S03.E13: Mayday

[goldilocks]

1 hour ago, Ariam said:

The way SuperJune was bossing around her commander also made no sense,

“You’re not in charge, I am.” Ooo, so badass. I was shaking in my boots (NOT!)

[revbfc]

Just a thought:  If they hand June over to another Commander next season, they should hire Robert Duvall.

[goldilocks]

15 minutes ago, revbfc said:

Just a thought:  If they hand June over to another Commander next season, they should hire Robert Duvall.

Except he’s a little old to be siring children. 🙂 He’s pushing 90.

Edited August 14, 2019 by goldilocks

[revbfc]

4 minutes ago, goldilocks said:

Except he’s a little old to be siring children. 🙂 He’s pushing 90.

An old Commander who wants to rape, and beat women but is incapable of either?  It could make for some good scenes.

[goldilocks]

8 minutes ago, revbfc said:

An old Commander who wants to rape, and beat women but is incapable of either?  It could make for some good scenes.

I’m sure he’d love it and it could be funny, but I doubt they’d give a handmaid to a man of his age. Handmaids are meant to breed. They’d want better odds than an octogenarian who may have trouble getting it up anymore let alone have viable sperm. (Before I get a lecture from anyone, I know it happens but odds are substantially lower.)

Edited August 14, 2019 by goldilocks

[Ariam]

9 hours ago, AnswersWanted said:

Oh look at June Wick, wielding her big bad gun like a pro. Who the fuck is this character anymore? 

They’ve ruined her, straight up removed everything and anything redeeming about her. Just so she can be some so called “badass”? What utter bullshit. 

Clearly they have no fucking clue who Lawrence is or what he’s all about. 

This idea that June, handmaid extraordinaire, could just take over his home and strip him of his power because Lizzie lowers her voice a little? GTFOOH. 

Also, are they seriously implying these mf-ers hadn’t even gotten a MAP to chart a safe path to the fucking airport until the evening of????

They had a week!

There was no plan!

Seriously. They have ruined her and made her so unlikeable. I was wondering if they are actually trying to prove what Fred said to be true, Gilead has changed her, but instead of changing her like it should have, into a broken person it's made her a ridiculous asshole. 

8 hours ago, rideashire said:

Never gonna forgive this show for not letting Janine escape, too. She's fucking earned it! I wanted her to have a happy ending more than I wanted it for June.

Also, everyone wearing red running through the woods should have taken that off. Didn't June say in an earlier episode that they make them wear red so they're easy to see if they escape? 

I was really upset about Janine staying back too. And while the show can't have me hold my breath for June I was feeling sick when the guard was firing bullets at them as I was sure they were going to make Janine die. 

And why didn't Alma escape, wasn't her 5 year old son one of the kids who got out?? Why didn't any handmaids escape with their kids???!!! 

7 hours ago, ferjy said:

Interesting isn’t the word I’d use but I’m not sure which expletives are allowed. They’re charging her with that when she had a major hand in forming Gilead? I can’t believe they’d screw up even that! It could have been a powerful scene. 

I was really disappointed that THAT was what they charged her for, after everything else she has been part of. It was such a low, I was actually looking forward to her being arrested, but then when spyguy spoke I was really disappointed. Should have known, shouldn't have expected, silly me! 

7 hours ago, mamadrama said:

When the epi started, my daughter said, "I bet you money that one of the last things we'll see is a shot of June's face in a fakeout to make it look like she might be dead."

I now owe my 8 year old $100. 

I can't believe your 8 year old is brave enough watch this, mine is scared of disney animation villains 😄

7 hours ago, ferjy said:

Wait until Kiki/Rebecca finds out she can’t really do anything she wants. 😄

That was what I was thinking, when she asked Moira that question. I didn't find her characther credible at all. She said she didn't remember a time before gilead, yet after 5 years she ran to her dad, and didn't react shyly at all? All of the kids in the program are always these quiet smart kids who dont show any signs of trauma, or being kids. Yes I know what a harsh christian upbringing with fear of punishment is like, but having lived among conservative christians most of my life I also know that they are still kids.

2 hours ago, mamadrama said:

As long as Mossy is a producer and has so much control, this is going to trn into the exact thing she SAID she didn't want-a vanity project. They can't even see the issues that most of us are aware of. 

As long as Mossy is a producer it's going to be a June show with none of the interesting characters getting any air time. And it's going to be about being a stupid badass. I really don't see, still, how someone who is part of an abusive cult can be allowed to run this show. The whole way they are portraying June as being "a woman of faith" is also absolutely ridiculous, and I think that must be the level of Mossy's spirituality. 

31 minutes ago, AllyB said:

So little of it even makes sense. That's before we get to the fact that as of Smart Power, Canada isn't supposed to be trading with Gilead even though Gilead is desperate to and the flight was initially set up to be an unsanctioned Mayday flight. Then last week the Commaders are threatening to cut off trade with Canada because of the Waterfords' arrest and Winslow's assumed abduction so Lawrence has to use Eleanor's death to make the other Commanders feel sorry for him (a totally legit way for Gileadean leaders to act) and continue trading for one more week so the flight, which is now a part of Gilead's official trade agreement with Canada, will still happen. 
 

What happened to it having to be a plane organised by the Jezebel guy?? Suddenly it was a cargo plane that Gilead knew about, but had no cargo? How was the Jezebel guy, if he still was involved able to get on board past the guards? And how did canada know it was arriving with people on board? How did Moira and Luke know? And who on earth was the airline stuart who opened the plane door when it landed in Canada? It made so little sense. Any of it. 

How did they get past all the guards patrolling the streets, going house to house looking for one girl, with handmaids, marthas and 52 children?? They handily cut that part out because they couldn't have pulled it off.

[Ariam]

1 hour ago, goldilocks said:

That was a moment, wasn’t it? Unbelievable. “You got it,” instead of the usual “Yes, Aunt Lydia.” As if Aunt Lydia would let that go. 

