Handmaid’s Tale Season 3 US PACE! ##Spoilers for UK viewers##

[AcrossthePond55]

We had a similar thread for season 2. This is specifically for those watching on Hulu in the US/elsewhere or UK streaming at the US pace so there be spoilers ahead for those watching at UK pace.

Please no spoilers if anyone has ‘advance knowledge’ of season 3 beyond the current episodes.

I’ve watched 2 of the 3 episodes dropped today. I’m pretty satisfied with things so far..I admit I got a bit emotional when it was clear that Emily and Nichole made it to Canada.

My only niggle right now is Mrs Lawrence. It’s pretty obvious she’s suffering from some type of MH condition. Yet everyone (pro Gilead)seems to buy Cdr Lawrence’s ‘she’s just tired’ or whatever excuses. Seems to me they’d be on the lookout for people outside the acceptable norm and anxious to ‘deal with them’.

I’ll be watching Ep 3 later tonight.

I actually think I'd prefer it if they just released something like this each week now. I enjoyed it more than the show.

That's brilliant Doreen!

This is Junes story..if she was killed for the first out of line thing she did then the story ends. Lol. Seen something earlier I thought I'd copy into here.

To the "Nothing is happening, this is boring" crowd:

1. The Waterfords are being seduced (in more ways than one) into moving to DC
2. The extra level of repression seen in DC is making its way into Boston.
3. It's becoming clear that Emily's position in Canada is anything but safe.
4. We got confirmation that Mrs. Lawrence is, in fact, mentally ill.
5. OfMatthew is pregnant and unhappy about it but still being "a pious little bitch". There is something BIG brewing there.
6. Salvagings are progressing. June mentioned that this was her fourth hanging in a week.
7. Hanna was moved and June no longer knows where she is.

There are many things happening bit this is an intense emotional study of flawed characters in an extraordinary situation, not an action flick. If that's what you're looking for then you'll likely be more content watching the next summer blockbuster. This show isn't unfolding slowly because they're stretching it out, its unfolding slowly because that's how character studies work.

@AcrossthePond55 to add to your PP, the spot that Serena, Fred and June were stood in facing the Handmaids is where Martin Luther King gave his 'I have a dream' speech. There's a plaque on the floor exactly where June would have been stood- appreciate Gilead would have had it removed, but I'm surprised it wasn't given a nod.

@lioness87 You're right! That didn't even occur to me. TBF, the first thing that came to my mind was Forrest Gump!

I'm sure any plaque was removed. I noticed that they blasted the words from behind where Lincoln's head used to be. I wish they'd show more scenes out and about in DC. Although I don't know how much of DC is supposedly still standing.

What have I missed of Emily that makes her position in Canada unsafe?

What have I missed of Emily that makes her position in Canada unsafe?

In the negotiations to return Nichole, there were comments made about using the baby as leverage for other things....namely extradition of refugees back to Gilead.

Emily was interviewed by the Swiss about her "crimes" while in Gilead, which she admitted to.

She then joined Moira in a protest and got arrested. The implication being that she has weakened her position in Canada by making a nuisance of herself. She could now be painted as a common criminal, rather than a desperate person trying to survive under an unforgiving regime.

shimmersun's pretty much got it.

I'm not so sure it's the wholesale extradition of all refugees, but certainly extradition of 'suspected criminals'. And after admitting to murder and assault, Emily would certainly fit that bill.

Anyone else seen it yet?

Oh bloody hell! Would have like more of Lydia's story but that ending!

Me too @ThunderOnlyHappens.

I got this much: she was a teacher, she was by nature a shy person and/or insecure about her appearance, she had been married before, she was very religious, she had a loving and giving heart. I didn't see any hints of any type of MH conditions or emotional problems.

But I found it hard to believe that the principal's rejection of her sexual advances after their evening together would be enough to turn her into such a hateful and vindictive person. To be hurt and embarrassed, sure, no one likes rejection. But to turn on that young woman she had befriended like that simply because she was the one who talked her into getting 'made up' and going out? IDK, it seemed a leap to me unless I missed something.

It was a pretty tense episode. I have to admit I did get a bit of a kick over June's 'mean girls' revenge against Ofmatthew. At least up until the last 5 minutes.

And I keep remembering in (IIRC) season 1 when AL had a mini-breakdown and was saying "It wasn't my fault". It seemed to indicate that she felt or was held responsible for something bad happening to a child. I don't think that can mean simply being responsible for putting a child into the foster care system.

What I didn't understand about the latest episode was why June looked so furious with the Martha being hung, that Martha was killed for helping June. She should have been feeling devastated and guilty 🤔

I couldn't figure that out either. BFF and I couldn't decide if she was angry at Gilead for making her do it, irrationally angry at the Martha for 'getting caught', or just looking 'determined' as in "There's no way I can get out of this so I need to just buckle down and do it".

But I found it hard to believe that the principal's rejection of her sexual advances after their evening together would be enough to turn her into such a hateful and vindictive person.

I took it as her sinning reaffirmed her faith and put her back on the ‘good’ path. I’m assuming the principal is also religious, so she felt ashamed and possibly saw the friendship with the little boys mum as leading her astray.

The parallels from back then and now were interesting- taking children away from
someone ‘unsavoury’ and giving ‘good’ couples a chance to have them.

