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

I thought that as well @desperatelyseekingcaffeine about the cartoon.

I spotted two Georgia O'Keefes. And a Basiquat.

There was a klimt as well, I think - the trees

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

But she might not have seen Rita either, not before Fred turned up at the Red Centre with Nick and the baby.

Nick was back at the house, so Rita would know he was okay. But June was at the Red Centre, not the house.

So her first time seeing Rita could have been after she'd seen Nick for the first time since he was taken.

June must be feeling guilty now about Eden, but she wasn't there when Eden and Isaac were flirting, she had no idea that they felt that way about each other. She thought Eden was talking about Nick, that's why she said not to worry about her, she wouldn't be there for long.

What that means for her own feelings about Nick, I don't know. Unless she was thinking practically that she was going to be moved on to another family soon and she knows that means leaving Nick. Gilead will never let her have Nick and now she has two daughters held captive there.

That was another of the shows mirror points. Nick and June talking about running away with their baby to be a family. Then Isaac and Eden running away together after Eden saying she wanted to start a family with someone she loved.

Commander Lawrence is going to be interesting. I can't decide if he's going to turn out to be bad or good but going by the other characters he's probably going to have his moments of both. They've done that well with Fred and Serena and even Aunt Lydia, so he's going to be real I think. We might be cheering him on one minute and then remembering what awful things he's capable of the next.

It still interests me that we give Serena more allowance in this than we give Fred. I've started to think that Fred really cares about being liked and being seen as good. He's just not capable of actually being a good person in the end.

I loved Aunt Lydia in this episode! Her face at Commander L's house, the muffins, standing up to Waterford.

Oh you’re right hygge! I got my time frames mixed up and in my head she was already at the house when we saw her double expressing but she was at the centre.

I wonder exactly who it is Aunt Lydia reports to, she does seem to be above the Commanders sphere of influence, Fred's at least. If people try and buy her with muffins etc it means that a random Commander simply can't go up to her and say

"We are getting Fred Waterford's girl next and that's final"

I can only see her responding to such displays with the MN Tinkly Laugh 🤔

Yes it was Persepolis, I need to watch that episode again. So clever.

I've not contributed before to this thread though I've followed it. Did anyone else feel like shouting latch advice? Tummy to tummy Offred!

June must be feeling guilty now about Eden, but she wasn't there when Eden and Isaac were flirting, she had no idea that they felt that way about each other. She thought Eden was talking about Nick, that's why she said not to worry about her, she wouldn't be there for long.

But @Hygge June was there when Eden was feeding Isaac a strawberry. The "temptress" with a fruit, just like in the garden of Eden. I think June is probably beyond feeling guilt now anyway... She didn't advise out of turn, she couldn't possibly know that pious young Eden would end up how she did. Gilead killed her, not June.

Did anyone else feel like shouting latch advice? Tummy to tummy Offred! Yes! I kept asking myself why she didn't put the baby straight to breast, before reminding myself it's TV!

Interestingly when I've just tried to double check if it's Persepolis in the show, many essays come up on comparing the two stories. It did look like it.

The Georgia O K paintings were very poignant.

Dh reckons the novel was Maus. He's convinced. May have to Google- but not until after episode 13.

Oooh clever Dh! He's right (I googled).

Nick couldn't have escaped with June, there was no time to prepare.
How would he have known where was safe to go? Did he even know where they were going or just following directions?

I hope Com Lawrence turns out to be a good guy. Surely there must be some hope in all the dark? I think chose Emily as he knew all about her and he was testing her. He was hardly going to blurt out on their first meeting "Oh hey, I'm Mayday by the way."

Do all Commanders have as much information on their Handmaids do you think?

There was a scene when Serena says to June about her being an editor so it seems they get some information on what they did before.
The buying a handmaid with a muffin scene was quite horrible I thought.

@TiredPony I'm fairly sure they also knew June's marriage was born from adultery there was a comment from one Wife that they "were all tramps and whores" previously

Think about how much data they'd have been able to gather from Social Media.

I thought it was Maus too Flask!

Commander Lawrence gave me the creeps. I had high hopes when we first saw the inside of his house and heard his Martha, but he seems like a nasty piece of work. On the other hand, his Martha has a missing eye and he’s also taken on a troublesome handmaid, so perhaps he rescues strays. I suspect he’ll turn out to be a complex character. I can see him, or perhaps someone in his house, leading Emily to be a part of the resistance.

This is the first time I’ve commented on the thread, but I’m always keen to read your analysis as soon as I’ve watched the latest episode!

Think about how much data they'd have been able to gather from Social Media.
That hadn't even occurred to me. Social Media feeding information to Gilead. That's made my mind boggle a bit.

I have high hopes for Commander Lawrence. We've only really seen commanders when they've been relevant to the plot (Janine and Warren, for example) so if this one's just going to be another sadist, then there's not much point to him.

I read an article (won't link it, for obvious reasons, though I couldn't see any spoilers) that pointed out that Commander Lawrence, despite being one of the "architects" of Gilead has clearly rejected the social hierarchy he helped create in that his house is a chaotic mess. Gilead provides its powerful men with women to tidy and order their homes - Lawrence refuses to allow that. His house, compared with the Waterfords' is a state, albeit an arty, creative state.

If Lawrence is so obviously a rebel, then why hasn’t he been executed? The rest of the Commanders seem to be terrified of not towing the line. Unless he’s unreplaceable? Aunt Lydia certainly bigged up his importance with regards to Gilead’s economy.

I can only see her responding to such displays with the MN Tinkly Laugh 🤔

She does have the ultimate MN Tinkly Laugh! I will always hear AL now when posters suggest employing the Tinkly Laugh 😄

Maybe he’s very good at hiding what he does? If he’s part of some kind of resistance movement, he’d have to do it secretly.

I caught up with Sunday's episode last night - I have decided I can't watch it just before bed as it's too harrowing! Watched it at 7 last night...found the killing of Eden and Isaac so upsetting. All points made by others already - the refusal to bow down and turn on each other, the swimming pool setting, the other weights in the pool, her poor family being there. It made me think whether the crowd should rise up but of course, the guards. I had not found Eden particularly likeable up to that point, but what a brilliant actress.

I'm feeling a bit cheated that we didn't get to see June's 'rescue', that part feels a bit clunky. I agree AL seemed more human, but I remember the inhumane things she has done and find it hard to like her. Same with SJ - keep waiting for her to turn again, although I thought she looked quite loving at the end.

Waterford is an absolute creep. How June doesn't shudder when he talks to her I don't know.

I'm surprised so many of you think CL will turn out to be a good guy - I found him terrifying. I can see your reasoning though, would make for an excellent plot twist if one of the architects was mayday.

And I absolutely had not connected Nick/Nichole!

Fantastic acting, gripping storyline. I do not want this to end!

I didn't really see CL as a good guy either. I found him really creepy and was extremely tense during his whole exchange with Emily. I'd love to be wrong though.

I've lost all hope of a good outcome for anyone as this series has progressed. With a third season on the way I get the feeling we are going to be left frustrated at the end of the last episode next week.

One of the architects being Mayday would be a plausible twist. A bit like the game maker in The Hunger Games turning out to the the commander of the rebel forces.

I agree Tink.