It also didn't annoy me just because it wouldn't be on in Gilead, and she should have been cattleprodded for that, but also because: who speaks that way?! She sounds like a 12 year old with attitude, not a smart woman who is trying to play it safe so she can get out of there alive and possibly help others too. This badass thing is so ridiculous because they've really just turned her into a preteen school bully with no manners. But then again, if the writers only have experience in teen drama then that shows. 

[trinistyles]

"It ain't sexy but it has teeth..." Thelma did sow the seed of their "relationship" with that unofficial "ceremony"/"rape" -> CIA guy, tho Nick & Offred both had to "agree" initially for the Aussie (shout out New Zealand) to proceed w/her plan... Still no DNA/paternity test tho for Fred && Nichole/Holly... Maybe next week/year -> season...

Love the English language in that the pronunciation of the spelling of her patronymic: of + Fred -> Offred gives her 'cloak' from Fred, sounding like off + red -> Offred (the offered)... Sexy!!! Unlike Ofstephen, Ofjoseph or Ofmatthew, where you hear the commander's name, ewww, && no nuance... 

These charges should be covered by Thelma's immunity tho... Though she pandered, she was still under "duress" being female in Gilead (I have no sympathy or empathy for Moira or Emily though, damn gender traitors!!!!! Rotfbwlbvs!!! I like neither of the 2!!! Especially Emily, Marissa Tomei is my girl!!!)... Should be an interesting case none the less tho... Pimpin' @ best, should be dismissed and/or covered by immunity ...

Lawrence is all but set to be purged now -> gray-haired commander, public Gilead trail/execution per epilogue... Maybe new book will detail Pieixoto's new research findings, clarifying specifics around June including book Waterford/Judd ~ show Lawrence (via Cora) in addition to June's fate while maintaining universe integrity... Come on Ms. MA, all of us have faith in you!!! You can do it!!!

Gotta gripe about the delayed response to the "diversion" @ the fence... Where r the 2 other vehicles??? Only 1 truck w/2 guardians on the tarmac @ the airport??? Come on!!! Atleast a couple or baker's dozen men should be on the field... Its a damn airport!!! Meeting or no meeting, this is the military && martial law in Gilead!!! Suppose it is NE!!! #Deflate-gate!!!

Additionally on the diversion@ the fence...

Come on Rita, the best route to navigate around the post is 5 yards infront of the vehicle in plain sight via the truck's beaming headlights??? You can drive cross-country seeing only 100 yards infront of you @ a time!!! The guardian really wouldn't/couldn't/didn't see you??? All he has to do is glance @ his 9 o'clock... Pop, pop, pop... Boom!!! All dead!!! Mission fail!!!

Then the all clear call... Brah, she gonna murc u no matter what... Say u @ a round... Expedite the response!!! They will hear if June shoots!!!

"No, lieutenant your men r already dead!!!"

ETA

June is in a box like Neymar!!!

Fred killed a chic in the woods pre-Gilead, gimme a charge on Serena likened onto that level...

I hope she kills the CIA guy now!!! "I wanna kill that Sgt. Zimm!!!" Thelma told Fred to "be a man," when she was layed up in the hospital from her gsw before Fred killed that chic in the woods... I hope the show gives us "be... a man," from her (meaning she told Fred to kill the guy's girl who shot her && she'll kill a guy for Fred) hopefully via killing the CIA guy (either literally or figuratively, hopefully literally tho, for more killing!!!) Fred told Thelma the CIA guy (Mark, I know his name, CIA guy sounds more fun) didn't know who he was dealing with, this would be excellent to bring that concept to fruition... Especially because Thelma && Fred need to escape from trial home to Gilead specifically because their lives are now both literally in danger && additionally, for the show, they need to inflict more terror!!! Love these "villains"!!! They have/are fighting their demons like everyone else... Ppl wanna scapegoat them as "villains" because of their portrayed actions... Come on ppl!!! Everyone poops!!! They're still ppl too... Terribly evidenced by Fred falling into that poorly laid trap...

"Uh, this isn't 'just up ahead'..."

"Uh, I am a moron && I am about to get hit in the nuts..."

-Mitch McDeere...

for Abby aka @Umbelina

Love your name n some of some of your posts too... I see/read Thumbelina + Umbrella -> Umbelina!!!

Nice!!!

😎😎😎

😍😍

😝

💩

😜

Edited August 14, 2019 by trinistyles
ETA

[revbfc]

45 minutes ago, goldilocks said:

I’m sure he’d love it and it could be funny, but I doubt they’d give a handmaid to a man of his age. Handmaids are meant to breed. They’d want better odds than an octogenarian who may have trouble getting it up anymore let alone have viable sperm. (Before I get a lecture from anyone, I know it happens but odds are substantially lower.)

Please direct your attention to radical, Mormon, polygamist sects where old men get tons of wives based on the power they wield.

One thing this show has taught me is that the rules apply only when they want them to.  Commander Lawrence got away with tons of eccentricities because of his standing as a founding father.   Every Commander seems to be able to go to Jezebel’s (and murder prostitutes, if the hints are correct), Waterford was allowed to be king doofus of dumbfuck island for 3 seasons, and Winslow was seemingly able to carry on a DL bisexual sex life.  Let’s not bring rule of law into a society where might is the only right.

Edited August 14, 2019 by revbfc

[rubinia]

The shot at the end, with the handmaids carrying a bloody June in her cape, was very reminiscent of "Descent From the Cross" paintings. With June playing the role of Jesus, of course. 🙄

[Penman61]

Meta: What if (what has become) Moss's vanity project is actually a cry for help and a wish to escape from her own cult?

Edited August 14, 2019 by Penman61

[jenn31]

I’m glad most people here have voiced what I feel because I’m too pissed off to write it all out. Especially after it started out so well. For all of 2 minutes. 

[revbfc]

2 minutes ago, Penman61 said:

Meta: What if (what has become) Moss's vanity project is actually a cry for help and escape from her own cult?

I think your Thetans may be bolstering your SP proclivities.

