The Handmaid's Tale Season 2 (UK Pace) - thread 3

[CruCru]

Hi all

Here is the next thread for those who are watching The Handmaid's Tale Season 2 on Channel 4. Please don't put any spoilers on this - the other thread (for those in other countries who are watching ahead of the UK) is:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/telly_addicts/3239228-Handmaids-Tale-Season-2-SPOILERS-VIEWING-AHEAD-OF-UK-SREENING

Hmmmm, I'm not sure about this episode. I found some of it too much of a stretch.

Are we really supposed to believe that the handmaids did choreographed mourning at the funeral ceremony? Really? When were they rehearsing all those moves?

So, we see Waterford in hospital barely conscious and the next minute he's issuing orders for arrests? Again, really? Two commanders visited him and they knew he was barely there. How the hell does that all fit together.

Then we've got Nick & June snogging in the hospital, which is filled with a million guards - again really?

Then we get Serena asking June to go through papers with her because June was an editor? WTAF?

I just couldn't believe any of those bits.

Agree Margo there were lots of elements that were a bit of a stretch.

If Fred dies, what would happen to Serena and June?
I am thinking that June would be passed on to someone else and Serena might have nothing (have to become a Martha maybe?).
I think it is Serena's interest for Fred to recover, but slowly.

I wondered about the funeral ceremony as well and how they knew what to do.

I totally agree about the hospital. They wouldn't take such a massive risk surely.

The bit at the end with the pen was brilliant though.

Everyone had to learn the various ceremonies previously, so I presumed that after the explosion they gathered up the handmaids and drummed into them a new ceremony.

Re the choreography, I think they learnt all the moves at the Red Centre when they first became handmaids and it was just a matter of putting the routine together: something like, 'right, girls, two double promenades and a left swirl.'

Totally agree about the hospital. An insane risk for them to take.

Another thing that's bothering me. How do they communicate with each other? You never see mobile phones, I'm guessing they weren't a thing when MA wrote the novel but you never see old fashioned phones either.

And ridiculous to think that with all those "eyes" they wouldn't have cctv, definitely in the hospitals, but perhaps even at home

I like the lack of mobiles and phones, as that has stayed true to the original novel. Also, there would be the risk of the phone lines being misused?

Luke isn't exactly driven is he? Or am I missing something? I know that romantic attachments are low down the list of priorities on this show but how would June reconcile her two relationships if ( praise be ) they escape? Trauma-bonding and all that. Plus, Nick is hotter than a hot thing.

Agree about Luke. Maybe further down the line June will get out of Gilead and find Luke and she'll be all, 'right! Now we're going back in for Hannah!' and Luke will yawn and say, 'not right now.'

plus, he was horrible to his first wife. Cut him loose June, you can do better.

Yes, the hospital scene annoyed me too.

I wonder whether they do a rehearsal of what happens at the funeral of Handmaids during the training at the Red Centre. After all, they already have their mourning clothes in a box (but like the Royal Family).

One thing that’s bugging me is that no one seems to wear glasses. Most of the Handmaids (and all the Commanders) are over 30 - o they have contacts or do they have to do without? It’s possible that the women who are short sighted are deemed defective (but that rules out a lot of the population - bit of a waste of healthy breeding stock) but there must be some older men who need reading glasses at least.

I hadn't spotted that about the lack of glasses. Interesting. They don't need perfect vision to fulfil their role of having babies and it would be a way to keep them a little bit more powerless.

Emily had glasses when she was a lecturer. Then in the Colonies they had gone.

A lot of people need glasses for reading or driving. And of course the women don't need to do that anymore...

Am glad we're talking about Luke . There's a bombing , June could have been killed and he's like- where's the tikka masala . I think there's more to him than meets the eye . He seems very passive and nonchalant and was horrid to his first wife .

I do wonder why they allow things like hospitals to function

Surely that is not gods way?

That's a very good point about Luke.

On the one hand we have Nick (not without flaws) who is literally risking his life for June.

Then there's Luke who is a bit meh she might be dead, she might not, pass the Cheerios...

Not exactly a dashing romantic lead is he. And what's worse is he shows no thought of his daughter at all 😒

@sherazade I was talking about him on the other thread, he's annoying me by just not doing anything.

Someone very reasonably pointed out that there's probably not a lot he can do, and I understand that, but still it's making me twitchy.

He was so completely unbothered about the bombing, so sure that June would be okay. Maybe that's what's bothering me. He's registered June and Hannah and Moira as missing family but there seems to be no fight in him now.

I wonder if anyone can tell them she's pregnant? If they know enough to list the names of the dead women, they must know which women are with which Commander and if they are pregnant or not. Moira knows June was with the Waterfords so they must have some idea about the household. You'd think an injured Commander with a pregnant handmaid would be commented on. I wonder if Luke knows she's pregnant?

Is Luke so miserable and worried that he finds it easier to disassociate from the reality of June's situation? How long can someone live like that? I might be clutching at straws though.

I like to try and see the best in Luke too although he's making it difficult. I would think he's carrying a lot of guilt. June wanted to leave earlier but he made them wait for the visa which turned out to be pointless. But I kind of would have expected him to put on his big boy pants by now and start trying to do something.

I can understand someone dissociating but I think we are meant to see it as consistent with his character - remember when things first kicked off pre Gilead he was all 'don't worry, I'll look after you' rather than sharing her rage. I also wonder if he has an affair with Almost Mute Former Handmaid coming up. Maybe something will happen in Gilead, they will believe June is dead and he will move on quick smart. Still can't get my head round his lack of apparent concern for his daughter though.

I defended Luke until episode 7.

It must be fairly impossible to maintain a level of ‘fight’ for almost 4 years and I figured that he’d be maybe putting mental blocks in place to try and keep himself strong in the hope that what’s left of the American government/armed forces would get June & Hannah out and then he’d have the strength and energy to be there for them then. Can you imagine what it would do to your mental health to constantly imagine that your wife & daughter are being tortured/raped/beaten etc. You couldn’t survive thinking that way all the time.

But then after last night I’m a bit more pissed off with him. It’s one thing to block it out day to day but when there’s Big News afoot and it’s possible that your wife has been blown up by a bomb, you don’t sod off to get a curry.

Gosh, yes I'd forgotten about Emily having glasses. The thing is, I am not sure that I could safely cross a road without my glasses. Not having them would make me a real burden on everyone.