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

[Aridane]

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.

I lost my patience with this episode. Yes the birth was emotional an all, but it told us nothing that the trailer didn’t. They could have just cut the whole wandering from
room to room intro and she could have given birth halfway through the episode.

Does anyone have any ideas what the wolf was meant to represent?

Also, anyone who has seen the next episode’s trailer, who is the girl that says ‘I’ve done something disgusting’?

I’m losing interest in the Waterford house now. It’s the same plot. June is back. Aunt Lydia gives a speech. June plays nice. Then she gets cocky with Serena, at some point stares lovingly at Nick for all to see. Fred is a pervert, June tries to use this. June gets in trouble. And repeat.

Excited to see more of Emily next week, though. She just doesn’t give a fuck.

Interestingly enough I ran across a clip of an interview in which the man (director, writer? Didn’t get his name) referred to it as a ‘black dog’. Black dogs are harbingers of ill fortune or death. But it looked like a wolf to me and certainly howled like one. There were no answering howls which could mean a ‘lone wolf’ maybe symbolizing June being on her own?

I agree the episode seemed long. All the running, packing, etc made me go “can we just get on with the storyline?”.

If you had shown one act of kindness to her, she wouldn’t have run away.

Commander Waterford’s words to Serena about Offred seem prophetically to apple to Nick and poor Eden

I agree it was a lone wolf without its pack (June's pack - daughter, mother, DH, friend).

I too found it frustrating and the thought of going back to The Waterfords on repeat is a bit tiresome.

I needed some hope that Offred might escape (though that was never going to happen with a baby). I did like the radio in the car moment.

Visually stunning again. There was a shot through some eye type architecture; the snow, the black wolf, the red.

I will find it harder to watch if it's just more of the same now, with the added torture for June of another child she can't keep.

Hmm another wolf theory here www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/the-handmaids-tale-s02e11-review-recap-june-offred-baby-birth-scene-a8419196.html

I assumed the car to be related to Serena (although not sure why they'd risk going back again) because I've seen the picture of Serena with Baby Offred/Nicky?

The one thing I did enjoy (for want of a better word) was the clear manipulative side of Serena that came out in this episode. Up until now, I think it’s been made clear that Fred is a bad guy. Even when he’s being ‘nice towards June, it’s always been clear that it’s the ‘nice’ side of the abusive man.

Serena has heen shown a bit ambiguous I think, you never know whether to feel sorry for her as a caged woman or hate her. But when she said that Fred raped June, as accurate as that was, it felt very much like gaslighting. She played an equal part in that horrid scene, she wanted to punish June and showed no remorse nor accountability.

I wonder if the birth of his child will spur Nick on to do something. I think June will be too scared to try and change anything, incase her baby gets hurt.

A good choice of name for the baby

I actually rather enjoyed this episode. True, it didn't actually advance the plot at all. (Yes, she had the baby - but that was hardly unexpected). But when June was exploring the house, finding food and clothes to try and escape, finding the car keys and hearing that radio report, it was the first time in weeks that she has had any sense of hope and purpose. And even though the trailer shows she will return to the Waterford's, she now knows the name of the commander who has Hannah. So when she does get away and Gilead eventually collapses, she'll be able to trace her. I think I also found it a relief from the constant abuse and atrocities so far this season.
And I honestly didn't think the wolf symbolised anything beyond the likely consequences of trying to escape on foot. But then I do tend to take things at face value.

I quite enjoyed this episode. I like that they gave June time with her baby when it was born. Had it been the whole Gilead ceremony then she’d have likely not even been able to hold the baby after.

I also think it set the scene for her being able to find Hannah after. How else could they have worked in all that information about Hannah’s new name, family and Home.

I’m also intrigued by why the house was shut up and why the Waterford’s were so wary of being found there.

The radio scene also gave June hope, that there are people out there. That the rest of the world hasn’t forgotten Gilead and there is a life still to be had.

I quite enjoyed this episode. I like that they gave June time with her baby when it was born. Had it been the whole Gilead ceremony then she’d have likely not even been able to hold the baby after.

I also think it set the scene for her being able to find Hannah after. How else could they have worked in all that information about Hannah’s new name, family and Home.

I’m also intrigued by why the house was shut up and why the Waterford’s were so wary of being found there.

The radio scene also gave June hope, that there are people out there. That the rest of the world hasn’t forgotten Gilead and there is a life still to be had.

The house appeared to be some sort of 2nd home/ summer home hence why it was all shut up. I have a feeling this Commander McKenzie is far higher up and more important than the Waterfords so that's why they were scared of been found and put on the wall.

But there was food in the cupboards and wood for a fire.

Agree that Commander McKenzie seemed higher up PraiseBe.

I wondered if the people who shot/kidnapped Nick might have been connected to Isaac- he wants Nick out of the way to get to Eden.

So he could have set other Guardians after Nick, come down like a tonne of bricks on him if he does anything that looks suspicious.

He doesn’t necessarily know that Nick is an Eye. But as an Eye, Nick is able to talk his way out of a situation that would totally scupper another, ordinary driver- especially if Fred feels he needs to intervene to stop Nick spilling the dirt on the Waterford household.

Then this leads to the Eden/Isaac drowning- not just adultery, but attempted murder. And with Nick/Fred needing to cover up the circumstances pronto.

Keeping tinned food in the house and wood for a fire is perfectly normal though

I wouldn’t keep wood for a fire in a summer house. It just seemed to me like the house was left in a hurry and whilst I’m sure it wouldn’t be great to be found at a Commanders summer house they seemed too on edge for that. It’s probably not all that important to the storyline anyway.

This detailed Russian trailer shows the pool scene. Spoilers, obviously

I think that is probably one of the most shocking scenes ...

I wonder if Nick dobbed them in to be free of Eden.

Regardless of the food it was obviously a 2nd home of commander McKenzie.
That pool scene is shocking

Last episode I felt that I can't bear to watch anymore. It's too suffocating.

www.instagram.com/p/BklM4GNHms_/

Israeli trailer if anyone wants to see the spoilers!

That Israeli trailer gives almost gives away the whole episode! I'm intrigued about Emily though

Well I think it was his first home and he was possibly killed in the explosion. Or something else has happened.

No, no, no