😜

[Maire]

The best part of the episode was that Rita got out. She deserves a good life. The rest of it? 😡

[jenn31]

5 hours ago, mamadrama said:

I wanted to see more of the Gilead world. In a terrorizing regime like that, it's often the tiny little details, like no words on food containers, that are the scariest things. I wish the show had devoted more time to that. I feel like I could get to know Gilead and the laws, entertainment options, socialization of the Econos, holiday celebrations, etc more

I agree. This is exactly what people have been saying all along. Instead of giving us some much needed details, they wasted the time zooming in on June’s nosehairs. 

[jenn31]

7 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Then I remembered these are girls in Gilead so they've been raised to be quiet and obedient.

There were boys there too and I don’t care what you teach boys. Boys will be boys. But out of the whole group no one reacted badly in any way.

[Nonja]

2 hours ago, Ariam said:

I was really upset about Janine staying back too. And while the show can't have me hold my breath for June I was feeling sick when the guard was firing bullets at them as I was sure they were going to make Janine die. 

I thought this too. Now we know we can fully expect more and even worse Janine-abuse in S4. Damn it. Janine gets all the abuse June deserves. 

[Nonja]

13 hours ago, rideashire said:

Having said all that, I got emotional at the end when the kids made it and I don't even like children. There was something in my eye. My contact lenses itched. I don't know.

Me too on all counts!

I am irritated that Fred got his little revenge win. He somehow seems even a hundred times grosser now as a prisoner than he did as a commander. 

I have no idea what they are going to do to make sense of the remaining escapee handmaids and injured June in S4. How can they possibly explain themselves? Do they plan to set up shop and live in the woods? Wearing red? And they didnt even take the guns. Ugh. 

[kieyra]

2 hours ago, Maire said:

The best part of the episode was that Rita got out. She deserves a good life. The rest of it? 😡

I feel confident that they exiled Rita to Canada because people kept demanding more Rita storyline/backstory. Apparently we weren't supposed to see her as a three-dimensional character. Oops.

[80sBaby]

So all those children disappear and the streets, woods, and airport are not filled with guards?? I think children, Marthas, and Handmaids disappearing would be more important than a meeting...but OK.  The Martha that left just went home without the child and no alarm bells were rung. WTH  June is now not only the leader of the Handmaids, Marthas, and her Commander but also quick to draw her gun even on children. Really...

The next morning 6 handmaids can go off to the woods to retrieve Queen June and carry her off to where??

Will the opening shot of next season be all of them hanging from the wall while June sneers on the sidelines with her arms folded?? Rita saying to Luke.."This was all June, your June..."🙄🙄All they needed was everyone holding up "June Rocks" signs.

Ridiculous. I watched GOT to be served Bran the Broken!!😡 I am still watching The Walking Dead for goodness sake. SMH 😂  I told myself after Aunt Lydia went crazy over a nice, respectful guy turning down sex and another episode of whipping post AKA Janine getting beaten to a pulp again I was done..but I can't do it anymore. 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️

[tennisgurl]

2 hours ago, jenn31 said:

I agree. This is exactly what people have been saying all along. Instead of giving us some much needed details, they wasted the time zooming in on June’s nosehairs. 

Thats really been one of the big disappointments of this season to me. Three seasons in, and I feel like we still know that about about Giliad and how it functions on a daily basis. Every once in awhile we get a glimpse of normal, non Commander houses, but the whole society seems to only be Handmaids, guards, Commanders, Wives, and Martha's, and that isn't really what I picture a society being. This really struck me last season, but I have no idea what these people DO all day long. Women who arent Martha's or Handmaids knit, men who arent Commanders or guards do...I dont know, read the bible? Play chess?  Do thhey have holidays? Do people play sports? Whenever we see the streets and markets its all guards, handmaids and Marthas, where is anyone else? Do they all live away from big cities? Where do people learn all of their Gilead lines they have to call and respond each other all the time? Of course ever time we do explore more of Gilead, we get stuff that is just stupidly evil (like the DC Handmaids having their lips nailed shut) or just stupid (I guess in this uber conservative fundamentalist society they still have tangos for Serena and Fred?) so maybe we dont really want more world building. 

The other annoying thing about this season is the obsession with making us feel bad for Serena, which...no sorry nothing she has done makes me want to root for a redemption for her. I can at least enjoy Fred feeding her to the wolves out of spite (I hate Fred, so I hate    seeing him get a win, but I guess I will take what I can get) over her forcing Nick and June to have sex to have her baby doll, and her not getting her super precious plea deal to get to play with her not daughter and waltz off without getting any comeuppance for what she has done is at least something. I would think that she would get locked up for being involved in the original killing of congress and cou that took out the American government and started Gilead in the first place, as she had plenty of power then and no excuse for what she did,   but I guess she got out of that with her plea deal too. Holy shit she better have given them the keys to the damn kingdom for being able to get out of treason and mass murder so easily.

[Umbelina]

A mostly successful finale gives us The Handmaid’s Tale at its best and worst AV Club

Very interesting review.

"It’s no accident that The Handmaid’s Tale uses the earliest moments of “Mayday”—a mostly cohesive, mostly effective finale for an uneven season—to call back to the show’s earliest moments, giving us a glimpse of what happened after June slipped in the woods and her child was torn from her arms. The green coat is gone, but the sky blue hoodie and gray jacket are the same; this is, without a doubt, what happened next. It asks us to remember a desperate sprint through the woods, the life of a child at stake, failure not an option—no other options at all, in fact. Then it introduces the other women who made similar flights, all of them strangers to each other. By the end of the hour, it gives us another such sprint, brings together those women, and shows us what’s different—and in doing so, it illustrates what’s great about this show, and simultaneously underlines its shortcomings."

Variety ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Team Talks Season 3 Finale Rebel Act and Reunions

A few interesting tidbits in this one.

“We vetted all of that stuff very clearly with the UN and made sure her deal wouldn’t cover it,” Miller says of Serena’s arrest after she thought she had immunity. “A few years ago they added another category of crimes, which are sexual crimes. So now there are crimes against humanity — like genocide — and sexual crimes. And they’ve done it for exactly this reason: When they get somebody and they find out they’ve been committing all of these horrible atrocities, they have resources and a way to convict people of those crimes because they’re in a different category. She has immunity against the crimes against humanity, for all of the things that she did on a government level, but not the others. She wasn’t pushed into that by the regime, under penalty threat; it was just something she wanted.”

