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S03.E06: Household


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(edited)

Well, we got a new location anyway.

Good and bad in this one.

Do I care about the Nick mystery?  I don't know honestly.

Why on earth would Switzerland want to get into this can of worms?  Why are they implying anyone in the world would be sympathetic to this regime?  The fuck?

Also, is Canada really that cowardly?  I doubt it. 

Too much didn't make sense, but I did enjoy the change of scenery.

Edited by Umbelina
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(edited)
1 hour ago, HeySandyStrange said:

How the heck is Gilead so powerful? They seemed to have destroyed most of former America's biggest industries, I'm pretty sure they've ran off s large majority of the richest and most influential citizens (like Oprah, for instance), no one really wants to trade with them, large swaths of the country are radiated wastelands, and they are still battling for control of other areas like Chicago. The fuck writers? How does that equal powerful?

All I can think of is that the USA outspends the next 7 or 8 highest spending military countries (combined)  in the world, so Gilead now has that huge stockpile of weapons.

Yes, how in the hell do those handmaids eat?  What happens if they cough or sneeze, those metal clamps rip their lower faces off?

It was another shocking visual, but without answers it makes no sense.

The actor playing the new commander, pumped up or not, all I think about is House when he's on screen, and now, of course, True Blood as well.  I don't know why it is that he just can't disappear into roles for me, but he never does.

Apparently he isn't shooting blanks though, and damn that was a lot of handmaids, considering that they had to bring handmaids back from nuclear waste facilities to fill the quota in Boston.

Sigh, there is that continuity problem rearing it's ugly head again.

I honestly can NOT "buy" that Switzerland would get involved in this mess.  The entire world is boycotting Gilead, why would Switzerland (or Canada) cross those lines to negotiate the return of a baby girl to a place that is pure hell for all females?

Unless there was substantial money as bait?  No chance Switzerland would touch this mess, or consider giving a baby girl back to this horrid country.

Edited by Umbelina
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(edited)

So, Nick has something in his past that scares Switzerland?

Seriously?

Even if he's a spy for the Americans, they are no longer powerful so why would Switzerland care?

Unless there is secret support for the rebels in Europe, or maybe he's spying for the Brits, Russia, WHAT?  Is he the son of someone very powerful? 

That would make them consider putting a baby girl back in Gilead?

(at least I'm using Hulu this time, never saw I Tonya, or the Elizabeth Smart movie, or a few others, so I'm getting my money's worth)

Edited by Umbelina
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Well, if nothing else, we got to hear Aunt Lydia say that she was "pumped" so at least that was something. Maybe its because we dont see as much of her, but unlike Serena, I am still interested in Aunt Lydia and I do find myself actually sympathizing with her from time to time, as awful as she is. Maybe because most of her moments of sympathy are the rare moment where she clears feels bad for the handmaidens, while Serena pretty much only has tears for herself and the child she stole that she cant play with like a toy. 

The former Washington handmaidens having their lips clamped together was certainly a creepy imagine, one of the first that has actually shocked and disturbed me in a all season, but...how do they eat? Drink water? Sneeze? How are they all still alive and having kids? Its emblematic of what the show has become, an evocative imagine that makes no sense when you think about it for two seconds.

Oh yeah, Commander Stabler has major league hots for Fred. I guess we will see him and his wife and their million kids again at some point. 

So did Nick personally blow up congress? Because if Sweden is willing to deal with Fred and Serena, the actual architects of Gilead, why would they care about Nick? I guess its not known how involved they were from the start, then how do they know how awful Nick apparently is. 

Speaking of, what the fuck Sweden? Why would you want anything to do with these assholes? Where is this power they supposedly wield that makes Canada want to turn a baby over to this misogynist country, against the wishes of her biological parents that every other country seems to hate? They dont have much industry anymore, they apparently dont even have control of half the country, many of their greatest minds and wealthiest citizens, as well as a big chunk of the work force have fucked off to other countries or are wasting away in the colonies or doing grocery shopping or are hanging on the walls or something, the radiation has probably killed most agriculture, tourism is obviously dead, we haven't heard about them having factories or oil refineries, what is this power they have? They dont even have a damn entertainment industry or any sports to show off at the Olympics. I can only assume they have stockpiled a crap ton of weapons and thats why anyone deals with them, but thats why they leave them alone, not why they would want to actually turn one baby into a whole international incident. Even then, weren't they just desperate to make allies because their country is almost broke, and no other country wants to deal with them?

