Handmaid's Tale. EPISODE 9 (season 3). Channel 4, 04/08/19. UK pace. NO SPOILERS!

[OriginofSpecies]

This is the thread for Episode 9 (season 3) of The Handmaid's Tale.

We are watching on Channel 4, UK pace and have only seen episodes 1 - 8 so far.

Please, NO SPOILERS.

I can't believe we're up to Episode 9 already! I hope it all starts coming together in the next five episodes.

Wasn't the bomb-making Martha the one who died and was buried at the Lawrence's house?

I think that was the one helping her escape Fairfax. Pretty sure bomb-Martha got away.

What's happened with the resistance/underground?

We haven't seen Emily for aaages.

Yes I want June to get involved with the resistance again.

I must be alone in this but I'm non committal about Nick. He puts June in danger by sneaking to see her and has never been honest with her about his place in Gilead.

Obviously he is easy on the eye

I'm afraid I just want this series to end. Won't be watching a third series, such a shame. Loved that first series.

Oh yes we are due some more screen time with Nick and/or the people in character. Here's hoping we'll get some in the next episode.

the people in Canada!

Isn't this season 3?

It is series 3!

Although I'm enjoying watching it, I do agree it doesn't have the same drama as series 1. I don't even think there's much of a story arc behind the episodes - no sense of anything unfolding, just a focus on a different 'story' each week. But perhaps indicative of what they need to do if they're going to drag it out to 10 series. (Which I think is a big mistake)

Yes, it is season three, sorry. How time flies!

Only got into the show a few weeks ago and just caught up with the UK show.

one query I had was that when June was holed up in the country house last season, when looking through Hannah's things, there was drawings etc she had done. Are the children allowed pens and paper etc as my understanding was that females were not allowed?

I wonder what happened to Janine’s son? She doesn’t appear to dwell on him in the way that June does on Hannah (or maybe it isn’t shown). I wonder whether he was taken off her by social services before the rise of Gilead?

one query I had was that when June was holed up in the country house last season, when looking through Hannah's things, there was drawings etc she had done. Are the children allowed pens and paper etc as my understanding was that females were not allowed?

Ah!! Never thought of this!

Maybe they think small children are indulged and allowed to do as they wish until they get to an age where they must follow the rules?

I assume that girls are just not taught to read and write. I always assumed that drawing was still OK. For girls born under the Gilead regime, they won't know how to write, so it won't be an issue.

What is the reasoning behind not allowing reading or writing? It's not as if they can pop to the shops to buy a newspaper is it?

Why would they need to read/write? They'll have husbands to tell them anything they need to know! Besides, they'll be too busy darning socks & managing the household to have any time to read things... The ability to read/write would just be a distraction for the poor wimmin. They might even read something & "misinterpret" it, poor things. Can't have that, let the menfolk do the hard thinking.

They aren't allowed to read because literacy is power in the same way that 'the lower orders' were kept illiterate in the past and slaves in America weren't allowed to read.

When Serena urged enough freedom to read for women to be able to study the bible, they cut a finger off.

Re-watching series 1, we see Serena drawing lilies at one point, so presumably pens and paper aren't banned outright.

That makes me wonder, do you think they're allowed to read music? It's not writing, and you could hide messages in it.

Ideal dress for anyone who wants to channel their inner Serena Joy

Ooh, nice idea about hiding messages in music. I like that.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/telly_addicts/3662924-Handmaids-Tale-EPISODE-10-season-3-Channel-4-11-08-19-UK-pace-NO-SPOILERS?watched=1

^ new thread for tonight's episode.

Wow that really is a Gilead wife dress!

Now isn't that funny. I have always been a bit colour blind with blues and greens and I see the wives dresses on the programme as teal, and nothing like the colour on that link. Style is spot on !