Miller seems to be doing a lot of press today.  Just found another article he's involved with, but it contains some season 4 spoilers so I'll put it in that thread.

[madpsych78]

10 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

Thats really been one of the big disappointments of this season to me. Three seasons in, and I feel like we still know that about about Giliad and how it functions on a daily basis. Every once in awhile we get a glimpse of normal, non Commander houses, but the whole society seems to only be Handmaids, guards, Commanders, Wives, and Martha's, and that isn't really what I picture a society being. This really struck me last season, but I have no idea what these people DO all day long. Women who arent Martha's or Handmaids knit, men who arent Commanders or guards do...I dont know, read the bible? Play chess?  Do thhey have holidays? Do people play sports? Whenever we see the streets and markets its all guards, handmaids and Marthas, where is anyone else? Do they all live away from big cities? Where do people learn all of their Gilead lines they have to call and respond each other all the time? Of course ever time we do explore more of Gilead, we get stuff that is just stupidly evil (like the DC Handmaids having their lips nailed shut) or just stupid (I guess in this uber conservative fundamentalist society they still have tangos for Serena and Fred?) so maybe we dont really want more world building. 

The other annoying thing about this season is the obsession with making us feel bad for Serena, which...no sorry nothing she has done makes me want to root for a redemption for her. I can at least enjoy Fred feeding her to the wolves out of spite (I hate Fred, so I hate    seeing him get a win, but I guess I will take what I can get) over her forcing Nick and June to have sex to have her baby doll, and her not getting her super precious plea deal to get to play with her not daughter and waltz off without getting any comeuppance for what she has done is at least something. I would think that she would get locked up for being involved in the original killing of congress and cou that took out the American government and started Gilead in the first place, as she had plenty of power then and no excuse for what she did,   but I guess she got out of that with her plea deal too. Holy shit she better have given them the keys to the damn kingdom for being able to get out of treason and mass murder so easily.

We had Econofamilies in Season 2, although it seemed like they fell by the wayside in Season 3. 

Although I don't like that it took Fred to do this, I get why Serena was arrested for the rape but not the Gilead crimes. 

What I'm wondering will play out in Season 4:

I suspect that Gilead is not as strong at present as it was in Season 1. Winslow is dead, and Fred is in Canadian prison. That leaves Lawrence, as well as some other secondary commanders (i.e., Putnam), but then there's also Nick. Neither Lawrence nor Nick fully subscribe to Gileadean ways. While we're on that, let's review the main characters still in Gilead - June, Janine, Lawrence, Nick, and Aunt Lydia. Really, the only one of those who is fully drinking the Kool-Aid is Lydia.

So...I'm wondering if this will be the beginning of the "second phase" of Gilead. Lawrence alluded to staying in Gilead and "fixing" the society, but I wonder if it will end up being worse than it is now. And, I wonder if we're going to see a June next season who will gradually become a darker figure. I think what Fred said to Luke was spot on - the June that Luke knows is not the same June that is present.  I wonder if June is going to turn. She has not only become more aggressive, but she's also exerted her faith more than in the past. It's a little bit like watching Anakin slowly become Darth Vader in The Revenge of the Sith. 

[Ramona]

One thing I wanted to mention, June carrying the gun and threatening to shoot people, reminds me of what I read about Harriet Tubman.  It is not lost on me that the whole escape plan is reminiscent of the underground railroad.  It is said that Harriet Tubman carried a pistol and threatened to shoot any slave if they got out of hand.  She did it to try to protect the entire group.  Don't know if it is true or not and I never read that she actually shot any one. 

Also, it just occurred to me that the American and the Canadians were not aware of the fact that Nichole was not the Commander's daughter.  Maybe that's why they agreed to allow Serena to see Nichole, because they thought that she was related to the commander.  however, I thought that in the tape that June recorded to Luke, that she confessed that Nichole was Nick's.  I could be wrong, but if Luke knew that commander Waterford was not Nichole's father, why would he agree to let Serena see her.

Okay, that really is it for me.  I just needed to get those two things off my chest, now I am officially done.   This is a good point to stop watching, because now I can go out on a high note. It was fun reading your posts! 

[kittykat]

17 hours ago, Umbelina said:

Well, that was tense, it reminded me of an early The Americans episode in that way.  It was very believable to me that the Martha panicked and ran, and then apparently kept her silence.  How could she though, coming back without the child?  It's probably my biggest quibble with this episode, but maybe it will be explained next year.

I loved/hated the flashbacks of the women being taken and put in cages, a good reminder of what Gilead really is.  Horrifying.

That child actress was very good, it was a teary moment when her dad hugged her.

I loved Serena being arrested!  No redemption or happy ending for you Serena!

All in all, a pretty good finale, and I did appreciate the whole "ruthless" thing.  I'm a bit surprised Lawrence didn't run when he had the chance though, although it was falling apart and he doesn't strike me as a brave man.

Loved Moira doing her thing and greeting the escapees, and Luke hopefully looking for Hannah.  I wish we'd seen Rita tell him what June did, and that she's staying behind to get Hannah out, but that right now they couldn't find her.  I'm sure she will.

ETA

I think most of the guards were at the Senior Staff meeting Lawrence called @chocolatine

I thought the flashback was a very effective way to remind us that as annoyed and frustrated that we have been of June (in some cases rightfully so) that Gilead is a mysoginist, horrible, disgusting, totalitarian fart bucket and that this why despite our annoyances she is still on the right side of reason and morality and it's why we root for her.  I can't even imagine what happened to those poor disabled girls.  In the end 52+ kids and a few Marthas are safe.

I was already happy when I learned Rita was getting out but then Rebecca/Kiki and the dad and Moira's face when she saw all the girls. 😭😭😭 I was done.  But yes Rita got out!  RITA. GOT. OUT!

June is probably not dead but I wouldn't really mind if this was the end of her tale.  Obviously her story lives on through Rita and the girls but I'm guessing she's alive until Hannah is found again.

I did feel bad for Luke, that must have hurt not seeing Hannah on the plane.

