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

KitsandKids, we don’t know exactly how many commanders there are but it’s a lot. Apologies in advance for this explanation as I’ve got some bits from the book and some from the show and it gets more difficult to remember what’s from where but I’ll try.

In the beginning there was a crazy, right wing religious group, The Sons of Jacob. The Waterfords, Cmdr Pryce, probably Cushing (as we saw he was quite high up and Serena mentioned him being an old friend of theirs) as well as many others were at the forefront of the movement. It had factions all over the US and we’re seeing just one district (in what was Boston). Anyway, after recruiting more and more people (ones like Nick who were not religious zealots but disillusioned and not really clued up as to what they were getting into) all the factions came together and overthrew the Government, Congress & the Supreme Court leadingng to a war and the proper inception of Gilead as we see now.

I think DC is still the capital (Fred mentions frequent business trips there in S1) but basically we’re only seeing one state and it’s structure/hierarchy. We’re led to believe this in mirrored in most states though, Alaska & Hawaii being the exceptions. Possibly a few others are still more war-torn and unsettled (Florida- the war was going well though).

I think that the reason for so many Commanders ruling one relatively small area is because you need some power of number to rule such a totalitarian regime. It projects ultimate power, strength and an iron fist rule to the little people and keeps them fearful and rule abiding.

Has anyone seen the film version with Natasha Richardson as June, Robert Duvall as Waterford and Faye Dunaway as Serena ?

I’ve just managed to find a copy on eBay, Cool, it was delivered the other day so I’m going to try watch it this week.

I'm watching again and there's a Georgia OKeefe painting in the new commanders (Josh) home.

I think that Serena attempting to 'feed' (or perhaps soothe the baby? Some babies use BF as a dummy dont they?) was purely for her own selfish reasons, which is why she said sorry to the baby after.

Thank you Sharkadder. Please let us know what you think.

I think it's only Hawaii and Alaska that are the USA now, only 2 stars on the flag. Florida has fallen - remember the oranges in the store in season 1? The produce in the store reflected the various states as they became part of Gilead.

Is it just me, or is each episode getting physically darker? Less light in the filming, I mean?

All the interior shots seem to be so dimly lit now, even in Fred and Serena’s house - and they are using oil lamps in some scenes too. I was wondering if they are suggesting problems with the supply of electricity/power, and this might be a sign of structural and economic problems in Gilead. If the quality of life in Gilead gets worse and worse, maybe that will lead to more uprisings?

You realise how unsustainable it must be. No women or gay people allowed to contribute to the economy. Women becoming illiterate. Probably not enough teachers or scientists. Shunned by other economies.

It’s totally unsustainable if only for the fact that in a couple of generations the population will have massively nosedived. How will they defend Gilead with no soldiers?

Re Lighting, I had noticed that the start of this episode with Sj and baby, the house was bright, well lit and sunny, in total contrast to how it usually is depicted.

But by the end of the show it was in darkness.

Yes Abra1de that's an interesting point about how the economy stays afloat. They don't have to pay people for a start so all those guards, doctors, drivers etc work for food I guess. I'm not sure if they use money at all.

You would think if Emily's new commander is as brilliant as all that he might have figured out that the whole idea of Gilead is really really bad for the economy.
The tourist trade must be doing terribly.

I don’t think they would need money. Food on a ration basis, more food if you have a baby/higher status. No-one has holidays or flashy cars, fancy clothes, technology etc. They don’t go to the cinema or concerts or shopping in ikea. They don’t have anything “extra”. I would imagine everyone gets power and water to their home for “free” because no-one gets paid a wage so this is how it’s paid for, they work for it. They have no choice about working, they have to do as they’re told so the work gets done. Drugs, alcohol, etc all paid for by bartering/swapping stuff/favours being returned etc.

Well. I didnt expect that. Poor Eden.

We s aw very little of Emily and her new posting. I suspect that he is probably ok. Intrigued to find out more.

Fred is an absolute arse . In the scene where he was asking June where she was hiding and why I half expected her to explode and tell him a few home truths.

She has some patience.

was just thinking, when June was getting in the plane to escape, didn't the driver, also trying to escape say he was commander Lawrence's driver?

Only just watched this episode and only on page 15 of the thread but I am glad to see that other people think Commander Lawrence is Mayday. I think he was supposed to come over as eccentric, a bit 'mad professor' like. Also think he's protecting his wife, as Gilead would certainly cart her off if they heard her talking the way she did to Emily. I think the way the Martha spoke to him seals it, surely to goodness she wouldn't have dared speak to him like that if he was a bad 'un. The scene with Emily, IMO, was to make us aware of how creeped out and on edge she would be feeling. I don't think it means he's creepy in himself.

Phew I needed to get all that out!

I wanted him to be a good'un, but why would he have needed to ask if she's healed from having her clitoris surgically removed?

His wife also mentioned the other 'girls' (handmaids) to Emily - wonder what happened to them, there don't appear to be any babies in the house and like PP have said it seems very unlikely that his wife would participate in the ceremony.

Maybe he is trying to save Emily, as no-one else would take her.

I thought he was going to be Mayday but after his conversation with Emily I think he genuinely is just awful and we are going to watch Emily TAKE HIM DOWN.

I thought this episode , and what happened to Eden, was the most tragic thing so far in the series.
I have hope in Emily's new commander . He seems so quirky and real .

I'm with bonjour.
I think we were led to believe initially he maybe more Liberal but now I think he's a twisted sadist. The way he led all the conversation to her clitoris, and sucked in his breath with the mention of it.
He's a brutal fucker and I agree Emily will take him down.

I didn't buy Serena letting June back in so quickly at all.

Stunned that drowning women is practiced in Saudi.

It's apartheid and we do nothing about it.

I kept changing myind about Lawrence throughout the episode but on reflection think he might be an eccentric rebel. I think pre Gilead he worked in finance and came across an opportunity to be a bigwig finance guy in Gilead by setting up their economy (surely they must have more of an economy than ration tokens, how else would they have imported all those Mercedes they seem to drive around in ). I don't think he's religious or buys into any of the Gilead crap. He certainly runs his house differently to waterford. I don't think you would find reading material lying around for the women of the house to read at Waterfords. His wife is clearly not in a sound state of mind to raise a baby so I doubt he wants Emily for her child bearing abilities. He has clearly done some research on Emily and will be under no illusions as to how anti-establishment she is. I think he wants her as an aide/ally for something.

I think Serena has realised that if Holly/Nicole is brought up under Gilead that the two choices for her future is to never find love, having to marry and be raped by a stranger or to be killed like Eden. Hopefully she will feel enough for Holly to want to get her out of that situation.

Can't wait for next week although I have a sneaking suspicion we're going to be left guessing like the end of S1.