The Handmaid's Tale Season 2 (UK Pace) - thread 4

[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

Someone on the last thread asked for a link to the previous threads:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/telly_addicts/3216737-The-Handmaid-s-Tale-Season-2

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/telly_addicts/3269725-The-Handmaids-Tale-Season-2-UK-Pace-thread-2

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/telly_addicts/3290403-The-Handmaids-Tale-Season-2-UK-Pace-thread-3?pg=38

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I don't feel sorry for serena either. She is a clever woman, she knew what this "lifestyle" would mean for other women, and for herself really. She stupidly trusted that Fred would take care of her.

I did the book for a level as well. Seems so mad now that I was analysing it aged 16 but I re read it again last year after S1 and read it completely differently to last time. I do feel like the "men's" story is being focused on a bit too much on the TV, but I still love it

I might buy the book to read on holiday.

I thought there was a scene last series with Serena trying to get Fred to go to bed with her, with a kind of we haven't tried in ages line? Which made me think she thought it could be possible to get pg..? Of course Thisbe p date sheet anything being written about the shooting!

@Iggi999 I think that scene was to show you that sex was only about procreation. Fred rejected serena because she couldn't have a baby with him (in the book male sterility is the issue).

Placemarking

Under his eye

Curb S1 is on pay per episode on Amazon TV. I looked OnDemand first too then borrowed the dvd off a friend. I want to buy all of it when it finishes completely.

I've only just found this thread.

I can't imagine June making a relationship work with either Luke or Nick if she gets out. There's so much that's happened. Looking forward to tonights.

May the lord open what exactly?

S1 is on Now TV as well I think

Dhal - I wondered that. Maybe it means 'may the Lord open your uterus and a child pop out'?

A quick search gave me this:
From the Bible.
Genesis 29:31 And when God saw that Leah was hated he opened her womb but Rachel was barren.
Genesis 30:22 And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her and opened her womb. And she conceived, and bare a son; and said God hath taken away my reproach.

Yep, it’s as glamorous says

I was just thinking.... how absolutely, mind-numbingly, excrutiatingly boring life in Gilead must be!

Imagine being a Handmaid: you can't read, obviously no TV, internet or anything of the sort, no music, sports and other physical activities out of the question. You only meet other women for the daily trip to the one shop, and what are you going to talk about anyway? You can't even busy yourself with cooking or household chores, because that's the Martha's role.

The unrelenting boredom alone would drive me to the brink of insanity.

I don't like Eden. She's got a gormless look. There's no depth to her.
I can absolutely believe that there really are families in America at the present timewho would be on-board with the whole Gilead way of life.
A family that is already Highly Religious and lives by the Surrendered Wife way of doing things, would be perfect fodder for a Gilead.

My least favorite character is Aunt Lydia. The woman is pure evil .

Thanks lornathewizzard I'll have a look

IcedPurple it would take a huge amount of mental energy just to get through every day.

The actress who plays Eden was in a Netflix thing called Everything Sucks! and was great in it, as different from Eden as night is day

Promising future I think

Serena hints at the boredom issue when she tells June she f**King hates knitting... When they were allies two episodes back.

I really feel sympathy for Serena and think her character has been the most complex and well written in the screen play.
The flashbacks don't really give a good enough feel for what she originally thought and preached. She wasn't necessarily advocating a complete subjugation of women. She believed that societies problems including the low birth rate would be solved by a return to old values and women in the home.
Many people believe this now in our society.
I think she thought women would still hold 'power' because they had the babies and ran the home... The old saying about behind every successful man is a strong woman.
And she never thought women would be effectively silenced.. I image she thought they'd be a powerful mothers union type organisation and she'd be seen a mother of all mothers.. Saviour of society.

To see the husband who loved and adored you (and who you felt was weak) now riding on the back of what you started must be excruciating.
Not to mention his rejection of her physically in s1 when she knows he breaks the rules and goes to jezebels.

I'd like her become part of an up rising.

After all she can't be the only wife who had a career, brain etc before and she can't be the only unhappy wife?

What did aunt Lydia mean when she said her nephew dying wasn’t her fault? It seemed a strange thing to say

We,don’t know, Iggi, we don’t know

Hi everyone! Been lurking for a while but just joined so I can take part in this conversation, I’m finding it fascinating!

One thing which struck me last week was how accustomed I’d become to Gilead, and how ‘normal’ it all seemed. I hadn’t realised until I saw Serena in Canada and those powerful shots of the childlike look on her face when she was looking out of the car window. Canada looked like another world (which it obviously is), and by contrast Gilead looked dated and archaic, but I honestly hadn’t really noticed how accepting of it I’d become until then.

Definitely food for thought for me.

Also to say I agree with @theredjellybean ref the ‘mother of all mothers’ thing. I cannot bring myself to believe that Serena would have actively wanted the situation she’s in now.

Wasn't there a flashback at some point when the Waterfords arrived at a Gilead planning meeting expecting Serena to be involved, & were told that Wives weren't welcome?

I cannot wait for tonight's episode!! I have a feeling it's going to be good. Last week felt like it was leading up to something. I like that I don't really know how I feel about each character. Even June, who I sometimes judge for wanting to escape without Hannah. Very thought provoking show.

I have the subtitles on ready!