Some nice shots this week at least, and it was great to have a change of location at least, the bits with Aunt Lydia and June were nice, and June finally really seems to get that Serena is an awful person, for now at least.

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46 minutes ago, rideashire said:

My main question is how do the handmaids with their mouth's clamped shut EAT? That doesn't look simple to remove. 


Liquid diets probably, that seems like the most likely option. I can't even imagine how horrible it must be for them to suffer all that they do in silence. 

It was Switzerland, for "reasons". 

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5 minutes ago, AnswersWanted said:


Liquid diets probably, that seems like the most likely option. I can't even imagine how horrible it must be for them to suffer all that they do in silence. 

It was Switzerland, for "reasons". 

Was it?  Damn, I just edited everything.  Ha.

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5 minutes ago, Umbelina said:

Was it?  Damn, I just edited everything.  Ha.

Shoot, I thought I had managed to post that in time, heh. Yeah, it was the Swiss, I guess the show wants to invoke the old "neutral Switzerland" angle that's been made so famous over the years. 

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Just now, AnswersWanted said:

Shoot, I thought I had managed to post that in time, heh. Yeah, it was the Swiss, I guess the show wants to invoke the old "neutral Switzerland" angle that's been made so famous over the years. 

Well, I'm watching Tonya make triple axles, so I guess doing triple edits fits right in.

Switzerland only does shit for money, they made a fortune being "neutral" and no way would they be involved in this unless lots of money was changing hands.  Just sayin'...and Gilead doesn't have lots of money anymore, unless they are selling weapons.

Yeah, Nick was a mess, and "saved" at the unemployment office, and now he's hot shit enough to scare the Swiss?  Not even a double agent is that powerful, UNLESS the "world" is secretly supporting the rebels.

One can hope...

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(edited)

So this episode was basically created so we could see a headless Lincoln statue and the Washington monument turned into a cross. Style over substance.

The rest of it is so ridiculous, I just can't. Aunt Lydia beats the shit out of Janine last week, but this crosses the line for her?

Yeah, it's really healthy for pregnant women to be on liquid diets due to having their mouths clamped shut. Smart idea, Gilead.

You all have all ready covered the stuff about Gilead's economic status and global status, as well as external and internal politics, so I'll leave that alone.

And now all of a sudden, Nick is this all powerful guy but can't save June from Handmaid status and was just given lowly driver status instead of Commander status from the get-go. Yeah, right.

Commander Meloni is gay. What a shocker...not.

Edited by AgentRXS
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So is mouth wiring a regional thing? Big in DC, yet to catch on in Boston? 

Or possibly optional, since Serena said she should have put a ring in [June's] mouth the day they met...?

I shoulda deleted my recording timer when I had the chance...

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7 hours ago, AnswersWanted said:

Lydia can fuck off with her tears, she bought into this world and helped it flourish. No need to get all soft and weepy when you see the true extent of the horrors you’ve inflicted on the innocent and trapped. 

Agreed! I mean she had no problem ordering a girl's eye to be removed for a bit of sass, there was also another handmaid shown later with her tongue removed, wasn't there? Now we're expected to believe these situations are putting doubt in Lydia's mind? Please.

1 hour ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Ooh, Commander Oz. He'll never love Fred as much as he loved Beecher, but this means we're definitely getting at least one shot of his bare ass this season, right? I'm pretty sure that's written into all of Meloni's contracts now.

It better bloody be. Something's got to keep me watching!

(Honestly, it took me a moment to realise the Commander was um, "presenting" himself to Fred like that because I briefly thought maybe it was just the show making an in-joke reference to Christopher Meloni's ass.)

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2 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Separate escalators for men and women?

This is based on the real world, like today's real world, like in today's United States, in the White House, as in the VP's world. Gilead is just one step removed from it.

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Let me start by saying that June should have thrown her arms around Ofgeorge the second she saw her face.  There’s no room for revulsion in this dojo.  This game she CHOSE demands forming alliances.

