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.

June raised the point in ep8 that AL couldn't maim her incase the Waterfords needed her for another TV broadcast. Which seemed like the show finally attempting to give some reason for the fact June is getting away with so much.

It is tenuous though. Gilead wouldn't care. They would just get another Handmaid or find another way around it.

I love how we can all have different interpretations. The make up scene did have something sensual about it, but it mostly felt to me like AL was being pushed further than she was comfortable with and there was a battle between her religious beliefs and Noelle encouraging her to branch out.

But reading here, the idea that she is repressing her sexuality definitely makes sense and would explain her need to uphold Gilead. Sex outside of procreating is a sin and so she doesn't need to worry about it. The choice has been removed for her. When she tells the handmaid's in season 1 something along the lines of the regime freeing them from things, that applies to her too.

I found it.

'There is more than one kind of freedom ... Freedom to and freedom from.'

Would love it if AL turned! As much as I loathe her, she would definitely be missed if anything happened to her and she is the character I'm most curious about.

I don't quite understand what happened with Ofmatthew...think I'm going to give it another watch tonight (watched it without DH last night and he wasn't happy). What was she doing stroking the tin on her face? I don't know what provoked her in that moment to go so crazy, especially on Janine who was the only one sympathising with her.

I also don’t really get what happened at the end lioness. I mean, I get she snapped, but the whole thing with June kind of ‘directing’ Ofmatthew when she had the gun.

Tbh, I’m hoping that the focus of episodes will shift from June just being goady and show the actual stories of other characters. At the end of the last season I was expecting we would see a lot more about Lawrence and why he allows things that are against the relegion he created. But he, along with others are just fillers

Ofmatthew could have been cracking up like @AcrossthePond said...it just seemed so...sudden?! She could have been suffering with PND, having had 3 babies and saying earlier this episode that this one 'feels different' and she knows it's a girl. Plus all the abuse she was getting from the other Handmaids on top of that.
June yet again used her downfall to her advantage by giving her the nod, just like she gave Emily the nod when she went on her rampage and ran over the Guardian.

She really is descending into utter madness and I'm excited to see where it goes!

Sometimes I wonder if AL seems to 'go easy' on June because June is everything she wishes she herself had been in 'the before'. Strong, confident in her 'self', and brave in what she wants (Hannah). She admires her, yet she must try to subdue the very things she admires about her for her (June's) own safety. This would set up a great mental conflict in AL, I think.

I wonder how hard it would be for June to 'turn' AL, if she made a concerted (yet very subtle) effort.

One of the things (for me) about Ofmatthew's breakdown is that they didn't do a whole lot of character development on her to explain why she cracked. Or perhaps I just didn't pay attention to her, seeing her as just a 'compliant' handmaid. If they'd hinted at instability or we'd seen repressed rebelliousness I'd have understood it better.

That would make soo much sense as to why June seems to get off a lot lighter than the other Handmaids AcrossthePond.

I wonder where June will be moved to? She mentioned that Commander Lawrence had specifically requested her- do we know why he did this yet (have I missed something)? Will he even allow for June to be moved, after just saying in this episode that he thinks she is good for Mrs Lawrence?

I don't remember if it was ever mentioned why Cdr L asked for her. I know that Emily was there before her but I don't think it's been said whether he requested her or not, but she was put there after she ran over the guard and took off & ended up in the Colonies. Maybe he has a 'protective' streak for rebellious 'servants', his Marthas are outspoken too. Perhaps trying to 'atone' for his role in setting up the wholesale disgusting subjugation of females? Or it could be that he knows that compliant Marthas and Handmaids would probably have snitched on Mrs L by now as well as the unorthodox things about his household, the music, books, etc. I think the other Cdrs in Gilead sort of turn a blind eye to his 'eccentricities' (and Mrs L) but if it became too 'public' they'd have to act against him. And he knows this.

I think Cdr L is going to fight to keep June as much as he can without endangering Mrs L because, as you say, he thinks that June is good for her. I think we have to think of everything he does with that in mind.

I think one of the storylines they may be building up to (but not anytime soon) is "June and the Lawrences go on the run" or "June takes Mrs L on the run at Cdr L's request". Cdr L may not leave because he fears being prosecuted for crimes against humanity plus the hope that he can do more to destroy 'his creation' from within.

I think it was because of being stressed out about all the bullying the day before, then june and aunt lydia are cosying up in the supermarket and shes trying to hear what they're saying but can't because janines going on and on in her ear. So she snapped.
Also the fact shes now on her fourth baby and trying to hold up this pretence that everything is great.

I’m currently rewatching season 2 (dh bought it for me for our wedding anniversary ), and I wondered something.

They like to pretend they are giving birth and have baby showers for themselves and everything...why don’t they have fake bellies during the handmaids pregnancy?

Soubriquet - Never thought about that. Perhaps the handmaid is pregnant with all the discomforts until the "in labour" dramatics for the wives. Latent superstition?

