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Handmaids Tale, Season 2: SPOILERS / VIEWING AHEAD OF UK SREENING

999 replies

Aridane · 03/05/2018 12:09

I'm starting a thread for those of us watching Season 2 and who want to discuss ahead of its screening in the UK.

So far I've watched the first 3 episodes.

God the 1st episode was grim.

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7
BG2015 · 30/05/2018 22:34

I also enjoyed finding more about Moria. I didn't realise she too had had a child.

There's so much more I want to know.....what are the Canadians/ rest of the world doing to over throw Gilead?

Dancingmonkey87 · 30/05/2018 23:01

It makes sense Moria has a child she was a gender traitor but she was able to have dc so became an handmaiden so sad about her GF. I love how serena used her manipulation in order to get rid of the commander I think we will see how she likes being in power and was happy to have access to freds office and paper work. Equally interesting having June read over the new Amendments given her previous occupation as an editor. I loved the fact they all give each other there name a little bit of indentfity. I felt sorry for Lillie they were all in an awful situation but she did give them warning prior to the blast. 30 odd handmaidens down is a lot. I was disappointed Fred wasn’t dead or at least lost an leg or arm however serena and June would be extremely vulnerable if he were to die.

LilithTheKitty · 30/05/2018 23:23

I hated that the handmaids were buried without their names. I loved the handmaids reclaiming their names in the shop (even if Eden watching them was very worrying). I sobbed when the real names were read out in Canada. Does anyone else think that the source that gave the names is an Aunt? Would anyone else apart from those running the Red Centre have the knowledge of which name belongs to which handmaid?

Eastcoastmost · 31/05/2018 02:50

Episode 7 - amazing! No clue what was coming next. So good!

I have no idea how the Handmaids don’t have nervous breakdowns or panic attacks every five minutes, given they’re contrantly being subjected to such stressful situations. How they get any sleep and cope without Xanax is beyond me!

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Aridane · 31/05/2018 08:44

Didn't really see the point of recalling the radiation damaged handmaids from the Colonies. Surely their fertility is damaged beyond repair? Or maybe it was a symbolic gesture just to replace the dead ones.

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Dancingmonkey87 · 31/05/2018 11:06

Janine said they were recalled because they lost 30odd handmaidens which is potentially 30 babies. It didn’t say how many were left but it look many. Emily looks terrible where as Janine hadn’t been there aslong.

AcrossthePond55 · 31/05/2018 13:18

I think the question of compromised fertility (due to radiation) is a chance Gilead is willing to take for the 'ready made' Handmaids. What would be their option? Taking econowives from their husbands and turning them into Handmaids?

Beides, if it turns out that they are infertile it'll be back to the Colonies (or worse) and if it turns out that there are 'imperfections' in the children due to radiation damage to the Handmaid, well, I assume that they have a way of 'dealing' with that, too. I'm sure eugenics has its 'place' in Gilead.

AcrossthePond55 · 31/05/2018 13:19

"Besides". Early morning here, not enough coffee

SophieCatScribbles · 31/05/2018 16:13

Oh god AcrossThePond, eugenics.... I can completely see Gilead having a 'process' for dealing with such a thing 😔. And the handmaids would be blamed, undoubtedly, because Gilead never makes mistakes and men are never culpable.

AcrossthePond55 · 31/05/2018 21:04

Of course, Sophie. Just as in the olden days a mother was always blamed for a less than perfect child, be it because she ate strawberries, saw an elephant, or was in league with the devil. At one point in history it could get you executed as a witch. I believe bearing a malformed stillborn child was evidence used against Anne Boleyn as proof she was a witch.

If anyone has seen ‘Man in the High Tower’ there is a scene where a father is given a hypodermic full of something fatal to administer to his own son, who had been diagnosed with a neurological condition. Eugenics was part of the Third Reich. The America portrayed in that show (where the Axis won WW2) is not too far off the portrayal of Gilead.

BaconAndAvocado · 01/06/2018 09:31

Watched Episode 7 last night.

Shocked yet pleased with Serena getting rid of Cushing! Chilling.

Loved the bit where June held a pen, clicking it obviously a reference to the bomb....power of the pen!

I nearly cried when the HMs were introducing themselves using their real names.

One thing that didn't make sense.......surely Emily would have been exposed to too much radiation to now healthily bear a child?

