Handmaid’s Tale, Season 2 - FINALE - US pace

[Aridane]

This is a continuation of our Season 2 US-paced thread.

Roll on episode 13, the 90 minute season finale!!

she didn’t know who was driving that car.

This is a good point. It’s clear that there are no guarantees in Gilead for women, especially Handmaids. How on earth could June be sure that the escape wouldn’t end in another trap, like the plane epsiode.

Whilst it is an interesting ‘idea’ for a show I really think a lot of the episodes are poorly written.

Just finished the episode. I'm raging actually. Why did June not get in the car? All those Martha's risked their lives to get her out and she didn't even leave in the end! I get that she stayed because of Hannah but it's not like she can just go and get Hannah and leave again is it? She doesn't even know where Hannah is and she has no-where to go. And how is Emily going to feed Nicole during the escape? And the chances are now June will be with neither of her children and she will be hung or at least severely tortured for helping to get Nicole out when she inevitably gets caught.

From the perspective of a viewer as well I really don't want to sit through another series of June being stuck in Gilead or at the Waterfords. At least if she had escaped the plot line might have moved on a bit. I hope it's not going to suffer the same fate as other US series (Lost etc) and kill the show by just d-r-a-g-g-i-n-g the plotline on endlessly.

On a side note can I just add how great the actress who plays Serena is. I think the development of her character has been one of the best parts by far of series 2, and she has played the role brilliantly.

Am I the only one who,found the Aunt Lydia attack really awful? I didn’t feel any rejoicing or ‘you go,girl’ for Emily

Aridane - I sort of get what you mean. There was definitely a 'softer' side to Aunt Lydia which we saw sometimes, and in a weird kind of way I think she did care about the handmaids, but then I think back to series 2, episode 1 with the hanging / gas burner scenes and just think 'ahh, fuck her, she deserved it'.

Just found it a bit long and gratuitous. But get what you are saying

I think we are supposed to find the attack on Aunt Lydia jarring, as it shows just how far Emily has been pushed, that a previously normal, successful person can be so cold, and violent.

I wonder if June will make her way back to that house where she saw Hannah, because she knows there are supplies there, a car, and a gun with ammunition. This time she wouldn't be in labour, so could make more use of all of that.

Someone said she spent the whole season trying to get out and then didn't go, but she was pregnant for most of the season, so her getting out meant at least one of her kids was getting out. I think that is how she reconciled leaving Hannah in the earlier part of the season, but now that Nicole can go without her it frees her up to get Hannah.

I agree with those who said Serena is the most interesting. She had a hand in creating the situation she finds herself in. Throughout season 1 she was still firmly in Gilead's hand, but this season has worn her down. Slowly, she has begun to see through the belief system, and the basic human impact of what has been going on around her took it's toll. There was a lot of mental digging in at times...almost a refusal to admit that she got it wrong, but Eden's death tipped her over, and her husband selling her out was the final straw.

Some episodes this season didn't feel as well thought out as those in season 1. Some scenes were unnecessarily drawn out, while other story lines could have been expanded/felt rushed.

Is there a reason it only has short seasons does anyone know?

I found it all a bit daft.

Of course Aunt Lydia isn't dead and of course June would stay - there's a 3rd series after all. Serena's a psychopath with a soft side? Pfft.

And was someone from Homes Under the Hammer employed to choose the accompanying music?

Love all the actors though, so hope they can make the next season a success and not just wring it out.

13 episodes is pretty average for US TV series, sheep.

I just hate knowing that I have to wait a year for the next 13!!

I was disappointed if I'm honest. I keep reading things that say June was so badass for staying but I just think she was incredibly stupid. She has no idea Emily will make it out safely with Nicole anyway and once she's got to Hannah how's she going to get her out. If I was a Martha I wouldn't risk my life again to get her out.
I bet the writers kill June off once Hannah is free. Then viewers will go oh at least her babies are free but we'll never get to see a free June and that's what I think we need to see after so much misery.
Ugh thinking of baby Nicole on the journey without food too, talk about drawing attention to your cargo while you cross the border!

@BobbyGentry

The wall

@differentnameforthis thank you, yes, makes senses.

I agree with The Independent's article on the last episode (warning, contains enormous episode spoilers):

www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/the-handmaids-tale-s02e13-finale-review-ending-june-emily-nicole-serena-hulu-a8442586.html

My preferred basis as a start for series 3 would have been for June to have escaped to Canada with Nicole. It would have been fascinating to see how June and Luke tried to rekindle their relationship after June's experiences, and her feelings for Nick. And to see if Luke could 'forgive' June for her relationship with Nick and how he would react to Nicole.

I also would have liked to have learnt more about the 'war' on Gilead from the outside, and the sanctions and international diplomatic efforts going on to free those in Gilead.

I think season 3 just needs a new background setting as whilst series 2 has been an amazing series, I really don't want another series based in the Waterford household and the cruelty of Gilead. There is only so much misery and frustration I can sit through!