But there is really only one moment that matters.  Bitch Bye Serena!  The War of the Waterfords ends in mutually assured destruction, beautiful.

[BodhiGurl]

9 hours ago, BrindaWalsh said:

I liked it.  Table for 1.

We left Atwood's Gilead and writing a long time ago.  Even before season 3.  The book was brilliant, the story was brilliant, but I decided to stop expecting Atwood and it makes the show significantly more enjoyable.  

Even the opening scene didn't have her subtlety.  Those guards herding the women into trucks and cages wouldn't have been cursing and yelling bitch at them.  They would have been doing their job with a stone cold precision and barking military like orders without the profanity.  Speaking of that opening scene, seeing them separate those women with special needs literally made my stomach turn. 

My favorite part of the episode was Rita arriving in Canada, especially her excitement to meet Luke. 

I'm still processing a lot of the show but I just wanted to say that I liked it.  

And shout out to Stone Harbor - the best shore town in NJ!

Oh.  And was anybody besides me irritated by the eastern university ads in the commercials?  I don't need a real ad for highly conservative university with courses "rooted in christianity" when I'm watching tv show based on what happens when a twisted brand of christianity takes ahold of and brings down the US.  

I'll join you at that table 😉 Overall I liked it, and was a hot mess as those kids came off the plane. I'm glad Rita got out. Of course now I'm curious what is going to go down in season 4...

[bluphoenix451]

Watching Joseph Fiennes this episode reminded me so much of his brother in Schindler's list. They both seem to excel at playing roles demonstrating the banality of evil. For all the other issues with the show, I think his performance along with Yvonne and the other commanders does a good job showing that at the end of the day these aren't scary monsters, but regular people who are committing these atrocities. 

[Quickbeam]

I love sneaky retaliatory Fred. Sad face,”I love my wife” Fred, not so much.

8 hours ago, goldilocks said:

Except he’s a little old to be siring children. 🙂 He’s pushing 90.

See Charlie Chaplin. 

[Ariam]

4 hours ago, madpsych78 said:

I suspect that Gilead is not as strong at present as it was in Season 1. Winslow is dead, and Fred is in Canadian prison. That leaves Lawrence, as well as some other secondary commanders (i.e., Putnam), but then there's also Nick. Neither Lawrence nor Nick fully subscribe to Gileadean ways. While we're on that, let's review the main characters still in Gilead - June, Janine, Lawrence, Nick, and Aunt Lydia. Really, the only one of those who is fully drinking the Kool-Aid is Lydia.

There should be plenty of other powerful commanders. The show makes no sense. In DC they showed hundreds of handmaids and supposedly getting posted in DC is more powerful than Boston (since Fred wanted to move there). Winslow couldn’t have been running things on his own. 

They really should have left dc out of it as it made no sense at all and they can’t even follow their own story. But they wanted s cool episode with a silly gigantic cross and blown up statues. They spent so much money on that episode that they had to keep the budget low for the rest of the season and could only pay Moss and a few other actors but not even any of the main characters. 

[ferjy]

18 minutes ago, Quickbeam said:

See Charlie Chaplin. 

Maybe there was a "Nick" involved. 😀

[Joana]

Well, since June took out the one remaining soldier in Gilead, the USA can now invade back and take over the country, right? Game over. 

[Joana]

18 hours ago, Mommaj said:

I thought Luke's face as he looked for Hannah to exit the plane was heartbreaking. Of course, he didn't know that she'd been taken out of the Boston district and that June had no way of getting her out, so he must have expected to see her. That was just about the only moment of the entire hour that seemed genuine.

I agree 100%. That's exactly how I feel, too. It's pretty much the only scene in the episode that really touched me. 

The entire plan and its execution is so ridiculous that the less said about it, the better. 

I agree with everyone who said the opening scene reminded them of the time this show was still good. 

While I'm extremely glad that Serena is not going to get away scot-free, they just... took Fred's word for it? I mean, what he said was absolutely true (and frankly, I'm on his side here - she deserved it, and then some), how could they possibly know that? It's not like he could provide Nick's written statement. And hell, he could have told them just about anything. Also, the American agent guy obviously wasn't playing a long game of any kind with Serena. He really bought into her act as an innocent victim. The look of disgust on his face when he found out she was acting as a pimp. LOL. Oh, if only he knew.

I'm not sad about Janine, simply because I was completely sure she was going to die a heroic death saving June, so I'm just glad that didn't happen and she survived.

Edited August 15, 2019 by Joana

[julia1130]

Quote

Although it was rape, it was also something that kept June from the colonies, in a sense she agreed.

This is absolutely a felony crime. Extortion for sex. Threatened with two unwanted options (basically sex or death) and forced to choose one. 

Re: Canada’s knowledge of Nichole’s biological father, I’m 99% sure that at some point Luke said to Canada FBI guy “Waterford isn’t even her father!” and FBI guy said that they knew that.

I think Canada was (until the end of this ep) treating Serena like a “forced” adoptive mother. Like, Serena was also a prisoner in Gilead and was forced to “adopt” this baby and she just happened to form a connection w her...how is that her fault? BARF - we and now FBI guy know better...

[Deputy Deputy CoS]

Her nam is Holly. Calling her the name given to her by rapist is feeding into the sick Gilead ideologue           

Quote

Although it was rape, it was also something that kept June from the colonies, in a sense she agreed.

June did not consent to sleeping with Nick, nor did she consent to Serena standing guard the whole time.

If June felt compelled to because of fear of being sent to the colonies ......... um' why is there any question of Serena's criminally 

Edited August 15, 2019 by Deputy Deputy CoS

[chaifan]

If Season 4 starts out like the last few episodes of Season 3, there's hope.  I know, Season 3 is far from perfect, but it certainly got better as it went along.

I agree with everyone on the overabundance of suspension of disbelief in getting 50+ people through the woods with guards actively searching for one missing little girl.  Setting that aside...

Did anyone else notice in the beginning sequence, it wasn't just women being herded into the truck - it looked to me like they were separating any handicapped/disabled women from the rest.  We saw a few older girls who had Down's, one woman had her walker kicked away and was struggling to stay upright.  This really shocked me, because as such a God fearing society I have a hard time believing that Gilead would just execute/send off to the Colonies anyone who is disabled.  But we've never seen anyone disabled, have we?  Anyone know if there was any mention of disabled people in the book?

