, for instance, knowing so little about Season 8.

[mamadrama]

48 minutes ago, Brn2bwild said:

I hear you.  (Including about Hereditary... I'm scared shitless of horror movies, but I still want to know every plot point.)  It's been hard waiting for Game of Thrones, for instance, knowing so little about Season 8.

I've gotten kind of spoiled by some of these streaming services that release the whole season all at once. Not only do I like to be spoiled, I also apparently lack little patience. My husband and I watched the first 5 seasons of THE WALKING DEAD on a binge over Christmas one year. We could hardly tell where one episode ended and the other began. I had no idea how much better I liked that until we caught up and had to start waiting a week between episodes and then months. I miss the "old" days when the season ended in May and picked up again in September. Now having to wait 6 months to a year in between is really difficult. Having to wait a year for THT to come back is damn near killing me. I wish I had the fortitude to just wait until a show ended so that I could watch it all at once. :-)

HEREDITARY sounds awesome. I'm glad I'm not going into it blind. :-)

[Brn2bwild]

4 hours ago, mamadrama said:

I think Offred gives birth alone. I also think that she's reunited either with her mother or with Hannah. "Issac" is apparently a guardian assigned to the Waterford's house while Nick is in Canada with the Waterfords. I am speculating that he and Eden get in trouble and they're the ones who are thrown into the swimming pool in the season 2 trailer. (I am not ruling out the Putnams, but it's definitely not the dress of a Wife.)

I read a possible spoiler a few weeks back (which was posted in a regular episode thread and quickly deleted) that June reunited with Luke.

Edited June 8, 2018 by Brn2bwild

[Anela]

4 hours ago, mamadrama said:

Ha ha, sorry guys. I LOVE spoilers. The reason I am a mystery author is because I abhor mysteries. I know that sounds hypocritical but I absolutely can't go into a story "guessing" about what's going to happen. I am almost unable to enjoy a book or movie unless I know how it ends. I read all movie spoilers before I see it. If I go into blind then I sit there a nervous wreck, spending more time trying to guess the ending than enjoying the performances, storylines, nuances, etc. I write mysteries because it allows me to go into the story already knowing what happens. I guess it's a control thing. If there is a spoiler out there for something then I'll find it. I belong to a mastermind group for horror authors and moviemakers and once a week there's a special "Mamadrama Only" post where they basically lay out the whole plot for me. I'm pretty much the only one who reads it. The new movie "Hereditary"? I needed to know every plot point, from beginning to end, until I could get excited about it. It's a thing. 

 

4 hours ago, GraceK said:

I love spoilers . I get massive anxiety over shows like this with so much at stake that I need to know everything ?

I have no idea what Hereditary is, I'll have to look it up. I usually don't like spoilers - I remember someone posting a spoiler about a Harry potter character dying, in the subject line of a message board, years ago, and a couple of months ago, just before seeing A Quiet Place, on my birthday, someone posted a big spoiler about that in a chat on something online. Ugh. 

I have a friend who says she can't watch this show without spoilers, though, because it's just too much with the violence and everything. She needs to know what happens, going into it, and I feel the same way. I also read spoilers for things like The Walking Dead, because the show is so bad now. I just don't care about what happens, so I check in to see if a certain character is going. Of course he isn't, so I know that I don't need to watch. 

Sorry for a quick off-topic question, but did you see Unsane? I think it was called. I don't know if I want to watch it or not. 

Edited June 8, 2018 by Anela

[Becks]

11 hours ago, mamadrama said:

Ha ha, sorry guys. I LOVE spoilers. The reason I am a mystery author is because I abhor mysteries. I know that sounds hypocritical but I absolutely can't go into a story "guessing" about what's going to happen. I am almost unable to enjoy a book or movie unless I know how it ends. I read all movie spoilers before I see it. If I go into blind then I sit there a nervous wreck, spending more time trying to guess the ending than enjoying the performances, storylines, nuances, etc. I write mysteries because it allows me to go into the story already knowing what happens. I guess it's a control thing. If there is a spoiler out there for something then I'll find it. I belong to a mastermind group for horror authors and moviemakers and once a week there's a special "Mamadrama Only" post where they basically lay out the whole plot for me. I'm pretty much the only one who reads it. The new movie "Hereditary"? I needed to know every plot point, from beginning to end, until I could get excited about it. It's a thing. 

