Handmaid's Tale. EPISODE 7 (season 3). Channel 4, 21/07/19. UK pace. NO SPOILERS!

[OriginofSpecies]

Thread for Episode 7 (season 3) of The Handmaid's Tale.

We are watching on Channel 4, UK pace and have only seen episodes 1 - 6 so far.

Please, NO SPOILERS.

@Kenny33 seriously, stop trying to justify what you class as a spoiler and go away

Yes I think Emily is not going to ‘cheer up a bit’ unfortunately.
I wonder if she, and Moira, and maybe even Luke will get sent back to Gilead.
Awful that June getting Nichole out could have set off a train of events that could end with Moira & Emily going back. Although surely Canada wouldn’t agree to extradition knowing someone would be executed? (Or am I naive and that actually happens now?)

...IRL I mean

She's got it easy at the Lawrence's, they have been astoundingly kind to her and she talks to them like shit. Surely she should be cherishing them in that cold world and making herself indispensable?

Really? He created a regime where she has been repeatedly raped by men and beaten by men and women. Where she has to act as executioner to her peers when they "do wrong". I don't call that "astoundingly kind".

Good deeds do not undo the world he has created that has seen her, and many others torn from their families and raped to produce babies that they aren't even allowed to see once born, let alone raise.

Can we just agree that we discuss what's been aired in the show, speculate as much as we like but nobody makes any references to any interviews, articles, etc however innocuous they think they are?

I remember in the last series somebody linked to an article and insisted it was perfectly fine to read because it only talked about what had already happened. But there was one massive spoiler she'd missed that took away all the suspense from the next episode. Much simpler just not to refer to external sources at all.

Another thing I don't understand... is June going through the ceremony with Cdr. Lawrence or is she let off?

I thought Mrs Lawrence wants a baby, how's it going to happen unless it's an immaculate conception?!

I’m finding this series so slow compared to previous.

Just so I’m clear, is it ok to reference the book, including the epilogue?

The ceremony isn't happening with the Lawrence's as Commander Lawrence lies to AL about it (in the first or second episode).

I agree with the others that it's slow but I still think it's great and very tense. Don't think June is going to bring down Gilead at all as she doesn't have the network or support. It really will take another country to smash it and that seems unlikely given Canada's actions currently.

I think Emily and Moira might end up in a couple as there's too much of a gulf between Emily and her wife but Moira knows what she's been through!

When Emily was asked if she'd committed other crimes that Gilead considers a sin and she responded yes, I so wanted her to elaborate and say yes, reading!

I don’t think C Lawrence practises the ceremony with his handmaids. He has no interest in having a child, his wife is unwell and couldn’t really cope with a child, I also don’t believe he has any interest in raping or even having consensual sex (if it was on offer) with other women.

@Kenny33 several people have pointed out your mistake and you won't accept it. If you think that's nasty you must be extremely sensitive. Please just stop

June has totally blown any network she had. No-one will want to do her any favours now she has caused the Martha’s death. Nick is gone, her companion will report everything she does to aunt Lydia. She has screwed any chance of using mrs Lawrence to get around town. She has no one. Perhaps just the Martha in the Lawrence house but why would they do anything for her when she has caused the other Martha to be killed for her own selfishness?

Then again, this isn’t the Gilead we know. Maybe she’ll be running the show next week

I think Emily is likely to commit suicide from fear of being sent back.

It seems so unlikely to me that the Mackenzies would move rather than insist that June be more carefully controlled. From their point of view surely she is a danger to their family. And even if there were no direct accusation about June's involvement in whatever got their Martha hung, surely it's obvious she would be involved.

It's a shame this series hasn't been as well received. I'm looking forward to Margaret Atwood's own sequel in September. She has already said this does not follow the path set by the tv series.

To me the tv adaptation is just an interpretation of Gilead and June's story. Some of the cinematography has been beautiful and I just watch and enjoy for what it is. I think I'm alone with that view so maybe I should avoid reading this thread

Odd episode last night.

Good bits was the juxtaposition of all the commanders wives dancing in the beautiful surroundings and talking about decorating etc, when you had the handmaids tugging on ropes and winches to hang people.

Another good bit was Serena viewing a potential 'new home' where you could see that a family had simply been ripped out and ripped apart. You could see that it shook her too.

Ridiculous bits - June trying to see her daughter with Mrs Lawrence. I do get it, I do get how desperate it must be not to see your child. It must send you slightly nuts BUT June knows how brutal the regime is and how tenuous her own position is and yet she behaved so recklessly. That really annoyed me. Plus the going completely mental bit at the end. Is she fucking mad? Maybe she is going slightly bonkers from the pressure of it all.

@clarissa
I pointed out that it was a mistake, a misunderstanding on my part. Can you please stop bullying me?

@clarissa469

I’ve asked mumsnet to delete all my posts that refer to the book Atwood wrote in 1985, as I didn’t realise that referring to the book would be classed as a spoiler.

Maybe she is going slightly bonkers from the pressure of it all.

I'm surprised more of them aren't slightly bonkers.

In an earlier episode, Serena told Fred that she wanted more freedom. This seems to be what she now has - it looks as though the wives in DC have more freedom (provided that they are discreet about it). A party like that wouldn’t happen in Boston.

@Kenny33

It was a genuine mistake by the sounds of it kenny...don’t let it stop you adding you’re thoughts to the thread.

@Kenny33 wow bullying?! You must have been bloody sheltered! Grow up all I said a long with other people is the information you're relating is clearly spoiling it for other people, get a grip

@wetwiped completely agree, share your thoughts completely but don't spoil it

@clarissa469

Yes, kenny didn’t realise she was. Shall we move on.