The Handmaid’s Tale (UK pace, so no spoilers from the US/Israel/Aus please)

[Ivy40]

This is a new thread where we can refer to the original book, published in 1985 (including the epilogue). Everyone is welcome to speculate on how the writers will get us from the book (end of series 1) to the epilogue (we’re assuming this will be series 10). Plus any other interesting plot developments that you have noticed.

No spoilers from the US/Israel/Aus etc please, as we in the UK are 2-3 episodes behind. We don’t want to KNOW what happens next, we just enjoy speculating and enjoy the plot development.

The basics:
Margaret Atwood wrote the Handmaid’s Tale in the 1980s, it was first published in 1985.

She said that she didn’t use anything that hadn’t happened in real life.

Series 1 finished at the end of the book.

There is an epilogue though.

Hulu have said that there will be 10 series.

We are assuming that series 10 will be the epilogue.

That means that Hulu have a lot of creative licence in series 2-9, as long as what they create leads to what we know is the epilogue.

Margaret Atwood is a consultant writer on the tv series.

The Testaments are being released in September 2019, written by Margaret Atwood. Set 15 years ahead of the ending in the original book and will be the stories of 4 different narrators, not June’s story. MA said that she based the Handmaid’s Tale on Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, so we’re expecting “A Wife”s Tale”, “A Martha’s Tale” etc.

If I remember correctly, from my university days ( a long, long time ago) there is a theory about how the Nazis were able to commit the atrocities they did - based on concentric circles, where only those at the centre knew everything, and the further out you were, the less you knew - and I wonder if that would apply, to some extent, in Gilead?

Also, it is clearly a very repressive regime, where safety, especially at the lower levels of society (handmaids, Marthas, econopeople) means keeping your head down, not questioning the regime, and doing as you are told - for fear of ending up on the wall.

Yes I read that too Tinkhasflown about Waterford. I never thought that the subversive would be his own wife, that would be a striking twist.

Yes, Tinkhasflown, Serena being the subversive would be an interesting twist. Fred could report her for having that satellite phone and then they could turn it on him. Final straw after everything else that’s happened in his household.

I also thought that, as the tv series, isn’t always sticking to the exact events in the book, that maybe Commander Lawrence replaces Fred as the purged commander. He’s been harbouring his wife who is mentally ill, mental illness could be seen as subversive, especially as she really struggles to abide by Gilead’s rules.

Nice idea Skaife.

Watching episode 10 again, Fred is cruising for a bruising. Winslow and Lawrence go way back. Winslow greets Eleanor warmly. Fred set up the monitoring of the ceremony, Winslow had to agree due to Gilead protocol but Lawrence’s lack of compliance has always been ignored, due to his connections and knowledge. Fred is the userper here. Plus Serena hates him. Not sure how this is going to play out but I think the epilogue May be right ( or it might just be because I hate Fred) but Fred should be toast.

This series seems to have been an awakening for Serena too. Especially the latter episodes. Maybe she was “reborn” when she went for a swim in the sea. She went to comfort Eleanor Lawrence and there were more shots of the missing finger, followed by looks of disgust at Fred.

Note - not sure how anyone could look at Fred in any way other than disgust (but that’s in my non Gilead view).

I had wondered if Serena going for a swim was to signify some kind of rebirth or change in attitude. She’s definite up to something. I’m hoping showing that phone to Fred is part of the plan and not some cock up.

Are June and Luke married? She’s called June Osbourne and Hannah and Luke are Bankhole. It may be that she just didn’t change her name or it may be that Gilead changed it back as they didn’t recognise the marriage (due to Luke being divorced). I know she has to be called Of Fred / Joseph etc but that official document - her handmaid file refers to her as June Osbourne.

Of course she’s married (well under American law anyway) as one of the reasons she’s a handmaid is that Gilead didn’t recognise her marriage to Luke as he’s divorced. Just remembered.

I really hope that Fred is “cruising for a bruising”. I don’t recall despising a character as much as him.

There is a commander lovers group on Facebook. They all have the hots for Fred. I get that Joe Fiennes is a good looking man but Fred is repulsive. I can’t understand how any sane woman wouldn’t find him repulsive.

Apart from him being a repulsive character, that beard gives me the creeps.

Placemarking because I LOVE THIS SHOW

@pinkunicornsparkles

Yes, so much that we’re going to have to create a support group when it finishes!

Sorry Im late to the thread, I have always loved the book. I love the TV show but it drives me insane that June is getting away with so much? Surely she should have been put on the wall by now - why are they pandering to her in the world of Gilead?!