June seemed to initially blame the Martha for the Mackenkies and Hannah being moved, didn't she find out just before the execution? Then found out immediately afterwards it was Ofmathhew which is why she attacked her. Blamed her still and AL when Ofmatthew broke down in the shop. June didn't seem to care what happened to her or her baby then.

June didn't seem to care what happened to her or her baby then.

Oh! I didn't think of that! June wanted BOTH of them (AL and OfM) dead or at least 'punished'. She knew that if OfM killed AL she'd end up on the wall, two birds with one stone. Wow.

I don't get why Cmdr Lawrence thinks June is good for his wife. June took her on a failed mission to see Hannah that could have got them all locked up and the experience really upset Mrs Lawrence. June put them all at risk.

June could only stay at the Lawrences for a defined time (is it 9 months?) as you get moved on if you don't get pregnant in the time frame.

I thought Ashleigh LaThrop Ofmatthew's performance was brilliant but why was she shot dead (instead of say maimed ‘cause she was pregnant)? The regime is so torturously cruel that a maimed pregnant Handmaid would be preferable to a dead pregnant Handmaid.

I preferred this episode, AL backstory (her point of no return) over seeing various closeups of June’s grimacing face.

Thinking about turning points, at what point does June’s actions against Gilead lead to her own self destruction and personal morale demise. Who does she hold herself accountable to? As Moira & Emily discussed their do-or-die ‘forgivable’ transgresses under the Gilead regime; at what point does June’s actions become unforgivable?! (as bad as the regime she fights against) That is; is she responsible for the death of Ofmatthew? Under the woeful conditions of war, does the instinct to survive outweigh humankind’s justice & laws?!

‘enjoyed’ this episode. Have prebooked Atwood’s follow up book, ‘The Testiments’ (out September) as I hope it’ll differ slightly from season 2 & 3 and take the reader somewhere new.

Bobby I agree about OfMatthew would they really kill her? Perhaps the soldiers didn't know she was pregnant. Also, she probably would have been allowed to miss the salvaging (too physical for a pregnant lady?)

It will be really interesting to read "Testiments". IIRC June was younger and less educated than in the TV series.

I thought AL back story was interesting but man did she overreact to being rejected! Talk about "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned"! Ofmathew loosing her mind was horrible to watch as was her execution-I too an wondering why they killed her though...after all the others were just maimed as punishment. I am frustrated that the episodes focus so much on the story of the day, instead of showing us what's happening in Canada and with the extradition of Nicole (as well as the other girls languishing in jail).

I think it was a case of 'kill or allow murder', as it were. As far as the police were concerned she was going to kill AL. They would have felt they had no choice. It's a US show, this is pretty much the way US police are trained in the use of deadly force. Use it when a life is in danger. Shout 'put the gun down', then shoot to kill, not to maim. But I don't want to turn this into a debate on deadly force. Just explaining why they killed Ofmatthew.

They kept Janine alive as a useful handmaid after she jumped off the bridge (?) didn't they?

Maybe they'll do the same with OfM, if the baby's still viable. God it's grim.

@AcrossthePond55 that makes sense.

@Fiderer that is horrific to think about but I guess would fit in the show to keep her on life support so the baby can reach full term

Has anyone watched the short preview for the next epsiode on Youtube?

I haven't watched it. I usually don't watch previews until Tuesday.

I like to let my imagination run with what I think is going to happen🤷🏼‍♀️😜

I am really not enjoying this series.

They should have let June leave for Canada at the end of the last series and shifted the focus onto Serena as she turned.
Gilead is way more interesting than June and June’s stupid peacocking face is ruining the whole thing. It makes no sense why she’s not been punished for the way she’s acting, everyone else maimed for sneezing at the wrong time and she can beat up a pregnant handmaid? It’s stupid.
The way she was pulling faces when they were filming the video for Canada was ridiculous, you’d get told off for behaving like that at a school assembly never mind propaganda video for one of the must brutal and oppressive regimes ever imagined.
And that really loud booming fight she had with serena just yards away from literally thousands of people? It’s really stupid.

I just couldn’t care less about her anymore to be honest.
There’s no build either, like her outbursts would be a lot more powerful if she ever stopped doing them and some tension was allowed to build. It doesn’t feel suffocating or oppressive at all, she’s practically skipping down the street with a megaphone.

I can’t stop watching it but I am saddened by the wasted potential. I can’t help but feel Elizabeth’s moss’s need to be the central character has blighted her judgement to what makes a good programme.

furry I agree with everything you have said. When OfMatthew had the gun, I didn't actually care if she shot June, almost felt it would serve her right. June had been such a Mean girl to OfMatthew.

It was a low point for June, I agree. But I can't help believing they're building to something, plot wise. And surely there are going to be repercussions now with the death of OfM. AL knows that June is basically responsible for her breakdown as the instigator of the 'mean girls' treatment.

I admit I have trouble 'reading' Elizabeth Moss' facial expressions lately. They're beginning to 'meld' into each other. I don't recall having that problem in past seasons.

And I mean repercussions more than just removing June from the Lawrences. And how far will Cdr L go to keep her if he truly thinks she is good for Mrs L?