I can see how she would have been sucked into Gilead’s beliefs as it’s meant to be all about the children. I am a little disappointed that she is how she is though. When I saw preview of her smashing the mirror, I was hoping that would be a scene where she was secretly tormented by her role in Gilead.

I really didn’t like June’s Queen Bitch persona in this episode. As Janine put it, she was just doing what she was told. They all have to, except June evidently . And ultimately it was June that pressured the Martha.

I agree with a pp, there are other plot lines developing in this season, with DC and Canada but I hope that they do actually focus on them this time. I hope that it won’t just be a repeat of the last 2 seasons with June being reckless and somehow getting away with it, while the other story lines develop off camera.

It’s a frustrating show but I will still continue watching out of morbid curiosity

season 1 when AL had a mini-breakdown and was saying "It wasn't my fault

I very vaguely remember this, but I can’t remember the context at all. I wonder if we’ll see more of a backstory, and something happens to the boy while he’s in foster care.

Just me who thought Lydia was repressing her sexuality then?!

So in the last five minutes, had June talked OfMatthew into doing that and killing AL? Just the way June nodded at her seemed odd.

The lack of progress is frustrating me now.

But I found it hard to believe that the principal's rejection of her sexual advances after their evening together would be enough to turn her into such a hateful and vindictive person.

See this doesn't feel like such a big leap to me. But then I have a couple of quite damaged women in my family who are hateful and vindictive, and the "causes" of them being that way aren't anything extreme.

I took it as her sinning reaffirmed her faith and put her back on the ‘good’ path. I’m assuming the principal is also religious, so she felt ashamed and possibly saw the friendship with the little boys mum as leading her astray.

That's a good possibility, Boringly. Leading her astray or responsible for her humiliation? But it was just such a massive volte-face! And to be so vindictive!

Couldn't stand it. Had to find that 'context'.

www.stylist.co.uk/long-reads/handmaids-tale-recap-season-2-episode-9-smart-power-june-offred-aunt-lydia-good-person-tv-spoilers/218724

TL/dr: June expresses concern to AL that her then-unborn baby (Nichole) wouldn't be safe in the Waterford household without her (June). Dialogue follows:

“I was godmother to my sister’s child,” she says softly. “He died when he was four days old.”

When June expresses her sympathies for the loss, though, Lydia shuts down once again but says, “It wasn’t my fault.”

I really, REALLY wish they had addressed this part of AL's history! I think it could be a key component to her (as you put it Boringly) being 'all about the children' and possibly the real reason to justify to herself the particular 'punishment' she did for the person who 'led her astray'. If she feels responsible for the death of her nephew, she is 'atoning' by doing all she can to 'protect' other children, and Gilead gives her the perfect opportunity to do just that.

Repressing her sexuality how Lioness?

So in the last five minutes, had June talked OfMatthew into doing that and killing AL? Just the way June nodded at her seemed odd.

I think June saw that Ofmatthew was cracking up and just 'seized the moment'. Pure insanity on June's part as Ofmatthew could have just as easily been focused on June as the 'author of her misfortune' (which in a way she was) and shot her.

I don't think it's moving all that slowly. But I do think the focus is starting to be turned away from the "June rescues Hannah and heads for the border" plot line and into other characters and plot lines, which is OK by me. I really want to see more of the Gilead/Canada diplomacy negotiations plot line.

I thought AL was gay and deep in the closet. The make up scene seemed...sensual? Plus a few other hints like her saying her first marriage was a mistake and wincing when Noelle asked her if she had a 'boyfriend...or girlfriend'? Along with her resentment anytime Noelle mentioned a man.

I thought the encounter with the principal was her trying to pretend, and her frustration over the rejection was because she resents herself. Everything following that was done out of anger and revenge. I don't know, that's how I viewed it, until I read here I enjoyed her backstory and glad we finally got one for her, but feel like there is a lot more we need to see.

I do bloody wish Ofmatthew had shot her though.

Oh wow, Lioness that certainly is another theory!

I agree, I thought at times during the makeup scene that AL was going to kiss Noelle (and thank you for supplying her name, btw!), but I dismissed it later after her 'pass' at the principal.

I'm glad she didn't get shot, though, I want more AL backstory! My 'dream' storyline is that AL 'turns' on the Commanders. Something that could easily happen as it appears that she doesn't think too highly of any of them. Perhaps she'll decide that they're ALL 'unworthy'.

Isn't it interesting how different people see and interpret a show/storyline differently.

I was expecting Aunt Lydia to kiss Noelle, too. A lot of lingering glances and intense eye contact on her behalf.

I wonder if AL will be really hard on June firstly, and then the girls and hold them all responsible for the breakdown of OfMatthew. AL told June to tell The Girls to cool it. So she knows.

I'm frustrated that major points aren't addressed in the subsequent episodes. The only one I can think of as an example is AL beating Janine at the Putman's. A huge spectacle in of itself, more so because it was June who diffused the attack by shielding Janine and shouting at AL to stop. I was certain June would've faced 'consequences ' for publically stepping out of line, for not knowing her place with regards to AL's authority, and also what came of AL's and Janine close relationship in the aftermath of such an attack. No scene of the both of them together talking/apologising/punishing/whatever. It was all back to business.

Remember when AL punished every one of her girls, including June, after they all refused tonstone Janine? Much stress positions and then arm burnings. I wonder if similar will be done to attone for OfMatthew. She was pregnant after all.

*to stone.