The Handmaid's Tale Season 2 (UK Pace) - thread 5 - SPOILER ALERT

[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

How many commanders are there? How did they become a commander? Is it like a political party so all members became a commander upon the creation of Gilead? Because in the flashbacks it kind of seems like Fred and Serena cooked the whole thing up by themselves pretty much but in the present day there seem to be loads of commanders. Do they all live in that area? Is it like the main political hub? In other areas are most people just members of econo-families rather than commander/wife/guardian/Martha/Handmaid?

Also, America is very vast. Do you think there are many little towns where they're just ignoring Gilead law and getting on with life how it's always been?

Incidentally, Nicole is spelt Nichole on subtitles, I don't know if that means anything

Apparently the name means "victory for the people". Surely not a coincidence! It's not a biblical name though. Greek.

Oh, oh, oh!

June said to Eden "in this place, you should grab love where you can."

Then Nick and her were daydreaming about life with Holly - and going to Hawaii.

So, has June planted a seed there in her own head? If Nick loves her, wouldn't she be tempted for some kindness, even if it is short lived? What if he can get the three of them to Hawaii?

And then they could work with Canada to bring down Gilead from outside?

Yeah, I was surprised that Holly's not been given a Biblical name. Seems very odd.

What about that horrid little scene with Fred and June were he asked why she hid from them and she had dog her way out by placating him with talk of Scrabble that was such a clear cut domestic abuse style conversation that it made me feel ill.

dig not dog

Fred's totally deluded. He actually thinks June likes him and wants to spend time with him.

Nick looked mega handsome last night.

I had a moment during the pool scene when I imagined a Mumsnet uprising. Women standing up and telling that particularly obnoxious commander that no, he is not actually going to drown two teenagers.

C Lawrence said something about 'we value privacy in this house' so I assumed that he chose household members who he thought would be less pious and therefore less likely to report what happens. I imagine this would mean that 'normal' Gilead rules are suspended in the house.

@Abra1de during that same scene I thought about how powerful and dangerous guns are. The spectators could have all risen in protest, but it only takes one of the guardians to shoot them all. There's no room really for mass protest, they'll just be shot. It has to either clever and calculated to bring the Gilead down. Or send in an army

*either be

I knew what was going to happen to Eden due to spoilers but my god it still didn't numb it.

It was completely horrifying

More ugly sobbing last night!

Absolutely gutted to see Serena with Holly, I was really hoping the Waterfords would be in shit for losing their handmaid AGAIN and June would be at the Red Centre with Holly. Never put 'Nick/Nicole' together until seeing it on here. Fred is an absolute shit, he is so disgusting. The way he asked June whether that's all the thanks he gets (vom).
Serena trying to feed Holly made me shudder, wasn't surprised though. I am surprised she allowed June to cuddle and kiss the baby though when she finally handed her over for feeding - but I agree that she only allowed the feeding to alleviate her own guilt.

Not sure what to make of Lawrence, I'm inclined to think he's on the 'good' side... but I also see the 'Nazi scientist' type in him. He has a damaged Martha and Handmaid - he likes 'broken' people or he's being charitable. He is also keeping his wife around despite her hating him and her hatred of what he created, the Martha sassed him, his house is a mess with contraband items lying around for the women to see and he drinks alcohol with the Handmaid, which they are forbidden to have. I don't think he'll want to rape her either, his wife certainly won't. He was definitely creepy questioning Emily, both about her being a lesbian then about her FGM, but maybe he's curious as to where she lies - he seemed to like that she had tried to escape and had ran over a guardian. Perhaps he chose her specially because she has been in the colonies that he helped create and she's an intellectual biologist, maybe he has some weird anthropologist experiment in mind. Really interested to see where that goes.

Eden and Issac, that was barbaric, it really hit home for me that honour killings like that STILL happens in our own world. It struck me how most of the audience were ok with what they were watching, and that Serena thought it was appropriate to bring Holly - although there is no way she would allow anyone to sit her. I hope it makes Serena realise that even the most pious and innocent (and a Waterford) of children aren't immune from their own nature and Gilead's punishments - her own child included.

That might be the first time she knew he was alive since he was taken.

I think Rita would have told her Nick was alive and ok.

I've been re-reading the epilogue in the book and it mentions 'Judd' - like Waterford he was one of the architects of Gilead so Lawrence could be him I guess.

It also mention the Underground Femaleroad which rescued Handmaids and I wonder if S3 might show the inception of that as the Wives/Aunts start to see the horrors they are supporting.

It also talks about what happens to Waterford but I won't say in case people see it as a spoiler.

I’m conflicted about C,Lawrence.

Aunt Lydia had clearly never seen his house before- she delivers all the handmaids, so that tells us he has never had a handmaid before. His wife absolutely would not partake in a ceremony. I have no doubt about that. I don’t think he has taken Emily as a handmaid. I don’t think he has any sexual interest in her, no intention of raping her. I suspect he is having a consensual sexual relationship with his Martha. I’m leaning towards him being “good” however he deliberately made Emily uncomfortable by proving he knew who she was, bringing up her son and asking questions about her FGM. That has thrown me. Perhaps he isnt really a follower of Gilead, but also isn’t mayday. He’s just living his life as best he can, felt a bit sorry for the handmaid who no-one would take, a bit of guilt thrown in and he figured it was no big deal for him to have an extra body in the house. And also he’s a bit of a jerk and knows he can torment her for a while before she settles in and realises he is no threat to her.

When he came in carrying something, I was half expecting him to be carrying a knife to chop off her finger. It was a relief to see it was actually the bottle & glasses.

That's my feeling too, sister. He is a jerk but seems to have a conscience re his wife, and maybe towards the Colonies, which he founded? He still has lots of power, it seems, and uses it to scare Emily.

I wonder how the Martha lost her eye?

What did janine lose her eye for? I can’t remember.

Janine lost her eye in the 'Training Centre' for telling Aunt Lydia to fuck off and general insubordination I think. I think it turned her a bit mad.

In one of her very first "lessons" at the Centre, she rolled her eyes at Aunt Lydia and back talked

My first post but I've been really enjoying reading all your insights on these threads.

I'm also desperate for June to get to Canada with Holly this series and have next series focus on her bringing down Gilead from outside and getting Hannah back. I may be overly optimistic!

Am I the only one that thought Serena had miraculously started producing milk? My heart sank for June at that point. I was so relieved she couldn't do it! It does happen, doesn't it? Rarely?

Ah so the martha’s “Crime” could have been as simple as answering back. TBF, that seems most likely given her dealings withcommander lawrence.

It is possible to induce lactation without having carried/birthed a child but I’m not sure how easy it is or how much milk would be produced.