On the flip side, I got a perverse kick out of Commander Meloni rubbing his wealth in the Waterfords’ faces.  The fact that they acted like Scrooge McDuck around the kids says everything one needs to know about Gileadian (?) avarice. 

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45 minutes ago, greekmom said:

If Holly or Emily get shipped back to Gilead. I am out.

I am with you. In fact, I might be out right after watching this episode, if I decide to watch it. By the comments here, it was a clusterfuck even bigger than the usual clusterfuck. 

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I know this late in the game I shouldn't ask, but why the hell didn't they just adopt instead of going through all this crap?    Oh, if I'm another country, I would most certainly question silencing all the handmaidens.   Fred might not be getting any from Serena, but looks like that Commander dude would like to do so.

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Other posts have already covered what I felt about this episode, but I have one question: how is it that when June first mentioned Nick, the Swiss seemed eager to meet him, when they would have already known of his reputation?  I don't recall if she said his name during the interview, but I thought she mentioned it in the recording?

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15 minutes ago, kelslamu said:

How exactly did they get to listen to the recording?  I must have missed that.

They made this oblique reference to a "recording," so Luke must have taken it to the Canadian authorities.

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(edited)
4 hours ago, alexvillage said:

Reading this before watching the episode makes me think that this is it for me. I have been hate watching this since last season, I might just give up entirely.

I don't watch at all anymore, just read the episode threads here, and that's been sufficiently enraging.

I'm also convinced the show needed a female showrunner. Suffice it to say it does not have one, so now it's difficult to tell if we're just being trolled or what. Male showrunner, cult-member lead actress. 

Edited by kieyra
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After reading the comments I'm not going to watch this episode. I think I'm done. I'll continue to read the comments and if an episode comes along that's getting a lot of buzz for being great I'll watch but I'm not holding my breath. I don't know if the show will end this season or if it's been picked up for another but I will tune in to watch the last episode to see how they wrap this mess up and see who ends up on the wall.

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I haven't watched this one yet; although I avoid reading the forums for all the shows I follow if I haven't watched the episode, I'm making an exception for HT so I'll know what torture porn they've managed to come up with this time so I won't be caught by surprise and grossed out without warning. Sewing someone's mouth shut doesn't even make sense (could you even get a straw in there?) but of course "making sense" and "this show" don't exist in the same universe. 

And count me in on the "sick of June freely traipsing around/sneering/arguing/younameit with few if any consequences" camp.  That shit got stale in Season Two, ffs.

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(edited)

They really better give us tangible hope, because this is tedious.

Also, Canada better not cave.  Bringing baby Nicole back to Gilead’s Island would be a bonk on the head with a coconut too far for me.

Edited by revbfc
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(edited)
6 hours ago, Ariam said:

I had to sign up here just so I could vent somewhere. 

There are so many things wrong with this season in particular, many of which have been mentioned. 

But one that really bugs me, on what grounds can Gilead ask for a child back, when there are hundreds, probably thousands of Americans who had their children snatched off them and kidnapped by Gilead?? Why are t all the refugees getting back saying GIVE US OUR CHILDREN BACK in response to their weepy Nichole videos? 

Surely Canada and all other countries know this. And ffs what country would approve of them raping women and claiming these children as theirs? What about the trade embargo? 

Also, they could do just a tiny bit of reading on history or world politics, and find out that Switzerland has never been a country that engages in talks of any type. Their role has been that of not involving themselves in any war, keeping quiet, keeping dirty money in banks while providing a haven for refugees. It’s not s country that engages in peace talks or has any diplomats of that sort. Maybe that’s where some of you got mixed up with the other European Sw country, Sweden (who by no means would ever approve of any religious bigotry like this). 

And seriously, they aren’t following up on anything. The Nick story sucks, the handmaids being blocked from even eating is ridiculous, June shouting and not being captured is stupid, and the idea that these women married to the commanders would all be so insane that they are ok with everything that goes on around them is also just a bit too much. 

I'm very glad you decided to join and post, excellent first post!

After reflection, the ONLY thing I can think of is that Canada (and Europe, hence Switzerland) want to see inside Gilead, or perhaps to make contact with a Gilead spy/traitor.  In other words, BOTH countries doing this at the request of a larger EU or something.  That woman said "it's a black hole here" or whatever it was.