I feel you. This is basically my attitude as well - I don't like to go into stories completely blind.  It doesn't lessen my enjoyment to know plot points beforehand - it increases it, because it gives me the ability to process early anything I might not like (the death of a character, for example, or some other anxious-making development). Then I can relax and go with the flow instead of anticipating and recovering from surprises, which are not my favorite things.

[mamadrama]

6 hours ago, Becks said:

I feel you. This is basically my attitude as well - I don't like to go into stories completely blind.  It doesn't lessen my enjoyment to know plot points beforehand - it increases it, because it gives me the ability to process early anything I might not like (the death of a character, for example, or some other anxious-making development). Then I can relax and go with the flow instead of anticipating and recovering from surprises, which are not my favorite things.

You summed it up much better than I. :-) That's exactly how I feel.

[FreddieAnnie]

If you look on IMDB at the coming episodes for the rest of the season it shows some/most of the main cast for each show. Looks like we will get to see Hannah in episode 10. Luke and Moira appear in some way in each remaining episode. And it looks like we see Eden's little sister. Can’t wait to see what unfolds. 

Edited June 8, 2018 by FreddieAnnie

[marinw]

14 hours ago, Anela said:

have a friend who says she can't watch this show without spoilers, though, because it's just too much with the violence and everything. She needs to know what happens, going into it, and I feel the same way.

Hulu drops the episodes Wednesday but in Canada it airs Sunday. Usually this would be a problem, but I appreciate being able to read the reviews and take a peek at this forum to know what to expect. 

The weird thing is that I am not especially sensitive about the subject matter per se-although I can certainly understand why many woman would find the show all kinds of upsetting and triggering. 

[Pachengala]

Ummmm I love spoilers too and so it’s KILLING ME that the Israeli preview upthread isnt available anymore!!! Can someone help a sister out?

[chocolatine]

28 minutes ago, Pachengala said:

Ummmm I love spoilers too and so it’s KILLING ME that the Israeli preview upthread isnt available anymore!!! Can someone help a sister out?

It's still available if you watch it directly on YouTube. It's happened to me a couple of times that an embedded video wasn't available but the original was. 

[Umbelina]

On 6/7/2018 at 5:59 PM, mamadrama said:

I agree, that looks like an econwife and someone like a driver or guard, whatever the heck they call them.

I wonder if all of this backtalk, and risk taking, such as calling Handmaid's by their actually names here and there, the bombing, means we MAY be entering "Phase Two" of Gilead?

In the book it says Gilead has 3 phases, and each phase is "worse for women" than the last.  It makes me wonder if we are going to see more crackdowns from the Commanders and society in response to the liberties and rule breaking, not to mention the suicide bomber?  At the very least it may mean Gilead is beginning to crack.

I'm kind of shocked we haven't see Jezebel's this season, not that I miss it.

If Fred does die or become dishonored soon, I wonder if he takes Serena down with him?  What DOES happen to the wives if they aren't killed along side the husbands?  I really don't think they just marry some other commander, for one thing, women outlive men generally, and how many could their possibly be, and WHY take on Serena when they could marry someone younger and possibly fertile. 

That said, I suppose they could send Serena to the colonies, or kill her, if Fred implicates her in anyway, trying to save himself, but another alternative COULD be Jezebels.  The Commanders that go there seem to like having a sprinkling of smart, formerly powerful or influential women to put in their place.  Fred's not the only one turned on by that.

[Pachengala]

Thank you @chocolatine!

[AnswersWanted]

I am finding it ironic that in this week's episode Serena's going to be sitting down with someone that could potentially offer her a chance to expose Gilead for what it really is. 

 It reminds me of June's similar opportunity in season one,  being questioned about her life in Gilead, being forced to lie or face who knows what, which was an especially worrying unknown since in June's case she would be putting Hannah at risk if she were to spill the beans.

Of course in June's case she still told the truth because she gave 0 fucks about consequences and it still didn't matter.

