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

It's hard to be kind to anyone when you are highly stressed. Nick was in love with someone else who he couldn't be with, who he knew was being raped by his boss who he had to treat respectfully. He also had got her pregnant and probably terrified of being put on the wall for that. Plus he then had to marry and sleep with an underage girl, also fearing for his life (not sure how he managed to get it up tbh )
Anyway I think if I had all this going on in my head, I would not find it easy to be kind to anyone, especially an annoying "little sister" type person who suddenly appeared in my life. Max Minghella acts the "stressed out but I'm hiding it really well" character excellently imo. Slightly over invested in the defence of Nick.

I think he's cute haha!! I saw a clip of an old movie "interns" or something like that and he was in the clip with an English accent!

I'm a bit in love with Nick but am I the only one who thinks he resembles a young Mr. Bean?

At last I have caught up and contribute to these threads. I've been watching an episode every 2-3 days and reading through the thread to keep up with everyone's comments but obviously unable to reply as the comments were all made weeks ago.

I entertained the idea that Cdr Lawrence might be a good guy and speculated what that might entail given that handmaids need to become pg if they are to survive. Would a decent man provide the handmaid with some opks, a turkey baster and a fresh seen sample in a little cup whenever needed? But I don't think he is a decent man actually.

I don't think Mrs Lawrence is mad.

The bf at the end - Holly is at least a few weeks old by now, I thought a baby wouldn't be able to latch on to a breast after getting used to bottles?

Interesting point about Eden's quoting of corinthians being the first time we get anything from the new testament. I wonder if that was actually taboo?

I’ve been wondering about the timeline of events. How long is it since the American Government was overthrown? It can’t be that long? If Eden is 15 then surely she must have spent a considerable chunk of her life growing up in relative freedom? The likelihood is that she grew up in a religious family in the first place, hence the reason she is able to quote from the NT.

If Lawrence is a rebel/part of the resistance/MayDay then surely he would try to fit in. Waterford is terrified he’ll end up n the wall, but Lawrence gives the impression that he flouts the rules. How does he get away with it?

And why on earth did Serena take the baby to witness Eden’s execution? Granted, she didn’t know Eden would definitely be executed, but still. Seems odd. Especially since she didn’t want Fred to so much as raise his voice in case he created a toxic atmosphere for the baby.

Jeremiah, Janine’s old Commander was Warren Putnam, Naomi’s husband.

A pp said that the driver in the plane in episode 3 was Commander Lawrence’s driver, but I’d have to check. Other than that Joseph is a completely new character.

Maz, we’re about 4 years into Gilead. So Eden would’ve been 11ish. I too think she must’ve been from a verge religious family hence knowing the New Testament. Maybe it was just a small jump for them from deeply entrenched to indoctrinated?

*very religious.

I love nick, I'm not too keen on Luke.

On a more shallow note I thought Nick looked even more handsome than normal this week when him and June were talking about running away.

I’ve googled it and apparently the driver in the plane was Commander Well’s driver.

4 years isn’t that long at all Witch, so quite possible Eden learnt the passage as a younger child.

MazDazzle the whole household was at the execution. There was no-one available to look after the baby so she had to come too.

In Gilead I don't think you just call up a baby-sitter.

It's another way of demonstrating how dysfunctional the society really is.

I'm a bit in love with Nick but am I the only one who thinks he resembles a young Mr. Bean?

Well, I didn't, but now I do! *snigger

I think everyone 'involved' would have had to be at the execution. As I said upthread, my exBIL worked in Saudi for a while, and every so often the Plant would be raided and people rounded up to watch someone having their hand chopped off or similar .

So I imagine the family Waterford didn't get any choice in whether they went to Edens death ceremony. And if the whole 'family' go, then so does the tiny baby.

If the whole household was there then is that a punishment meted out to Eden and Isaac's family plus the house that allowed the affair? Or, is everyone summoned to see atonement for the sins?

Cider - jeeeeeezo. That's brutal.

I think Nick was in a very difficult position with Eden.

She had been brainwashed and he didn't want to raise her suspicions so he couldn't tell her that as she was a child it wasn't right to consummate the marriage.

I felt that it made him uncomfortable to encourage her affection so he remained polite and cordial (most of the time), without showing her any extra attention.

I guess there probably was a way for him to keep her happy on a more platonic basis but again that would have been really false for him. In his line of work he is not expected to form close or friendly relationships with anyone.

Viv - I imagine it is a punishment for the whole family. The more people who know the consequences, the fewer who will do the 'crime.'

Brutal it was.

I expect they (Gilead rulers) would insist babies be present at executions because in their minds it’s god’s plan and Babies should be witness to it for their soul or whatever. Start ‘em young and all that.

Also Gilead as a nation might only be 4 years old but the movement towards it will have started years previously, quietly, at first. There will have been lots of families who believed in the ideology and raised their DC according to it, but not openly in the beginning until the movement gathered momentum and grew into something viable. It’s entirely possibly edens family were original followers of the Gilead style religion and she has been raised like that since birth.

Yes, Thatone.
Even saying 'look, it's not you, I just don't feel right about having sex with someone so young' counts as criticising the Gilead regime.

So, do you think Commander Waterford is now losing quite a lot of status with his unruly household, despite the baby?

re rape - Eden had found the letters, they had sex after that. I think Nick had to do something conformist or risk her saying he was a gender traitor and Up To Something.

Such a sad wee character, Eden.

I think a baby must be the ultimate status symbol so all his previous failings will be ignored. He’s had the promotion to a bigger office already.

Yes to the mr bean likeness!!! I have thought that! I don't find rowan Atkinson attractive but have you seen his daughters?? Very beautiful. There's something about his features that Nick also has.

I thought it poignant that baby holly started crying when the executioners were talking about 'the law of the land '. It was like she was protesting .

he couldn't tell her that as she was a child it wasn't right to consummate the marriage.

Of course it was right! That's the whole point in Gilead - she has been raised to be a breeder. Her whole job is to have children.

Nick might have felt awkward about it, but he knows that he has to do it - that was the whole point of the very public marriage ceremony.