So, it's possible they are all just playing Gilead, but hello!  Several refugees in Canada!  Anyone think to talk to them? 

Of course, that wouldn't give them any insight into the power structure, or not much.  Still.  Sigh.

4 hours ago, AnswersWanted said:

This show has become a “pick your own adventure” tale, Gilead changes and adjusts depending on which character we happen to be following at any given time.

June can meetup with Nick whenever it’s convenient and she can have an outdoors, with accompanying echos, shouting match with Serena in front of the CGI Lincoln memorial without consequence. 

Nick apparently is a Gilead god amongst men and terrifies potential European allies. 

Speaking of which, Gilead now has enough sway to bring in an overseas presence to deal with their Canadian showdown like this isn’t the same, ruined, former USA that struggled not so long enough to produce a healthy orange crop. When the hell did this splintered “nation” find the time, resources, and money to buy such favor amongst the outside world again? 

Fred is probably going to have to borrow some of those skills he’ll have picked up at Jezebel’s to get in good with Commander “Hard up for fun”, and why that’s even a potential choice for him I...don’t care to think about it. 

Serena sees a cluster of rape babies and her womb explodes with joy and happiness and she remains determined to snatch an innocent child back into Gilead hell so she isn’t “alone”, so no change there.

Just typing all that out set my teeth on edge.

There are zero attempts made to be consistent. Continuity is nonexistent.

This episode just went totally rogue and has presented us with information that is either too impossible to be believed, or contradicts shit they themselves have already told or shown us previously. 

I knew these writers were struggling, but this episode read like a cry for help.

Do they really have no clue how to write for this show anymore? Are they just making it up on the fly? How could this clusterfuck of an episode be planned? It actively works against so much established storyline from the past two seasons, it’s frankly ludicrous that they could let the plot get away from them to this degree. 

This season, until this episode, for me, has been an improvement over last season.  Until now. 

As I've said for over a year now, the biggest issue is the continuity, and once again, this episode threw it all out the door in a heap.

Horrible writing.  Another visually stunning episode that has absolutely nothing to do with what they have set up before.

In Boston, one child and that's it, no more handmaids for you.  In Washington though, hell, have as many kids as you want!  Handmaids to spare.  While that makes a certain kind of sense and could be a commentary on the Oligarchy and 1%, as well as politicians in Washington doing whatever the hell they want, laws are for the little people?

It just didn't quite land.  They need to show us more of how Gilead works (maybe this was their lame attempt at that?)

Fan wanking that the whole "give Holly back" thing is just a ploy "the world" is using to spy up close and personal on Gilead really shouldn't be done, and if it is, the "shocking payoff" should have been revealed in the last minutes of the episode, just a shot of the "negotiators" talking and saying something that would reveal this is all bogus, and essentially an elaborate spy mission. 

Which?  Again, Switzerland has always avoided, they make more money with their dirty money, have never cared about the world.

3 hours ago, Brn2bwild said:

Other posts have already covered what I felt about this episode, but I have one question: how is it that when June first mentioned Nick, the Swiss seemed eager to meet him, when they would have already known of his reputation?  I don't recall if she said his name during the interview, but I thought she mentioned it in the recording?

Exactly.  Unless, his real name isn't "Nick."  But again, that doesn't jive with things the show has already established about Nick. 

Obviously they have done the ground work for him being a spy, but a spy so important the Swiss are afraid to talk to him?  Or maybe it was just "under no circumstances expose him, he's all we've got?"

2 hours ago, kelslamu said:

How exactly did they get to listen to the recording?  I must have missed that.

Obviously, when Serena left the tape with the borrowed clothing, Spy Guy would have listened and made copies for the Americans (at least) before giving it to Nick.  I suppose this means the Americans ARE in negotiations with "the world."

Which hello!  I want to SEE.

2 hours ago, kieyra said:

I don't watch at all anymore, just read the episode threads here, and that's been sufficiently enraging.

I'm also convinced the show needed a female showrunner. Suffice it to say it does not have one, so now it's difficult to tell if we're just being trolled or what. Male showrunner, cult-member lead actress. 

Agree.

36 minutes ago, revbfc said:

They really better give us tangible hope soon.  Bringing baby Nicole back to Gilead’s Island is just a bonk on the head with a coconut too far.