I really thought Nick would show up this episode - end up being a guard in a crucial point and just look the other way. 

What was the deal with all the soap?  I know June needed some to grease the gate, but what was she doing with the rest?  At first I thought the soap would contain messages inside the labels, or soap meant "we're in for tonight", but she was cutting up all the bars.  ? 

My biggest issue was why they let the one Martha go.  I really thought the younger Martha (the almost radiologist) was going to knock her out from behind.  But why wouldn't they just throw a blanket over her, tie her up, gag her, and keep her in the basement for a few hours?  That made no sense whatsoever. 

And, if it wasn't clear earlier, Serena said it outright - access to Nicole was part of her plea agreement.  So can we all stop with "why does Serena get to hold Nicole"?  Because it was part of the deal.  Luke would have had to have agreed to it, and it makes sense that he would if it meant Waterford being brought to justice. 

I do like that Serena is being held responsible for something, but I think she'll get off or relatively no punishment for this.  As others have said, Luke has the tape with June saying Nicole was conceived "in love", he knows June had a relationship with Nick.  I don't know if they could prove rape with that evidence.  I thought it was weird that Serena's deal had her going completely free, and also that she wouldn't need some sort of security detail if she were to be walking about town.  She would be easily recognized and probably beaten to death by ex-handmaids.

I feel bad for Luke that Hannah wasn't among the girls getting off the plane.    Speaking of the plane... I found it odd that the people on the ground didn't know what to expect from a medical standpoint.  You'd think the pilot would have filled someone in - coming in with ##women & children, no injuries, marthas keep asking when the bar cart is coming around, etc. 

I loved the handmaids and marthas coming back to help June with distracting the guard.  I can buy a single guard being posted around the plane.  Guards seem more perfunctory than anything else - more image than actual usefulness, since they don't really expect anyone to rise up and do anything at this point. 

My prediction for Season 4.  June and the remaining Handmaids from the woods end up in the resistance.  Probably still in Gilead, but somewhere in hiding.  Everyone assumes they escaped on the plane, so there won't be much of a hunt.  Season 4 leaves the household aspect of Gilead mostly behind, and concentrates on the resistance and what's happening in Canada.

Edited August 15, 2019 by chaifan

[Joana]

13 minutes ago, chaifan said:

And, if it wasn't clear earlier, Serena said it outright - access to Nicole was part of her plea agreement.  So can we all stop with "why does Serena get to hold Nicole"?  Because it was part of the deal.  Luke would have had to have agreed to it, and it makes sense that he would if it meant Waterford being brought to justice. 

I think everyone got that. The problem is that such deal makes absolutely no sense. Especially now that we can throw away the theory about the American government being willing to offer Serena immunity in exchange for important information or whatever. If she truly was that valuable to them, no one would bat an eye about the fact that she pimped out a woman once. 

And yeah, Serena would definitely be killed the first time she walked out into the streets alone, so that part about her "being free" was laughable. In fact, for all the people complain about the character assassination of June, in a way Serena had it even worse. June at least got some storylines going, no matter how stupid, while Serena did nothing all season long except obsessing over her "daughter", with everyone (except her own mother, paradoxically) inexplicably indulging her in her delusions about motherhood. 

[Umbelina]

40 minutes ago, chaifan said:

What was the deal with all the soap?  I know June needed some to grease the gate, but what was she doing with the rest?  At first I thought the soap would contain messages inside the labels, or soap meant "we're in for tonight", but she was cutting up all the bars.  ? 

She used it to blur all the windows in the basement, where the kids/Marthas would be held.

[Ashforth]

13 hours ago, BrindaWalsh said:

I liked it.  Table for 1.

We left Atwood's Gilead and writing a long time ago.  Even before season 3.  The book was brilliant, the story was brilliant, but I decided to stop expecting Atwood and it makes the show significantly more enjoyable.  

Even the opening scene didn't have her subtlety.  Those guards herding the women into trucks and cages wouldn't have been cursing and yelling bitch at them.  They would have been doing their job with a stone cold precision and barking military like orders without the profanity.  Speaking of that opening scene, seeing them separate those women with special needs literally made my stomach turn. 

My favorite part of the episode was Rita arriving in Canada, especially her excitement to meet Luke. 

I'm still processing a lot of the show but I just wanted to say that I liked it.  

And shout out to Stone Harbor - the best shore town in NJ!

Oh.  And was anybody besides me irritated by the eastern university ads in the commercials?  I don't need a real ad for highly conservative university with courses "rooted in christianity" when I'm watching tv show based on what happens when a twisted brand of christianity takes ahold of and brings down the US.  

Make that a table for two, @BrindaWalsh

Actually, table for 3 now that I have skimmed through all of the responses. You and @BodhiGurl and I are ready to make our reservation.

Edited August 15, 2019 by Ashforth

[Miles]

Are they really making lunch boxes for the trip? They are going by plane and it's Canada. What the fuck? Are they afraid the kids might get hangry? That's like an hour long flight.

They don't have a bit of oil to oil the gate? They drive around in cars and June works for a high ranking commander.

Also where are all the guardians who are supposed to guard those commanders houses?

Then the Martha who showed up to early gets cold feet and these chucklefucks don't tackle and tie her down?! It's your fucking lifes on the line here, if she gets captured and rats you out. You are three and she is one. Even without the gun that shouldn't be a problem.

When June and Rita get back from their little marking mission (was that really necessary? Wouldn't that be more of a liability than help? What if somebody discovers the markings? You found the way once, why would you need the markings? At least use something less conspicuous than wwhite cloth.) Lawrence is reading a story and June stroles around the table for five minutes, evidently having all the time in the world. Move, bitches! You got a Martha on the loose who knows your location. There is no time to waste. Every second could be the difference between life and death.

Also the guardians are going house to house. There are like a hundret kids (June said it was way more than 52) whos commander "parents" got knocked out or killed. None of those commanders get discovered? Are there suddenly millions of them? Suuuuuure...

