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.

I've watched 10 and 11 this evening, so I'm off to the US pace thread.

Under his eye.

About the colour of the wives dresses, I thought Serena's dress changed colour once Nichole was born and there was some discussion about that on the thread at the time. A lighter colour once they have an actual child I think?

I did that too Beyond.

I liked this episode. It was more realistic than the rollercoaster that the series has been so far - making June stay in the hospital for weeks as punishment is more likely than having her attack other people and not end up on the Wall.

Aunt Lydia is interesting. She reminds me of a boss I had once - one minute he’d be going on about what a close friend I was, the next he’d be freaking out about something insignificant. It was exhausting - and must be even more exhausting for someone who can’t get away from her.

The hospital also deals with the awkwardness of removing June from the Lawrences. Even in Gilead, telling an important Commander that his house is too odd for him to have a Handmaid would be uncomfortable. Since June is to stay in the hospital, nothing has to be done there.

Has the decline in fertility not affected Canada too ?

I’m wondering whether AL suffered brain damage in the Emily attack and that’s why she sometimes responds so violently and aggressively, seemingly without provocation at times.

That said, she seemed able to assist at executions and maimings before she was injured.

Has the decline in fertility not affected Canada too ?
We know Mexico has been affected so I would imagine Canada is affected too.

Has the decline in fertility not affected Canada too ?

It has I think as I remember when Luke was buying nappies and commented on how expensive they were saying something like "how do people afford them?" The shopkeeper said something like "most people dont have to!".

I’ll have to reread the book, or maybe it was said in the first season, but I thought the idea was that handmaids were only being assigned to various families as a short term measure while the population was increasing. That eventually handmaids would stay with one family and be like a family member (or a beloved sister) like Bilhah and Zilpah.

I've been away, so only caught up with this episode this morning.

I also really liked it. Totally different environment, but the pace reminded me of the episode in the previous series where June was in the house in the country, waiting for Nicole/Holly to be born and basically alone with her thoughts. Except this time she was waiting for Natalie's child to be born.

I thought it was much more realistic and I liked how Janine called her out on how selfish she had become. Recognising what we had said during the last episode that June had turned into a right bitch.

June was self-destructing and entirely focused on herself and getting Hannah out, no matter who she (literally) hurt or got killed in the process. The conversation with the doctor made her realise she has a greater purpose - trying to get as many children out as possible. Hopefully she'll start to act more carefully now.

Serena is still intriguing me. She could have reported June there and then, but simply told the doctor that June had cut herself. Maybe she is plotting something and needs June to help her.

Aunt Lydia has always been a "Jekyll and Hyde" character. Flashes of that seen in the flashback last week. Absolutely fascinating character.

And the doctor. He also could have reported June. He knew June's mother. I can't remember whether this has been said in the series, but in the book, didn't she work at an abortion clinic? The doctor must have known this about June's mother, but gave no hint that he thought she was a sinner. Just that she was tough (I can't remember his exact words). I'm wondering whether that was a clue to his allegiance, that he's not a true believer and might prove useful to June.

I wonder where doctors fit into the heirarchy. They are not commanders but surely not econo people.

Interesting question CaptainMyCaptain. I’d think that doctors were considered useful/highly skilled and thus privileged in some ways by the hierarchy, but also thought of as potentially powerful, seditious & blasphemous and so watched a lot & kept in check. Maybe a lot of Eyes planted as support staff, that kind of thing. So the doctors would be really aware of having to watch their step. Bit like academics in oppressive regimes. Privileged but in a perilous place.

I always thought male doctors were kept on, so long as they swore allegiance to Gilead and lived in an accepted manner.

I'm hoping we do see the Dr again.

As well as the Doctor, there was also the male nurse who dropped the scalpel into the sharps box very very deliberately.

Two allies? Do they ally together?

He wasn't exactly doing her a favour with the scalpel though!

I think doctors are probably a similar level to aunts - some amount of freedom/power but not as high up as commanders. In my mind the hierarchy goes: commanders, eyes, doctors, commanders' wives, aunts, guardians, handmaids, Marthas, general econo-people.

I'm basing it on who I think could get away with attacking who. Commanders can do pretty much whatever they like to anyone & as long as it was done in secret the commander would be believed. Eyes have a lot of power over everyone because of what they know. Doctors are needed & they've already killed off lots of them. I wonder where the next generation of doctors will come from - commanders' sons?

I'm in 2 minds about wives/aunts. I think I'd probably put them on a similar level really. I think efforts would be made to find out what really happened if there was some dispute between them. Handmaids/guardians is similarly tricky - on the one hand, guardians have to keep handmaids in line. OTOH, any handmaid might potentially be carrying a precious child & a guardian might get in trouble for endangering the child. On the basis that we've seen no consequences for the guardian who shot Natalie, I'm thinking they're a little higher than handmaids & actually it's the child who's important, not the handmaid.

Econo-children are probably higher than general econo-people. Probably not higher than an aunt though. Not sure where commanders' children fit in - possibly higher than commanders' wives? A new wife would be a lot easier to acquire than a new child...

Did anyone else recognize Gil Bellows as the doctor? He played Billy, years and years ago, on Ally McBeal.

Aunts have an advantage over Wives in that they are permitted to be literate to facilitate their role. AL can write maternity notes, Serena lost a finger for reading the Bible. Wives, particularly those who are infertile have a very superficial existence. Worse than 200 odd years ago as at least an accomplished gentle-lady was permitted to read and write along with her genteel crafts.

Think the aunts have some subtle powers of undermining. They were the ones who started raising an eyebrow at the “unconventional household” of Commander Lawrence. It needed some other Commanders with an eye for the main chance to take the nod about where weakness might be found. But it was the Aunts who noticed and gave the nod, then let the Commanders’ jockeying for position take effect.

Where can I watch ahead? How do other people manage it? @beyonddangeroustshirts would you be so kind as to PM me?

Has the Gil Bellows doctor been in THT previously? I'm sure I recognise him from this, not just Ally McBeal.

Origin what I found interesting about the bit where Janine told June how selfish she was being was how rational she sounded. Before now she has been quite emotional, unpredictable, childlike and at times mentally unstable. However when she had a go at June she was so calm and level headed it was almost as if the roles had reversed between them.

@Crinkle77 yes, exactly as if the roles had been reversed. Previously it has been June talking sense into Janine.

Do we think the teachers at the girls schools are men or women? They're in a position of authority, which points to men, but I'm not sure Gilead would approve of men being experts in sewing/cooking/childcare And would they be econopeople, or guardians/wives?

@Andylion I was very happy to see Billy again