I think June will return to the Waterford's. Access to high level Gilead commander and documents will be a pull. Also visits to Hannah. Nick needs to be her link to the resistance.

I also predict Eden' s sister will marry nick.

There is a lot of precidence in the bible for marrying the sibling in the case of death. EDEN' S father may be on the inside, but someone else must have known she had the Bible. Maybe her mother. They could be useful.

I have mixed feelings about the last episode, I can understand June wanting to stay for Hannah of course, but she handed over Nicole with no idea what was going to happen.

Also if I was a Martha I'd be bloody well pissed off with her, they risked their lives for her and she stayed.

I hate Serena, she has been so vicious to June over the two series that I found it very hard to have sympathy for her but yet in the last episode my heart went out to her, the actress who plays her is outstanding.

Fred is always going to be Fred, I honestly think he will die soon and that will be the beginning of the end of Gilead.

Some of you are mentioning Nick threatening Fred, I can't remember that so I'll have to watch it again.

I do usually watch them all twice anyway and I find I've missed something the first time around.

Great thread by the way.

I just don't see how June can go back to the Waterford's. Even if the timeframe allows for June to make it back to the house before the authorities are told that Nichole is missing, do you really think that Fred is going to cover for her OR that Serena will just accept that June handed 'her' baby over to Emily to make the run? I'm sure a big part of Serena being able to let her go was knowing that June (who is, after all Nichole's mother) would be the one protecting her along the way. And Fred's made it clear that he thinks he needs to 'get a handle' on the women of his household. He doesn't care enough about June to let the 'abduction' of 'his child' go unpunished. And I think June knows that it'll be harder for her to get to Hannah and make an escape with her whilst living with the Waterford's. No, I think she's either going to ask Rita to help her find May Day (or the Martha Escape Network™) OR she's going to try to make her way to Cmdr Lawrence's.

An interesting(ish) interview with Elizabeth Moss explainingn(defending) the season 2 finale

www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/handmaids-tale-season-2-finale-explained-elisabeth-moss-junes-choice-1126885

SEASON 3 SPOILERS

www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/handmaids-tale-season-2-finale-explained-bruce-miller-previews-season-3-1126208

Just got up. I think it was a fantastic episode knew no spoliers so everything that happened was very unexpected. I think she was right to stay i have 3 girls and there is no way I could have left one behind she could trust emily to look after Nicole and she would have had no expectation that being in Canada could do anything loads of refugees are there and it hasn't helped those still in gilead one jot.

I don't agree that the Martha's would be annoyed I think it was more about getting nicole out not june. No idea how emily will feed her hadn't thought of that

June won't be going back to the waterfords she'll be going underground like the idea mentioned of her going back to the house with the car. Defo think cmdr lawrence will be influential.

Don't think aunt lydia is dead possibly brain damaged trapped in her own hell. Like others have said would love to see her back story

I hate letting people know my personal situation on here without name changing but I am about to board on a plane back to the UK.
The Hague Convention means that my children are growing up in the USA.
I can't bring them back to the UK without my ex's permission ot a huge costly court battle in American Court's.
I am not alone in my situation.
My dd who is 12 wants to be with me. My salary is less than 19,000 per annum.
My ex husbands is 150,000 plus.
I cannot afford to fight for my children to be with me.
The Hague Convention has fucked us sideways and I can't get any legal help because they don't live in the Uk and I don't live in the USA.
I may as well have been a handmaid for my ex husband, except I get to spend a few weeks a year with my dearly beloved children.
Please if you know a way, help me get my children back.
I love them so much.

Shameless you may want to start a thread in legal.

I know there is pro bono legal help available in the US. But I believe it's only for children who are in foreign countries whose parents want to bring them home. Maybe the UK has something similar

I've just seen it. Mixed feelings about the ending. I wanted her to leave, but as soon as she pulled out the photo of Hannah, I was thinking she'd stay (though wasn't sure what she'd do with Holly).

Do think Rita won't 'mind' as such about June staying. She promised June she'd look after Holly rather than June herself.

I was seeing a bit of Lady Macbeth type in commanders' wives, especially Serena. Supportive of him, then the realisation of what the support has unleashed in him.

As for Eden, who taught her to read and write? she would have been seven (younger?) when Gilead formed.

June's words had awful consequences for Serene and Eden didn't they? Though I think Eden's father's betrayal of Eden was the straw for Serene, that a father would dump his daughter in it just to support the system of Gilead.

The thing is, even if June wanted to go back to the Waterford's, how would she get there? It took all those Martha's just to get her to the road, she can hardly walk back as she be picked up by security in a minute and she is rather conspicuous in her outfit!

ShamelessEjeculate
I am sorry you are going through the loss of your children as you have posted. That must be so difficult, having to say goodbye. Can you not remain in the US to be nearer to them ?
Can you ask Mumsnet to transfer your post to one where you will get more help- perhaps Legal ?