And now we come to the greatest bullshit in the episode. There are two, read it again, two guardians there. Not half an army. How very convenient. But okay, Gilead is overconfident, I can maybe somehow buy this. But, what do the rebels do? They throw stones at them. And then again. Meanwhile, June has a fucking gun!!!!!! But by the way she uses it, or rather doesn't use it, you'd think it was flint lock pistol. This is a modern gun, with a big ass magazine. June could have taken them out before they knew anybody was there. Even if she isn't that good with it (though I do seem to remember she had some training at some point, or am I wrong?), at least try. Let the other handmaids throw rocks while you shoot. God damn this was stupid!

At the end, of course June is not dead. I never believed it for a second, but I think some people here speculated she might die? Well: "Executive producer: Elizabeth Moss". She's not going anywhere and apparently, she won't even get out of Gilead, again...

---

Of course everybody likes that Serena got arrested, but I don't like how it happened. I fail to see how that was rape on Serena's part. She suggested to June that she could try with Luke, because failure to produce might get her sent to the colonies. Serena didn't have any direct say in that matter though and she didn't make June do anything.

Even if by some bizarre logic that would be considered rape. I don't think Serena would be dumb enough to not hammer out a deal that would give her immunity for all crimes commited in Gilead. She's the smart one, always has been. Evil? Yes. But dumb? No.

I think a good twist would have been if they (maybe Fred pointed them in the right direction) dug up evidence that Serena was involved in planning the bombing of the US congress, which predates Gilead and thus wouldn't have been covered by her deal. That I could buy. But suggesting somebody might want to have sex, being a crime? That's weak sauce, man.

Edited August 15, 2019 by Miles

[Souris]

11 hours ago, Ariam said:

What happened to it having to be a plane organised by the Jezebel guy?? Suddenly it was a cargo plane that Gilead knew about, but had no cargo? How was the Jezebel guy, if he still was involved able to get on board past the guards? And how did canada know it was arriving with people on board? How did Moira and Luke know? And who on earth was the airline stuart who opened the plane door when it landed in Canada? It made so little sense. Any of it. 

That really bothered me. I was under the impression that it was a secret contraband plane that made regular smuggling runs. Suddenly it’s a giant jumbo jet that Gilead knows about? And nobody noticed the offloaded cargo got replaced with kids and notified the Gilead authorities? Or turned the plane around? Whut? WHUT?

I suppose it’s possible that the crew was somehow in cahoots with the Jezebel guy — maybe some contraband always comes along with the Gilead-sanctioned cargo, and Jezebel guy paid them off against the promised paintings. (Speaking of which, I doubt Lawrence is gonna part with them, so Jezebel guy got rooked.) But that requires us to head canon an explanation. So sloppy.

21 hours ago, mamadrama said:

I understand why some of the handmaids didn't go on the plane, but what about the other Marthas? Wouldn't they expect punishment, most likely death, if they returned "home"?

It should have been the Handmaids getting on the plane. The Marthas aren’t the ones being raped every month. 

The plane looked pretty packed. I think it’s possible some Marthas chose to stay behind so there would be room for all the kids.

I admit to tearing up at the end when the kids all came out, Rebecca and her father reunited, and Luke was hopefully looking for Hannah. But the whole success of the mission was ridiculous. Not even remotely plausible. 

[secnarf]

1 hour ago, chaifan said:

 Anyone know if there was any mention of disabled people in the book?

...

I do like that Serena is being held responsible for something, but I think she'll get off or relatively no punishment for this.  As others have said, Luke has the tape with June saying Nicole was conceived "in love", he knows June had a relationship with Nick.  I don't know if they could prove rape with that evidence.  I thought it was weird that Serena's deal had her going completely free, and also that she wouldn't need some sort of security detail if she were to be walking about town.  She would be easily recognized and probably beaten to death by ex-handmaids.

They have mentioned 'shredders' before I believe - kids born with 'defects' who are killed.

Interesting point about that tape. If Serena was arrested for forcing Nick and June to have sex to have the baby, and June has recorded a tape saying the baby was conceived 'in love', those would seem to contradict each other. If Serena gets off because of that recording, I'm going to be furious.

I didn't mind this episode so much, because I was mostly able to suspend disbelief and live with a bunch of unanswered questions and plot holes. I was really hoping they would kill June, though.

[Joana]

The gigantic security lapse was so unbeliveable that it's not even funny. I mean, let's take a look at some of the things that happened (on-screen!) so far:

- A handmaid hijacked a car and ran over a soldier

- A Jezebel killed a commander and fled the country

- A handmaid kidnapped a baby and threatened to jump off the bridge with it

- A handmaid carried out a suicide bombing attack, murdering dozens of people

- A pregnant handmaid escaped

- The same pregnant handmaid escaped again

- A handmaid brutally attacked and seriously injured an Aunt, after which she fled the country, taking a baby with her

- A handmaid went crazy and attacked and killed/injured several people

- A high-ranked commander went missing

So, not only does Gilead have absolutely no reason to feel overconfident, they should be downright paranoid, and rightly so. The second that Martha was noticed, the entire area would have been sealed off and turned into a virtual quarantine. The Gilead leadership may be a lot of things, but they're not inept morons, seeing that they were able to win the war and take over the country. This kind of writing is pathetic. 

[chocolatine]

22 hours ago, mamadrama said:

Interesting that out of all Serena's crimes that she could have been charged with (ones Canada didn't know) it's weird that it was the Nick/June bit that they chose to go with. What about when Serena held her down so that she could be raped and go into labor?

16 hours ago, Ariam said:

It also makes no sense to me that having june sleep with nick is what serena went down for. Although it was rape, it was also something that kept June from the colonies, in a sense she agreed. Why did they not arrest her for being part of destroying the US government and writing Gilead's laws before the whole system started and she was denied of any power? That's her real crime against the nation. Also, raping June before the birth was not something that was necessary or done under duress. 

Fred only told Tuello about the one crime that didn't also implicate him. As much as he wants to stick it to Serena, Fred's number one priority is still Fred, so he's not going to make his own situation any more precarious than it already is.