I seriously doubt that will happen.  At most, and this would still be distasteful, they may trade Hannah for Holly.

It sounds like the kind of bullshit these writers would pull.

At least Hulu's playlist has improved, I'm on to a Janis Joplin documentary now. 

Edited by Umbelina
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4 minutes ago, rubinia said:

My favorite part of the episode? Commander Stabler's wife's name was Olivia. Heh.

If Nick is a Commander now, why doesn't he have a new wife and handmaid of his own? Especially since he isn't shooting blanks? Do the commanders get to choose when and to whom they get married?

He would probably be assigned another wife, but he's off to fight the wars, so most likely after he returns. 

I don't think they get a handmaid until the wife is proven infertile.

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(edited)

Torn on this episode because acting was phenomenal, but so much of the plot is implausible.

Switzerland would not be an advocated for Gillead.  Of all countries, why them?

We have seen Canada taking refugees from Gillead.  There is no way they don’t know what happens there.  So not sure that makes any sense? 

Serena is acting like typical Serena, she only cares about herself.  June is the idiot for trusting a woman complacent in her rape, confinement, etc with anything.

Also how can you eat and not use your mouth, these women are still baby makers right?  I would think the most effective move against uprising would be to keep the handmaids’ separate (ie no shopping trips).  They are what is giving each other hope no need to cut off the ability to speak 

Edited by dmc
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1 hour ago, rubinia said:

My favorite part of the episode? Commander Stabler's wife's name was Olivia. Heh.

If Nick is a Commander now, why doesn't he have a new wife and handmaid of his own? Especially since he isn't shooting blanks? Do the commanders get to choose when and to whom they get married?

Officially speaking, no one knows this. The only allowed sex is with your wife (unless/until she's proven infertile), or your handmaid. Eden didn't get pregnant before she died, so his fertility is unknown. (Also, officially speaking, all fertility problems are with women. Men are never the issue in Gilead "science.")

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Oh and how do they brush their teeth?! And when pregnant, how do they throw up? And no, if you have severe nausea/throwing up it comes out shooting, you can't swallow it. 

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1 hour ago, dmc said:

We have seen Canada taking refugees from Gillead.  There is no way they don’t know what happens there.  So not sure that makes any sense? 

In the writers' mind, Canada is probably "in the dark" because you know, clitoris reconstruction is available for those women who probably lost them while masturbating or something. Nothing to do with mutilation as torture that only happens to women in a cultist country. Noooo, not at all. And they are also fleeing Gilead because the cold, darkness and gloom in Boston is not enough for them, and the like hockey, or whatever. 

Hey, it goes with the 'splainning the what-is-his-name about Serena being shot and all. 

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With the mouths wired shut, this is just getting into stupid territory. The muzzles would be enough. People have to eat. They're just trying to shock the viewers now.

In case you didn't get the message, they're putting on the reich really hard with all the banners and flags hanging everywhere. I keep expecting a good seig heil.

Yeah, the Swiss would never be negotiating this, but most of the stuff on this show would never happen, so I'll keep going...

What would have been better with the Lincoln statue, would have been if they showed another one off to the side, with a giant tarp draped over it. Like they were getting ready to replace it, but you didn't get to see what with. Instead we just get Lincoln with a severed head.

Hey Fred got his white rope back! That's the story progression we've been waiting for!!

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So, Christopher Meloni's character (I had a contractor that looked like him...but I digress), is attracted to Fred, the minute he showed his butt to Fred to make a pool shot I called it and that subtle hand on the shoulder with a rub, I guess we know how a promotion will be earned but how will his character make his preference Gilead kosher?  

Also, those lip rings, did we know that was even a thing?

Aunt Lydia is almost human, almost.

I think they gave Nick a fake loyal to Gilead background because the resistance needs him to be way under cover so he cannot talk to the Swiss on June's behalf but she is too stupid to realize it is bigger than her and maybe he is working behind the scenes to help along the demise of Gilead.

How does June wander around houses, gardens, Lincoln Memorial, etc..alone?  I would have thought given her history of running away she would never be able to be alone.

Serena Joy nor Fred asked June what was said during her Q&A with the Swiss, odd.

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