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.

Can I ask where do you find the podcasts please is it a paid for thing via Itunes?

The commanders are a bit like a goverment so I imagine there are quite a few of them. I could be misremembering but I don't think there are enough handmaids to go around which is why they get shunted on every so often

and why when lots were killed by the bomb they had to bring some back from the colonys

@nousername

Eyes on Gilead is free it’s made by SBS which is the Aussie version of the BBC. Just be careful as they have finished the series in Aus so only click on the podcasts up to episode 11, unless you want spoilers!

I listen to podcasts on Spotify.

Thanks Curbside. I will look up Red All Over.

I’m actually disappointed that I’m going on holiday from tomorrow until Monday so won’t be able to watch episode 12 until Tuesday!

Did serena arrange the arrest and that’s why she went, or did she get tricked too? I’m confused.

We have yet to find out for sure. I'm betting she was instrumental in the plot to get Fred arrested. She's gone along as the cover is that they are using unofficial channels to get Nicole back.

It wasn’t clear from what we saw. Hopefully we’ll see this Sunday.

My bets are that Serena thinks she is getting Nicole back by handing Fred over. I’m not sure how that will happen though, she has no claim to be Nichole’s parent (outside of Gilead’s warped laws).

What proof do they have tha Fred is guilty of the crimes?surely any of the commanders could be charged if entering Canada then? If so, why can’t they enter Gilead and turn it around?

ALso did I imagine that we saw sernenas missing finger back??

www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/atwood-handmaids-sequel-1.4923605?fbclid=IwAR1A5SqD5-e-qyHkQ1i-8Dfbl8THyYyZLR3j_u3gcVvSlWdpdqReVR5_Be4

But more info about Margaret Atwood’s new book, the sequel to THT. No spoilers as the article was published in Nov 2018.

@QueefLatifah

I think when they first went to Canada it was on a diplomatic visit. The Handmaids letters were published online while they were there, which sparked protests and they were kicked out. At that point, as Gilead seems to be quite secretive towards the outside world, Canada didn’t know much about the human rights abuses going on in Gilead.

Now due to the testimonies of refugees (remember Emily being questioned by the Swiss) they know more about what’s going on. Also Fred and Serena entered Canada as private citizens, in last week’s episode so that may be why they could be arrested this time.

@Ivy45 thank very much. I had forgotten the half of that. Finding this series not so easy to follow, im still questioning what’s going on while watching, then it moves on again before I figure it out!

I assume serena wanted Fred arrested. When she didn’t react to being cut by June and the scalpel, I figured she had a lot more sympathy for her than shown in previous episode

@queen

I think there are a lot of hints that Serena was plotting, from when she came back from Canada (met with Luke and Nicole) and we saw the satellite phone in her bag. I think not reacting to June was more that she didn’t want to draw any attention to herself. I also think that the rekindling of the relationship with Fred was partly to keep herself off the radar (also she is scared of him after he beat her and cut her finger off) and partly to get him to trust her again so she could trick him into going into Canadian territory.

We don’t know for definite that Serena tricked Fred, but in my view it’s likely. It could be that the American agent, Tuello, has tricked Serena into tricking Fred and got both of them.

Hopefully we’ll find out on Sunday!

Interesting read from 2017 about the biblical references and misogyny.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/valerietarico.com/2017/05/04/the-bible-story-and-ancient-sexual-script-behind-the-handmaids-tale/amp/

Great article with the biblical references Ivy. Very interesting as a non bible reading person. Male misogynist rules written by Male misogynists....

Yes, I’m not religious either and I think I miss some of the biblical references.

It’s interesting though, how much biblical detail Margaret Atwood went into. Her inspirations included the Puritans and as she wrote it in the early 1980s, East Germany and the Islamic revolution in Iran. If she were writing it now, I guess it could be IS and the repealing of women’s rights in some US states. Almost 35 years and the patriarchy (in various disguises), is still asserting itself.

I think Serena did plan it all - her farewell to Rita seemed very final.

Fascinating article - thanks for the link Ivy45.

Yes, thatone, I’d forgotten about the farewell to Rita.

Will be interesting to find out if Tuello has played Serena to get to Fred though. I think she knew she wasn’t coming back but not sure whether or not she was tricked into taking Fred over the border, on the promise of contact with Nicole or not. Fred is definitely toast - he’s either looking at a life sentence or if the rump US still has the death penalty (as someone mentioned above) the death penalty.

I think the creators of the series have done well to cast Yvonne as Serena, despite the fact that Serena is a monster, I find myself almost rooting for her to do something good sometimes, and that’s a credit to Yvonne’s acting.

ISWYM - I just got the feeling that Serena knew she was sacrificing Fred. I still think he is better off under an International Court with a proper judicial system than in Gilead where, with all the politics and power shifts, he could well have ended up on the Wall (and still might if he is extradited).

Thatone - interesting twist. Was she sacrificing him to the ICC for a life sentence to save him from the wall in Gilead? I hadn’t thought of that.

I'm undecided if Serena thinks she's saving them both, or if she's sold out Fred in the hope Canada will give her custody of Nicole.

Yvonne is incredible as Serena. Genuinely brilliant.

Was it my imagination or was Winslow still alive when the Martha's bundled him into the furnace? When it was the overhead shot his eyes seemed to flicker open...if so that's a brilliant touch!