 I am sure Serena will still be reeling from Fred's latest temper tantrum so that will weigh heavy on her mind. 

 Can she really take the risk, although if she knew about the letters and Nick smuggling them out then she could basically hide her own story in with them

She's a writer after all, so she would only need to hide the narrative behind an anonymous persona.

[GraceK]

9 minutes ago, AnswersWanted said:

I am finding it ironic that in this week's episode Serena's going to be sitting down with someone that could potentially offer her a chance to expose Gilead for what it really is. 

 It reminds me of June's similar opportunity in season one,  being questioned about her life in Gilead, being forced to lie or face who knows what, which was an especially worrying unknown since in June's case she would be putting Hannah at risk if she were to spill the beans.

Of course in June's case she still told the truth because she gave 0 fucks about consequences and it still didn't matter.

 I am sure Serena will still be reeling from Fred's latest temper tantrum so that will weigh heavy on her mind. 

 Can she really take the risk, although if she knew about the letters and Nick smuggling them out then she could basically hide her own story in with them

She's a writer after all, so she would only need to hide the narrative behind an anonymous persona.

I’m interested to see how Serena will respond to being treated as an equal by MEN again. And to get a taste of actual real life again. 

We will see at the end what kind of person she really is when  we see what she does. If she remains a Gilead supporter and stays faithful we know she’s still monster.

[AnswersWanted]

17 minutes ago, GraceK said:

I’m interested to see how Serena will respond to being treated as an equal by MEN again. And to get a taste of actual real life again. 

We will see at the end what kind of person she really is when  we see what she does. If she remains a Gilead supporter and stays faithful we know she’s still monster.

 

 I do believe that Serena will be used as an agent to help bring down Gilead in some way, but I believe her motives are more than likely going to be very self serving just because I think that's the sort of person that she is.

I think that she has to think long and hard about bringing down Gilead because if she does, she's going to be in a shit ton of trouble herself.

She can't just play a helpless victim of the system, she helped craft it, that's common knowledge, and there are more than enough people who will remember Serena Joy as one of the despised masterminds behind their and their families deaths and torture and rape and pain.

Not to mention she would also basically be giving up the opportunity to steal that baby from June once it's born.

If Gilead is brought down before June gives birth and June is somehow liberated, Serena can kiss the baby goodbye.

  I think Serena knows she's in a catch 22 situation, while it might be nice to think about ripping apart Gilead at the seams, to bring down this masculine empire that betrayed her, at the same time how could she also escape the sweeping wave of justice that would then wash over them all?

 I am also curious about the guy mentioning that he is a representative for the American government, I hope that they expand more on that.

Will we get a location, have the main chains of government been resurrected, is the Constitution back in play?  

[Umbelina]

Serena should take the money and the fame and run, go live in a civilized country, with wine, and books, and skiing and the theater, write books again in Europe.

What would stop her?  Only one thing I can think of, and that is the baby.

[NoSpam]

I love spoilers because they let me speculate! Predictions for the rest of this season:

1. Luke put the Waterford household at risk by publishing those letters. SJ and Fred will be interrogated, and they throw suspicion on Eden and Isaac (the guardian filling in for Nick). I think that's Eden and Isaac hanging on the wall.

2. I'm curious about June's "unexpected reunion" mentioned in the episode plot summary. I'm guessing she is  confronted by a new handmaid:  the wife of the delivery truck driver who helped her when she was briefly free. I don't know what purpose this would serve in the plot, but I've always wanted to see her confront June.

3. June strikes a deal with Aunt Lydia after reporting Fred's brutality to Serena Joy (although I don't entirely believe that Aunt Lydia would object to Waterford beating his wife, but the show has done 1,000,000 things I don't believe so what's one more?). June gives birth and names the baby Holly, and -- since there was an early spoiler that someone else will escape from Gilead in Season 2 -- I'm guessing that it will be June's baby. I don't want to see a baby in the midst of all the brutality of the show, and I can't imagine anyone does. OR Serena Joy escapes with the baby.

Edited June 11, 2018 by NoSpam

[Cranberry]

No real-world politics, people. You know the rules! Thank you.