I just watched an interview with the cast. I have been so repulsed by Fred and Aunt Lydia and the acting is so exceptional. I'm embarrassed to say I subconsciously forgot for a while that the characters are not actually real 😬 The thought that Jo Fiennes and Elisabeth Moss might actually be friends in real life blew my mind for a minute 🤣

Lots of things I hadn’t noticed that really add to my understanding of the series, on this thread. I like the explanation of concentric circles above - I think that definitely rings true in Gilead. By being attached to Commanders the Handmaids do get a fairly good view of what’s going on and we are seeing everything through June’s eyes.

It would be interesting to see more about how the Econopeople live. We’ve had brief glances of it with Eden’s family and Omar and Heather (June hid out in their flat when she escaped). We know from flashbacks and also the books on Joseph Lawrence’s shelf (thanks for sharing those), that there was a big shift towards religious conservatism in response to the fertility crisis in pre Gilead America. So I’m assuming that the vast majority of the econopeople are religious conservatives but they aren’t forced into sexual slavery, don’t have their families ripped apart unless they commit a crime etc. So as long as they comply they are leading a relatively normal life, albeit in a much more repressive country than any of us would like.

One thing that has always struck me though is the lack of mental stimulation- no films, no books, no museums or galleries, no coffee shops for catch ups with friends, no sport. That lack of stimulation must drive a lot of people mad, it would drive me mad. When I used to watch Big Brother (it was a novelty when it first came out) I often thought that the lack of stimulation drive some of the bad behaviour.

Something else that struck me recently - Margaret Atwood wrote the Handmaid’s Tale when she lived in West Berlin, in the early 1980’s, prior to the Berlin Wall falling. The East German regime was one of her inspirations and I think the tv series producers have used this too - shopping in Loaves and Fishes is what I expect it was like shopping in East Germany.

If anyone wants to read up a bit more on this, for context, then I would recommend an excellent book called Stasiland by Anna Funder.

Agreed pinkunicorn, I have strong feelings towards the characters, which is testament to their acting skills. I hate Fred but I love Eleanor Lawrence.

@DirtyToiletBrush that's interesting about East Berlin. I agree I would love more insight into the Econopeople and how they live day to day. I forgot a bit that June is in such an unusual position as her commanders have been of such high status and importance in Gilead.

I have read the Handmaid stake but long ago, I want to re read it again soon. I have very young children so struggle to find reading time, which other book(s) would you most recommend to compliment the series/book?

I love that June stabbed Winslow with a pen - a nod to her past as an editor. Also symbolic as women aren’t allowed to read and write in Gilead.

I didn’t want to post this before as I thought it may be a spoiler - I read an interview with Bruce Miller that said they’d taken advice from consultants from the ICC. Looks like that’s where Fred is heading.

Well done Skaife - Serena was up to something and she outwitted Fred, as you said she would. Not sure what deal she’s struck with Tuello but handing him Fred in exchange for her own immunity seems likely. Although, she’ll be in a dangerous situation living in little America or the rump US - a lot of people would want to take revenge on her.

I don’t think Tuello could give her custody of Nichole. No sane country would recognise her claim to be Nichole’s parent. Maybe she is getting some kind of visitation rights. I think Tuello is playing her though, buttering her up for more info (by suggesting she can have access rights to Nichole) when he intends to try her for war crimes too, once he’s got all the info he needs out of her.

Yes, I think we forget that normal laws still apply outside of Gilead. Canada and the rump US will see both Fred and Serena as war criminals - the Gilead regime overthrew the US government violently, has forced many of its citizens into sex slavery, executed people for being gay. Both Serena and Fred are implicated in that.

I don’t know what Mark Tuello has offered her but he seems to be a patriotic American to me and will use them both for info before putting them on trial. He may have told her she’ll get custody of Nichole but it’s just a trick to get her to talk. Serena has played Fred and now Tuello is playing Serena.

Also, DP noticed the cars.

The Gileadeans drove a Mercedes - like the nazis did. Mark Tuello drive a Mustang, apparently it’s a classic American muscle car and was driven by American troops. In the US it’s seen as a patriotic car.

The Martha’s cleaned that up efficiently, almost like they’d done it before. I dread to think though, suspect they may have had to deal with the bodies of dead women after commanders have killed them during or after sex.

What happened to Nick?

Pink

Nick is away fighting the rebels in Chicago. Someone posted a map on page 1 or 2 of this thread which explains which parts of the US are Gilead, which parts are rebel held etc. Gilead seems to be fighting rebels on some of its borders. Definitely Chicago.