Vulgarlady · 01/06/2018 11:18

In the book they call malformed babies “ shredders” which gives you some idea of what they do with them (shudder) not sure if I remember correctly but I’m sure Angela turned out to be a “shredder”
If they go in this direction, I can imagine there are going to be some truly shocking scenes

AcrossthePond55 · 01/06/2018 12:37

'Shredders'. Oh dear God.

QuackPorridgeBacon · 02/06/2018 01:14

I’m also baffled as to why Janine, Emily and others have been brought back. Someone correct me if I am wrong but if you are contaminated with radiation, then doesn’t that infect anyone who is close? Isn’t it contagious in a way? My partner said they were being brought back but I brushed it off and wondered why they were taken but it turns out he was right. Surely them getting pregnant can’t be good for the baby? Janine maybe ok with treatment (is there treatment?) but Emily? She’s already lost a tooth and could go on to lose more than that. I also liked the ending with the pen. But it’s so risky for both of them. I’m still loving nick but unsure of his new wife. The poor thing seems completely brainwashed about all of this.

TheBadgersMadeMeDoIt · 02/06/2018 10:22

Someone correct me if I am wrong but if you are contaminated with radiation, then doesn’t that infect anyone who is close? Isn’t it contagious in a way?

Not quite. Contamination washes off. They will have been scrubbed raw before being transported home, if only to protect the guards and drivers travelling with them. Of course, there's no washing off the damage they've already suffered from daily exposure. That is permanent, but not contagious. Exposure to radiation makes you sick, but it doesn't make you a source of radiation yourself.

Dulra · 02/06/2018 12:37

Quick question on nick. He was the eye for the commander that was killed in the bomb the one he met and linked in with way back before gilead. Was that commander part of the resistance too or was nick double crossing him?

AcrossthePond55 · 02/06/2018 12:57

Personally, I think Nick was loyal to the Cmdr and 'looking to get ahead', but that his emotional involvement with June changed him. I think he wasn't a fanatic about Gilead but was willing to 'go along to get along' iyswim. But his love for June & their child is his priority now.

QuackPorridgeBacon · 02/06/2018 18:29

TheBadgersMadeMeDoIt Oh right, I didn’t realise that. Thank you, makes it bit more sense now. Would any pregnancies not be affected though?

QuackPorridgeBacon · 02/06/2018 18:35

I really love Nick. I love the passion between him and June. That passion comes from awful circumstances but I love seeing them together but feel so saddened too. I struggle with the thought of them escaping and with Hannah and being reunited with Luke again. It would be awful for Luke but who would she choose? She’s been away from Luke for so long and has built something with nick and now is carrying their baby, would she stay with nick or go back with Luke? Would her and nicks relationship crumble without gilead? Maybe they won’t feel the same for eachother once our but then again they will each understand eachother so much whereas Luke won’t. It’s complicated but I really am glad either way, that she has nick with her.

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Aridane · 02/06/2018 19:55

I don’t feel the Nick love Blush - sorry

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QuackPorridgeBacon · 02/06/2018 23:49

Aridane Can I ask why? I’m genuinely interested in other views. Makes it more exciting to see what I may not have.

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Aridane · 03/06/2018 10:32

I can’t quite put my finger on it - I feel there is a shiftiness and bit of sleaze about him. Sorry, sorry, sorry.

Plus I don’t like the way he treats his brainwashed teenage wife - both unkind and foolish (risk of being accused of being a gender traitor).

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QuackPorridgeBacon · 03/06/2018 12:08

I put the shiftiness down to being an eye. It’s probably quite risky for him to be so involved with a handmaid and he now has a wife. I’m not sure what you mean about how he treats her? He doesn’t want to be with her and he probably feels very gross about her being so young. But like June said he needs to play the part or he will end up on the wall. I hate that he slept with her but I don’t know what I would do in that situation myself. I’m angry at his wife but also very sad for her because it isn’t her fault. But my god, she is very brainwashed isn’t she.

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Aridane · 03/06/2018 12:25

It was the ignoring her and then the way he had sex with her -didn’t feel much different from the way commanders have sex with the handmaidens

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QuackPorridgeBacon · 03/06/2018 12:33

He ignored her because he didn’t want to have sex. Then June told him he will be hung on the wall if he doesn’t, so he did the job with zero emotion and as quick as possible. I didn’t see anything wrong with that. He didn’t want to have sex with her but had to. Was he meant to enjoy it and be passionate about it?