[Umbelina]

1 hour ago, NoSpam said:

2. I'm curious about June's "unexpected reunion" mentioned in the episode plot summary. I'm guessing she is  confronted by a new handmaid:  the wife of the delivery truck driver who helped her when she was briefly free. I don't know what purpose this would serve in the plot, but I've always wanted to see her confront June.

I hope it's her!  I really do.  Aside from everything else, if June does escape we need other handmaid's in Gilead.  I know we now have Janine and Emily back, but having another new handmaid would be good, and I'd love to see her now, after swearing she would die first.

[mamadrama]

Running into Heather would be a good twist. I also keep hoping that Luke's ex wife comes back around, too. It would be interesting if she were a Wife or an Aunt. 

[greekmom]

On 6/7/2018 at 9:38 PM, mamadrama said:

Ha ha, sorry guys. I LOVE spoilers. The reason I am a mystery author is because I abhor mysteries. I know that sounds hypocritical but I absolutely can't go into a story "guessing" about what's going to happen. I am almost unable to enjoy a book or movie unless I know how it ends. I read all movie spoilers before I see it. If I go into blind then I sit there a nervous wreck, spending more time trying to guess the ending than enjoying the performances, storylines, nuances, etc. I write mysteries because it allows me to go into the story already knowing what happens. I guess it's a control thing. If there is a spoiler out there for something then I'll find it. I belong to a mastermind group for horror authors and moviemakers and once a week there's a special "Mamadrama Only" post where they basically lay out the whole plot for me. I'm pretty much the only one who reads it. The new movie "Hereditary"? I needed to know every plot point, from beginning to end, until I could get excited about it. It's a thing. 

I am dying for some spoilers. I need to know how this plays out before it airs.

19 hours ago, AnswersWanted said:

 I am also curious about the guy mentioning that he is a representative for the American government, I hope that they expand more on that.

 

It was SJ's reply that got me. She replied  "Which American government."  There is more than one?? 

[Umbelina]

2 minutes ago, greekmom said:

I am dying for some spoilers. I need to know how this plays out before it airs.

It was SJ's reply that got me. She replied  "Which American government."  There is more than one?? 

Canada, Mexico, and if you want to include central and south America, several more, show version, that includes Alaska that is USA, and Gilead.

[AnswersWanted]

33 minutes ago, greekmom said:

It was SJ's reply that got me. She replied  "Which American government."  There is more than one?? 

 

I envision quite a few factions have sprung up thanks to the leaders of Gilead imploding the US government as we once knew it. 

 It definitely was probably a power grab free-for-all once everything started to collapse, people picking sides, certain groups fighting back, certain groups joining the Gilead cause, and the others who probably wanted both sides to be taken down. 

I’m thinking that it was like the Civil War times one thousand, the landscape is more than likely splintered deeply. 

I just hope the show doesn’t get lazy about it, to me the best thing about a dystopian world is learning details about it, I don’t want little snippets here and there, I want a real sense of what life is like and where it is headed, good or bad.

 And on that note I am not sure I buy that Waterford would dare step foot in Canada because someone like him surely has numerous people who would want to and would try to kill him. 

If someone doesn’t even make one assassination attempt that to me is quite unbelievable.

How many of his former victims are now in Canada, how many of them are like Luke, a man who has both his daughter and wife trapped in Waterford’s world, but no one is going to try to kill him? 

No bombs planted or threats made, or someone trying to poison his food?

I just don’t buy that, Waterford should not be able to make it out of Canada alive at this point. Or at least not without losing a body part, or a few. 

[mamadrama]

Spoilerish pictures from episode 9. Looks like Eden giving Nick some cookies, Nick hanging out in June's room, Fred being creepy in the greenhouse with Serena Joy, etc. 

https://www.handmaidsbrasil.com/2018/06/fotos-promocionais-e-sinopse-do-nono-episodio-da-segunda-temporada-de-the-handmaids-tale.html

[AnswersWanted]

That Nick and June scene hopefully happens after he returns from Canada and it’s him telling her about meeting Luke, or I guess it could be him telling her he’s about to leave with Waterford and perhaps June asks him to look for Luke for her. 

