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

Oh bloody hell, I'm crying.

Oops. I stand corrected!

Janine taking off her clothes, to 'feel' her baby, healing her...I'm a weeping mesd

*mess

God, what an amazing episode! I wanted June to brain Fred with the poker.

Did everyone else see June going to see Fred as a ‘fuck, that’s my alliance with Serena gone to shit, better make him like me again’ way of thinking?

Initially I thought she was going to kill him! I was working out how she’s would do it and get away with it. Then I thought she was placating him in order to gain his trust again so she can start working against him. But when she collapsed at the end I think she has realised she has to jump up his arse in order to survive, after what he did to serena.

I think it was failure to thrive because of lack of care. Not sure how plausible the rapid recovery is though.

Won't this test Lydia's faith in the handmaids system as the best possible way to produce babies? Or maybe she can argue for little tweaks like keeping on the handmaid as a nanny in certain cases while keeping within the overall plan?
Lydia's absolute besottedness with Charlotte has got to be important to the plot - she clearly genuinely cares about there being babies.

I feel washed out after that.

Serena and June uniting to FUCK THE SYSTEM UP is the storyline I need more of, particularly if fucking shit up involves that arsehole Fred

So many stand out moments, Janine singing but also the Martha being overcome to be allowed to practice if only for a brief time

Didn't the female doctor say there was no reason for Charlotte to be ill, they couldn't find anything wrong?

Beautiful singing at the end. The words "I only want to be with you"

You wonder how stubborn Fred would be if June's baby needed care - or if he or Serena needed care but only a female doctor could help?

I wonder if Naomi even wanted a baby in the first place.

June in her own best interest has realised that both Waterfords need to consider her THEIR ally in order to ensure her daily survival

I can't imagine it's just plain neglect. Surely there are so many people watching the baby as she is so precious... neglect couldn't happen. I do think it's more likely to be poisoning by Mrs Putnam

But if the household is organised so that it's only the mother's job, even if there are other people in the house who would love to cuddle the baby, they might not be allowed.

Yy, MrStark, I cried when the Martha was changing. Very powerful moment.

Interesting, Awoman, I thought June breaking down when Fred shut her out was desperation. She’s recently been treated quite well (by Gilead standards) Fred giving her a photo of Hannah, Serena working with her and actually concedeing to her re Janine. I thought she was seeing some hope that she could come out on top but Fred’s dismissal of her was a cruel reminder that she’s nothing and they’ll easily toss her aside when she’s no longer required.

Lurker jumping in!

Surely if it was failure to thrive or similar the female Dr would have said something pointed like, the baby just needs to be with it's mother, when saying there was nothing they could do? Or maybe her saying to make her safe and warm was something.

Serena will call time on the friendship with June now, she wants to be a mum more than she wants to be a good person. So she will take the baby, get rid of June and live 'happily ever after'.

I think she now understands what she did was stupid, but she's in far too deep to change it. It has to be left to the other countries. They just need to get the letters to someone (in Canada??) in the meantime she will do what June did and revert back to the perfect gilead woman.

I think Fred would take the care himself but let Serena die @kalapata

I know in the episode when she was shot he was upset and she was saved. But that was before.

I think now it would be all "it's god's will" for Serena, but he's not above breaking the rules for himself. He' would absolutely safe himself even if it meant a woman doctor.

Eventually it might even be convenient. She knows a lot about his secrets. He has more power now (ironically in part thanks to her while he was injured) and I believe she has become more disposable and a bigger risk all of a sudden.

If Serena did die, he could find himself a nice pliant Gilead wife like Eden and live off Serena's hard work which put him there.

Yes I could see that too witch.

I also think safe and warm was the doctor's way of saying that Gilead raping women and giving the baby to another woman isn't the most nurturing environment.

Oh god poor June. I really need to see some light at the end of the tunnel. If there will be any?

Wilted I don’t think Naomi really wanted children. There’s nothing wrong with a woman making the choice to be child free but obviously for a Gilead wife she has had that choice removed. In her defence, you can imagine it must be hard to accept and love a child you never wanted, that was born of your husband raping another woman and then stolen from tht woman who did deeply want her.

I’m not saying that’s any sort of defence for harming the baby or for any of her other atrocities. But you can imagine her frustration, anger and desperation wrt the situation she’s in.

If they go to Canada together, will Serena LTB? Now that she's had her eyes opened to the reality and her reality.

The doctor couldn't have come out and said she needed to be with her mother. That would be practically direct criticism of the system and she is in a risky enough situation as it is.

It would be interesting if Serena got to Canada and claimed asylum and left Fred, but she wouldn't do it without the baby.

And I can't imagine Canada would let her keep the baby.

Not even in exchange for information or anything.