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Handmaid's Tale. EPISODE 2 (season 3). Channel 4. 9pm 16/6/19 UK pace. NO SPOILERS

186 replies

OriginofSpecies · 16/06/2019 20:44

A new thread to discuss Episode Two (season 3) of The Handmaid's Tale.

We are watching UK pace, Channel 4.

We have only seen episode one so far.

Please NO SPOILERS.

OP posts:
HigaDequasLuoff · 16/06/2019 22:06

Emily's not getting the support she needs though. Expecting her to click back into managing things like eye tests and keeping an eye on her cholesterol. She's been institutionalised for years. She needs some kind of halfway house.

BrienneofTarthILoveYou · 16/06/2019 22:07

@Tinkhasflown I assume it's from the place Moira works (same way Luke left his details there originally in case June or Moira ever made it to them!)

Berrys245 · 16/06/2019 22:07

But if I didn’t have glasses on I might accidentally push my shopping partner under a bus 😉.
Loved June’s ‘subtle’ threat

inmyfeelings · 16/06/2019 22:07

I don't understand the escape bit . It felt a bit haphazard. An extra Martha came who was in the run , and then came back as she was injured and then died - is this right ?
Anyone else notice the cans in the shop were all labelled by pictures as the handmaids aren't meant to read .

HigaDequasLuoff · 16/06/2019 22:09

@tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz right at the start when Luke and June and Hannah were running for the border. Hannah and June got caught, Luke made it.

Berrys245 · 16/06/2019 22:10

Luke got away when June and Hannah got caught. He was in an ambulance and it crashed I think. Then he met up with a group of others and he and the blond girl (ex Handmaid) he lives with were the only ones who managed to get to Canada on a boat.

tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz · 16/06/2019 22:13

Ahhh yes I remember now. Thanks Smile

Nelumbo · 16/06/2019 22:21

I'm a bit confused, who was the Martha that got shot? It wasn't the one that was escaping, but she came back too?

Invisimamma · 16/06/2019 22:26

Slim pickings on the shelves in the shop too. A sign that all is not prosperous in Gilead and perhaps worse to come? How do the Econ people get by when there's not even much produce on offer for the commander's wealthy households.

What do we think of June's shopping partner? She's going to cause trouble? I missed some of the dialogue between them.

TheFirstOHN · 16/06/2019 22:31

The Martha they were helping wasn't attempting to escape; she was going somewhere to make bombs for the resistance.

AnotherEmma · 16/06/2019 22:35

That was a bit... meh.
On the last thread we said we didn't like Luke and he didn't do much to change our minds in this episode.
June's behaviour seems ridiculous to me. I can sort of accept her decision to stay instead of escaping with the baby. But immediately going to Hannah (and inevitably getting caught), barely getting punished (so implausible) and then trying to help some random Martha to escape when she's only just arrived at commander Lawrence's house?! She seems way too cocky to me and I'm not sure I like her any more, it's hard to relate when none of her decisions seem to make sense now.

On the upside, Lawrence's wife is an interesting character and it was good to see more of her and get some clues about their relationship.

Hope we see the Waterfords in the next episode. And I wonder what Nick is up to now.

SmellsLikeAdultSpirit · 16/06/2019 22:39

I thought the same. She didn't escape to Canada because she didn't want to leave her daughter only to be reckless with her own life
The dragging and burying of the body was far fetched. It's stretching things a bit far for me

IcedPurple · 16/06/2019 22:41

@OriginofSpecies
Yeah, the complete lack of consequence for June's actions is entirely implausible. We saw handmaids being harshly punished for much more minor 'crimes' in earlier episodes, yet June can arrange for a commander's baby to be taken to Canada, possibly have a part in burning down his house, break into another commander's house with the intention of 'kidnapping' their (really her) daugther.... and gets almost no punishment?

Makes no sense.

Chinks123 · 16/06/2019 22:41

Just finished. I didn’t enjoy it as much as the other episodes but I think that’s because there is no nick and June. I’m so used to seeing her with the waterfords, it’s strange to see her in this new posting.

Still don’t really like Luke but I thought it was a sweet moment between him and the baby.

Really feel for Emily, can’t imagine not wearing glasses for so long! It must be amazing to get them back. I agree it’s overwhelming for her to suddenly have all this freedom and appointments to keep.

I was shocked at aunt Lydia’s outburst towards June, but it made sense for her to say Aunt Elizabeth had been soft, as lots of people watching will be thinking how is June getting away with it all.

Tinkhasflown · 16/06/2019 22:56

@IcedPurple yet June can arrange for a commander's baby to be taken to Canada, possibly have a part in burning down his house, break into another commander's house with the intention of 'kidnapping' their (really her) daugther.... and gets almost no punishment?

But June hasn't been implicated as having anything to do with Nicole being taken Emily is being blamed for that. Likewise she is not being blamed for the house fire. Her only crime is going to visit her daughter.

IcedPurple · 16/06/2019 23:05

But June hasn't been implicated as having anything to do with Nicole being taken Emily is being blamed for that.

How? They think Emily came up to the Waterfords' home, took Nicole and ran off with her, with no involvement from June? And they know June disappeared at the same time. Where do they think she went?

Likewise she is not being blamed for the house fire.

But she wasn't even questioned! Since when was Gilead so gentle with its handmaids, especially one known to be a loose cannon?

AnotherEmma · 16/06/2019 23:06

Exactly. June's baby is "kidnapped" and on the same night she disappears and is found at her first daughter's house... not exactly a bloody coincidence is it?!

Andylion · 16/06/2019 23:07

Emily's not getting the support she needs though. Expecting her to click back into managing things like eye tests and keeping an eye on her cholesterol. She's been institutionalised for years. She needs some kind of halfway house.

It makes me wonder how many handmaids have escaped and if they have a protocol for helping them. Does anyone have a timeline handy?

AnotherEmma · 16/06/2019 23:07

They would have given her an absolute grilling, would have tortured/punished her to try and found out what happened and whether/what she knew about the escape and the people behind it.

Andylion · 16/06/2019 23:09

Messed up the bold in my post. Hmm

IcedPurple · 16/06/2019 23:12

They would have given her an absolute grilling, would have tortured/punished her to try and found out what happened and whether/what she knew about the escape and the people behind it.

Of course they would. Think of any brutal regime in the real world - North Korea, China, or several others - and think about what would happen if someone was even slightly suspected of being a part of the underground resistance. They would undergo intense 'interrogation' at the very least. But June got away with very little and was given free (by Gilead standards) rein to get up to all sorts in the home of a man who had just 'lost' has last handmaid.

Frazzled2207 · 16/06/2019 23:21

I think Fred knew exactly what happened but has hidden it as it would bring so much "shame" on his family.

The whole sequence with the dying Martha was very odd.

Ihatesandwiches · 16/06/2019 23:23

In episode 1 we saw her go into the room and the next we saw June's feet were bleeding. I think whatever she said must have satisfied them.

What moved me most in episode 2 was June was genuinely compassionate towards Aunt Lydia - maybe next time. June has nothing to hide (on that front) and Aunt Lydia lashed out with the cattle prod as soon as she could.

Yutes · 16/06/2019 23:28

But

The bombing in the previous series means there’s a lack of handmaidens.
That’s why Emily was brought back from the colonies.

Having said that, surprised June hasn’t lost an eye or a finger or something by now.

Yutes · 16/06/2019 23:29

Fred had fo hide what June did too because it would surely implicate Serena Joy?