I also see that he seems to be showing Eden some sort of affection, taking her hand, so I guess he’s going to try harder.

How nice of you to seem like you’re finally realizing June is a real person Serena, too bad you still intend to steal her baby.

[secnarf]

1 hour ago, Umbelina said:

Canada, Mexico, and if you want to include central and south America, several more, show version, that includes Alaska that is USA, and Gilead.

Except the Canadian and Mexican governments would never be called or call themselves "the American government". Same goes for any Central or South American country's government. Nobody from any of those countries refers to themselves as "American", as has already been discussed at length in these forums a while back.

I took Serena's question as meaning is he from the pre-Gilead American government (as we know it today) or the post-Gilead American government (Alaska/Hawaii). Of course, time will tell for sure.

[Umbelina]

Just now, secnarf said:

Except the Canadian and Mexican governments would never be called or call themselves "the American government". Same goes for any Central or South American country's government. Nobody from any of those countries refers to themselves as "American", as has already been discussed at length in these forums a while back.

I took Serena's question as meaning is he from the pre-Gilead American government (as we know it today) or the post-Gilead American government (Alaska/Hawaii). Of course, time will tell for sure.

Yes, I think that was the point.

The rest of the America countries get quite annoyed that the USA is referred to as "America."

Gilead controls the continental USA, except for Alaska.  They are in several wars with pockets of resistance throughout Gilead, but still?  It's all Gilead.

[secnarf]

1 minute ago, Umbelina said:

Yes, I think that was the point.

The rest of the America countries get quite annoyed that the USA is referred to as "America."

Gilead controls the continental USA, except for Alaska.  They are in several wars with pockets of resistance throughout Gilead, but still?  It's all Gilead.

No, the rest of the countries in North/Central/South American don't care that the USA is referred to as "America". What else would you call people from the USA? "United States of American?!"

We care when we are referred to as American, as if the whole two continents are lumped in with the USA. Nobody from any other country in the Americas would refer to themselves as American.

[Umbelina]

I disagree, I've read several things over the years about this very thing, it doesn't matter though.

[Brn2bwild]

22 hours ago, Umbelina said:

Serena should take the money and the fame and run, go live in a civilized country, with wine, and books, and skiing and the theater, write books again in Europe.

What would stop her?  Only one thing I can think of, and that is the baby.

 Also that her complicity would be uncovered and she'd be captured/imprisoned.

[Umbelina]

11 minutes ago, Brn2bwild said:

 Also that her complicity would be uncovered and she'd be captured/imprisoned.

She's going to be in Canada, with a very small group of Gileadeans.  Who would be able to capture her, or even FIND her?  Gilead is not in a position to invade other countries.  She probably should move as quickly as possible from Canada to Europe though.

[AnswersWanted]

22 minutes ago, Brn2bwild said:

 Also that her complicity would be uncovered and she'd be captured/imprisoned.

 

 Now I have a delightful image of Serena getting out of a car in Canada and the streets on either side are lined with formally escaped Handmaids and Marthas and Econo wives and the like with a fired up Moira leading the charge as they all point a finger at her directly and start chanting “guilty!”. 

That would be a dream sequence for me. 

 

Quote

I took Serena's question as meaning is he from the pre-Gilead American government (as we know it today) or the post-Gilead American government (Alaska/Hawaii). Of course, time will tell for sure.

 

Same here.

Whatever government he is from they want the true dish about what’s going on behind regime walls so in no way are they probably in contact with Gilead, at least not on a friendly basis.

i might assume it’s because they very well may be the ones waging that war against them.

[Umbelina]

The Gilead wars are internal.  If he's from Alaska, they may support the rebels who were all US citizens before the Coup.  I doubt Alaska could offer much help, but maybe some, and they may be lobbying other governments for material aid.

Hopefully we find out soon.

[chocolatine]

Serena, despite her short interludes of humanity, is still a war criminal in my eyes, so wherever she runs off to, I hope someone hunts her down like Simon Wiesenthal did the Nazis who escaped from Germany. I want Fred to die first and suffer more, but I also want Serena to answer for the part she played.