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Telly addicts

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:
EmpressLesbianInChair · 16/06/2019 23:46

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.

And at the end of the episode where she was waiting for Commander Lawrence, her hands were scanned over.

EmpressLesbianInChair · 16/06/2019 23:47

Scabbed over.

Tunnockswafer · 17/06/2019 00:24

Despite being in the colonies, Emily isn’t unhealthy - interesting. Though we did see some people die there.
Would the reconstructive surgery for Emily improve her sensation, or just appearance? I’m hoping there really is surgery that could help women who’ve experienced fgm.

EBearhug · 17/06/2019 00:29

Despite being in the colonies, Emily isn’t unhealthy - interesting.

Yes, it seemed unlikely. I was surprised her cholesterol was high - it's not like they're on diets of burgers and chocolate, and being handmaids, their diet is watched so they're healthy vessels.

AGnu · 17/06/2019 01:35

Maybe being vegetarian before meant that her body couldn't handle cholesterol in the same way, or something?!

I noticed Aunt Lydia referred to "Emily" when she was implying C. Lawrence must have abused her in some way. I expected her to say "the previous OfJoseph" rather than using her actual name. Also intrigued that she seemed to think Emily lashed out at her & stole a baby because C. Lawrence had done something bad to her. I suppose she's already at a special level of cognitive dissonance & that won't allow her to consider her own behaviour could've played a part!

C. Waterford claimed that June & Serena tried to stop Emily stealing the baby. He has to protect June or she could turn on them & tell them all the things he & Serena did. I assume that they've been told that having had her second baby kidnapped, June was just desperate to check on her first born & that's why she went there. I also assume that the Waterfords did eventually call the authorities to report June & the baby missing. I'm not sure how they knew Emily was with her though - perhaps that had already been reported & C. Waterford knew about it. It would've been quite easy to report that the baby was stolen & their handmaid had run away in the aftermath. Checking Hannah's house would've been a logical first place to look. I wonder if they checked there previously when she disappeared.

Also worth noting that June doesn't have the same leverage with C. Lawrence as she did with the Waterfords. He's not played Scrabble with her, or taken her to Jezebels. His wife hasn't written official documents in his name, aided by June, or let her escape with the baby. All he's done is help Emily escape. Who's going to believe a disobedient, trouble-making handmaid over one of the top commanders when Aunt Lydia can testify that Emily assaulted her & the Waterfords back up the "official" story?! She really should be a lot more careful now - just because he helped Emily & took her in doesn't mean he's on her side.

On that topic, I firmly believe that everything he does is to protect his wife. Emily attacked Aunt Lydia, he had to get her out to avoid any extra drama at their house that his wife might get caught up in. June was clearly anti-Gilead when he met her so she makes an ideal handmaid for someone who doesn't want to go through with the ceremony & needs her to lie about it. He won't tolerate anyone bringing trouble to his door that might draw attention to his wife in any way. That's why he punished June by making her clean up the mess she made. At this point, I'm not convinced he's a goodie. I do think he loves his wife & feels responsible for her breakdown & will protect her whatever the cost. He did seem to get a kick out of breaking the rules when he was helping Emily though so maybe he's not all bad! & He did let June have a go at helping the Marthas despite knowing the risks. Perhaps that was just because she was already there & he didn't really want the drama of alerting the authorities to her presence in his house

Oh, the Marthas that reappeared - I assumed the one who was shot was the one the bomb-maker was waiting for to get her to her next location. When June was trafficked she didn't know who she was waiting for, when they'd come or where they'd take her. It's just a good thing the next Martha told her where she was going to take her before she died!

Phew, I can go to sleep now I've got all the thoughts out of my head! Also, yay, Emily made the phone call! I loved how her wife's car stopped all the traffic, very poetic! I did have a tiny bit of sympathy for Luke in his frustration but really he should know better by now that ex-handmaids need to be allowed to adjust in their own time. I worry that if June makes it out he's going to put pressure on her for everything to go back to normal straight away, as if she could just walk away from it all.

Really, definitely going to bed now...!

Tinkhasflown · 17/06/2019 06:55

Great insight @AGnu

Crinkle77 · 17/06/2019 07:47

EBearHug they said somewhere that Emily's cholesterol was high due to eating a lot of meat and butter.

Roussette · 17/06/2019 07:59

I wonder if C.Lawrence's wife actually is ill? She seemed to know exactly what she was doing in planting shrubs over the burial plot in the garden...

It could just be a front

AnotherEmma · 17/06/2019 08:25

I think the illness is fake too

hopeishere · 17/06/2019 08:30

I think she's got anxiety. Possibly early dementia. CL treated her horribly in an episode last season.