59 minutes ago, secnarf said:

Interesting point about that tape. If Serena was arrested for forcing Nick and June to have sex to have the baby, and June has recorded a tape saying the baby was conceived 'in love', those would seem to contradict each other. If Serena gets off because of that recording, I'm going to be furious.

I was worried about that too, but with Rita in Canada now, I hope she testifies about Serena beating June (when June was pregnant, no less) and raping her to induce labor. Those things were definitely not "state sanctioned".

[lucindabelle]

15 hours ago, BrindaWalsh said:

I liked it.  Table for 1.

Even the opening scene didn't have her subtlety.  Those guards herding the women into trucks and cages wouldn't have been cursing and yelling bitch at them.  They would have been doing their job with a stone cold precision and barking military like orders without the profanity.  Speaking of that opening scene, seeing them separate those women with special needs literally made my stomach turn.

Oh.  And was anybody besides me irritated by the eastern university ads in the commercials?  I don't need a real ad for highly conservative university with courses "rooted in christianity" when I'm watching tv show based on what happens when a twisted brand of christianity takes ahold of and brings down the US.  

Table for four! I really liked this episode and it made me cry so I was willing to suspend my disbelief.

Table for four! I really liked this episode and it made me cry so I was willing to suspend my disbelief.

That’s interesting because those EasternUniversity commercials didn’t appear on my end.

I’ve always thought that the amount of rituals they have developed in a scout five years is a little bit ridiculous. I have clothes that are five years old that I think of as new. My cats are five years old and I think of them is just about kittens. It’s like the writers went crazy on world building and forgot that a five-year-old regime is still quite young and it’s ridiculous how everyone has agreed to this fiction that life never existed before. It’s even a little ridiculous for Serena had to be so stunned at the idea of going out alone.

As for the little girl suddenly remembering her dad when before she said she didn’t that made perfect sense to me. Remembering the past is far far too painful and she was very little when she was taken. But it must be like waking from a dream, and a little actress played it perfectly. She looked at that man, her mouth open, her eyes widened, and it all came rushing back to her the first five years of her life. She was five, not three. She’d remember. It was there. I cried.

Also and this probably is a table for one, I still care about Serena and even in a weird way I kind of like her 

[Lemons]

23 hours ago, mamadrama said:

I understand why some of the handmaids didn't go on the plane, but what about the other Marthas? Wouldn't they expect punishment, most likely death, if they returned "home"?

I don’t understand why they all weren’t on the plane. The wall is a surety for all of them.   Was there some explanation I missed?  

[Lemons]

3 hours ago, Deputy Deputy CoS said:

Her nam is Holly. Calling her the name given to her by rapist is feeding into the sick Gilead ideologue           

June did not consent to sleeping with Nick, nor did she consent to Serena standing guard the whole time.

If June felt compelled to because of fear of being sent to the colonies ......... um' why is there any question of Serena's criminally 

That charge was not believable, a claim from a vindictive husband that was just set up by his wife to go to jail the rest of his life.   They would take her in for questioning but arresting her on the word of a brutal liar was beyond bad soap opera writing. 

[Ariam]

4 hours ago, Deputy Deputy CoS said:

Her nam is Holly. Calling her the name given to her by rapist is feeding into the sick Gilead ideologue           

June did not consent to sleeping with Nick, nor did she consent to Serena standing guard the whole time.

If June felt compelled to because of fear of being sent to the colonies ......... um' why is there any question of Serena's criminally 

5 hours ago, julia1130 said:

This is absolutely a felony crime. Extortion for sex. Threatened with two unwanted options (basically sex or death) and forced to choose one. 

Re: Canada’s knowledge of Nichole’s biological father, I’m 99% sure that at some point Luke said to Canada FBI guy “Waterford isn’t even her father!” and FBI guy said that they knew that.

I think Canada was (until the end of this ep) treating Serena like a “forced” adoptive mother. Like, Serena was also a prisoner in Gilead and was forced to “adopt” this baby and she just happened to form a connection w her...how is that her fault? BARF - we and now FBI guy know better...

Oh i totally agree with both of you  I wrote it in the middle of the night my tune and was unclear.  I meant just that compared to the other things Serena did that was not the worst they could have arrested her for and I would think from June’s perspective some other things she did to her, including the rape at 9 months pregnant were worse. So I was pissed that this was the *only* thing they accused her of 

as far as Nick’s rape is f June I’ve always said I can’t understand how anyone would love him and June’s relationship with him, he chose to rape her (and yes there always is a choice!) and at best it was a relationship that was born out of trauma, there was nothing real to it. I agree also that Serena acted as pimp in that rape, for her own benefit. She also stole his child (not that he would have ever shown any signs of really caring)  

[dmc]

1 hour ago, Lemons said:

That charge was not believable, a claim from a vindictive husband that was just set up by his wife to go to jail the rest of his life.   They would take her in for questioning but arresting her on the word of a brutal liar was beyond bad soap opera writing. 

We’re assuming they are just using his word but the scene cuts away.  Maybe he had something to back it up or they investigated further off screen.  Also Fred in a sense is confirming he’s not the father of Nicole.  If he’s not the father then the baby isn’t a product of the ceremony.  Once they discover the father is Nick (and he wasn’t reported to Gilead authorities ) the allegation that the relationship was coerced becomes more credible.  Remember Nick’s wife is killed for having an affair.   In addition it didn’t help Serena, that’s she like what of it...they had a relationship 😕

Edited August 15, 2019 by dmc

[Deputy Deputy CoS]

1 hour ago, Lemons said:

That charge was not believable, a claim from a vindictive husband that was just set up by his wife to go to jail the rest of his life.   They would take her in for questioning but arresting her on the word of a brutal liar was beyond bad soap opera writing. 

Its as believable as Serena's word against his. Why should they be more inclined to believe Serena regarding Fred's crimes than believe Fred?

Regardless, her righteous indignation that Offred and Nick had a relationship was acknowledgment of the accusation. She didn't deny it, she justified it. The heifer 

[Armchair Critic]

Jack on LOST did the smiling while the plane flies over bit better.