Handmaid's Tale. EPISODE 11 (season 3). Channel 4, 18/08/19. UK pace. NO SPOILERS!

[OriginofSpecies]

We're heading for the final countdown, only three more episodes to go, folks...

This is the thread for Episode 11 (season 3) of The Handmaid's Tale.

We are watching on Channel 4, UK pace and have only seen episodes 1 - 10 so far.

Please, NO SPOILERS.

Oooh, just watched on catch up. Exciting! I really hope June doesn’t use that gun on herself! And it will be very interesting if C Lawrence is moved up the pecking order after the ‘disappearance’ of those 2 commanders!

@CaptainMyCaptain thanks! I thought Lawerence was his first name so she would be called oflawerence.

I don't see why there would need to be security to stop a random sexily dressed woman getting in - it's not like there are loads of them wandering around Gilead.

Agree about the plot hole re the clothes magically appearing. We needed a bit of explanation there, I think.

It's interesting that Ccreepy and CWaterford just decided that CLawrence was no longer to be trusted - they said 'He can't control his household; he can't be in control of Gilead' or something like that. They obvs just removed him from the list of authorised people allowed to drive over borders (But he can drive to Jezebels?)

I really don't see how they will just grab 52 children and put them on a plane. Esp if the Marthas are going to be working to prevent them from pulling this off - if it interferes with their own plans? 'Don't get in the way' June was told. And now she is going to get in the way.

Thinking about it, if we have another 7 seasons to go ( bad , bad mistake) logically the best way for that to play out is for June to have got pregnant through the ceremony. That would be quite an interesting twist.

I really don't think I shall be watching 7 more seasons. Overkill.

Yes I'm not too sure how they're going to keep this going for that long.

@StinkySaurus his name is Joseph Lawrence, hence Commander Lawrence like Commander Waterford (when she was Offred).

ptumbi the Marthas agreed to June's plan to use the plane, so long as their shipment arrives safely and isn't intercepted.

It's interesting that Ccreepy and CWaterford just decided that CLawrence was no longer to be trusted

It’s because Ccreepy wanted to roll out the harsher constraints (lip rings and face coverings) and rules in Boston (isn’t that where the show is mainly set?) and hinted to Waterford that he would be up for a promotion. So Waterford, being the pathetic power hungry arse licker he is was being a “yes sir no sir three bags full sir”. But he knew C Lawrence had power and would piss Winslow off by resisting the new rules. He knew he was flouting the rules in husband own house so in order to win favour with Winslow, Fred offered up a sacrifice by giving Lawrence’s name as a trouble maker. For Fred it’s killing two birds with one stone. 1) he gets a more powerful commander than himself out of the way to make room for his own promotion. 2) he proves his loyalty to Winslow and the regime so that he will be better placed to get the promotion.

That's how I saw it too @JoxerGoesToStuttgart

Was I correct in thinking Winslow was coming on to Fred ?
That Fred felt uncomfortable with Winslows touch feely stuff ?

Yes but that storyline seems to have been dropped. It didn’t go anywhere. Not sure why they had it there in the first place.

I wonder if Fred might use it to try & get some sympathy because he's a victim too. Boohoo.

Something has been bugging me. In the first series, June asked Waterford to translate that Latin for her. However, we now know that she has a Masters in English and was a book editor (librarian in the book). Wouldn’t she have had enough Latin to work that one out herself?

I don't think there's any reason she would have known Latin - most American public (ie state) schools don't teach it. I think it's quite an elite subject there as it is here.

Did she not know the Latin but wanted him to see it, and wanted to pander to him as the all-knowing One?

Yes, surely there are bomb-making things coming in in the plane. We got a little reminder of the women that June 'saved', who were all women with a particular set of skills... I predict that Nick will either be on the bomb making plane as part of the resistance, or he will be tasked with stopping the plane landing/taking off, and hence will be torn.

The scene with Cloudbusting playing was so haunting. Whoever chooses the songs is amazing. All have been inspirational. Have resurrected my Kate Bush albums and get goosebumps now when Cloudbusting plays.

alwaysmyfault I've just rewatched that scene. It was amazing. That episode took me back to the excitement and tension of series one.

I keep listening to Cloudbusting on loop. I hadn't realised just how amazing that song is, it fits the scene perfectly.

Bean yes for sure. I also thought he was about to anally rape her as he made her turn over onto her stomach. She had said "you all have your kinks" and I think that was his.

Me too. And she was trying to make herself give in & get through it, but something’s shifted in her now & she just couldn’t.

That’s going to make things tricky if : when she gets assigned to another Commander who expects the ceremony. Unless she does somehow manage to end up with Nick.

I agree @EmpressLesbianInChair

Now that's more like it!
Loved the Martha's cleaning up routine.

One thing that struck me earlier in the episode when June and CL were talking about Gilead and things the commanders hadn't planned for, inc mental illness, he also said something like the maternal bond ie he/they were surprised how strong it is, particularly in relation to the handmaids, like, obviously?! Did anyone else register that?

Yes, colouringinpro I noticed that. How very shortsighted of them, how could they think it didn't matter? All men presumably.