I wasn't as gripped by this episode. I was getting the Martha's mixed up. Does CL have two Martha's?

AnotherEmma · 17/06/2019 08:32

"Also worth noting that June doesn't have the same leverage with C. Lawrence as she did with the Waterfords."

"She really should be a lot more careful now - just because he helped Emily & took her in doesn't mean he's on her side."

Exactly. That's why June's behaviour in episode 2 bothered me so much. She doesn't know him at all - she's playing with fire, it's foolish and implausible.

He's a very ambiguous character. I think he's dangerous because he's unpredictable and we don't understand his motivations.

EmpressLesbianInChair · 17/06/2019 08:55

She doesn't know him at all - she's playing with fire, it's foolish and implausible.

Consciously or not, maybe June's reaching the stage where she feels she has nothing to lose?

Nicole's safe. It's looking more & more unlikely that she'll be able to get Hannah out (and we don't even know if Hannah would cooperate). She agreed with Nick that she was likely to die in Gilead. Maybe she just doesn't care about her own safety any more.

vivariumvivariumsvivaria · 17/06/2019 09:09

I continue to be totally hooked on the storyline. Loving it.

I think there's been a lot of set up of plots in that episode.

Aunt Lydia could have made a big mistake with the cattle prod though. Commander L said they'd done the ceremony and she's zapped June in the belly...so, potentially, they could make a case that Aunt L has harmed a pretend potential pregnancy.

Luke's going to be a bit of a dick - Nicole isn't his baby, after all. Moira's going to be the one that cares for Nicole because she cares for June more than Luke does and still believes June will make it out.

Can't figure out how Serena Joy brings down Fred. But, I reckon she will.

tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz · 17/06/2019 09:22

When you consider how long June had known the Martha's they were very trustful of her very quickly. Or does her reputation precede her?! I also thought June's behaviour is perhaps a reflection f knowing she's got little to lose, I think she knows she's not going to get Hannah out.

CL is indeed a rather hot mystery.

counts sleeps until Sunday

AGnu · 17/06/2019 09:48

I wonder if June saw him as anti-establishment because he helped Emily & thought they were on the same side. She's learning that he's not the ally she thought he was. She made the mistake of trusting someone she didn't really know - you can't do that in Gilead! I think when she first arrived & he said "you're not going to be any trouble" she thought he was being ironic but from his POV he was entirely serious. He knows the truth about the baby's disappearance & he can use that to control her. He really doesn't want any trouble.

IcedPurple · 17/06/2019 10:16

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

But the Colonies were a place you were sent to die, and many did, at least in part to exposure to extreme toxic waste. No woman who had spent time there would be trusted to produce a healthy baby, or any baby at all.

Plus, even if they were desperate enough to bring them back, they're hardly going to let them go back to the same town they had previously been in.

Frazzled2207 · 17/06/2019 10:46

Agree with @IcedPurple but pretty sure the reason given was apparent lack of handmaidens.

Strawberrypancakes · 17/06/2019 11:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BettysLeftTentacle · 17/06/2019 11:53

I didn’t enjoy last nights episode so much. There just doesn’t seem to be as much tension as there has been on previous series.

Lots of questions opened last night though. Still looking forward to next week

MrsSlocombesPussy · 17/06/2019 12:20

I think we got a quick glimpse of Janine at the beginning of the episode when June was going shopping. She peeked at June from under her bonnet and we could see her missing eye.

Tunnockswafer · 17/06/2019 12:22

I’m sure I saw Janine in the line of shopping handmaids yesterday.
Maybe the colonies aren’t as toxic as they make out. Maybe that’s another method of control.

vivariumvivariumsvivaria · 17/06/2019 12:35

Yip, I saw Janine.

WellErrr · 17/06/2019 13:09

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.

Yep I agree.
It’s all getting a bit silly. June’s character is starting to become unlikeable, and the rules for whatever reason don’t seem to apply to her.

I hate when the writers of a series like this start to treat the audience as if we’re a bit hard of thinking. It’s all totally implausible now.

IcedPurple · 17/06/2019 13:11

Maybe the colonies aren’t as toxic as they make out.

Well, we saw in previous episodes that people died on an almost nightly basis. Seemed pretty toxic to me.

IcedPurple · 17/06/2019 13:15

June’s character is starting to become unlikeable,

I'm not sure June has ever been that likeable.

She knowingly slept with a married man and encouraged him to dump his wife for her (obviously Luke was more to blame but still). She's done irresponsible things before, like getting the Econofamily to hide her, ultimately at huge cost to themselves.

And I prefer it that way. June doesn't have to be 'likable'. She's not a hero. Just an ordinary woman in desperate circumstances. Many of us would do the same if we were in her bonnet.