The Handmaid's Tale S4 at C4 pace (no spoilers from Hulu subscribers)

[Faircastle]

A thread for those watching Season 4 of the Handmaid's Tale on Channel 4 starting this evening. There's another thread for those who have already streamed it via Hulu, so it would be good if we could keep this one free of spoilers for episodes beyond those Channel 4 has broadcast.

I forgot to look for this thread on Sunday, just read it all now.

Agree that some of the most powerful scenes are those set to music. Another stand out for me was when Emily woke up after the FGM, the realisation, shock, horror, physical pain and mental distress all played out in her expression. Amazingly acted.

I don't think June ordering Mrs. Keys to kill the guard was out of character at all. As others have pointed out, June isn't 'good' she's a complex character and her brutality has been building for a long time (she killed George, allowed Eleanor to die, was awful to OfMatthew etc). Plus, referring back to the book, it's points out that the Handmaid's participation in the executions wasn't just to show them Gilead's power, it was to give them a release too as the life they lead is so traumatic and distressing. It lets steam out of the pressure cooker. I also think her using Aunt Lydia's words was significant, it shows how Gilead has become part of her psyche now. Violence and death are just 'normal' every day occurrences now.

So looking forward to Sunday!

yes so many scenes,

yes 19 days of beating i never thought like that just that they had beaten her but yes 19 days,all though the women has spirit when she said back "and yes 19 days trying to find them" the woman cant be tamed

I LOVE the music. It's perfect. Whoever their sound engineer is really understands this storyline - I look forward to seeing which track plays the end credits!

June as a complex, sometimes unlikeable, person - she got that Martha put on the wall by using her to visit Hannah's school. There's been a couple of people die because June made self interested decisions.

I really like that about the writing. June is tactical and smart but is willing to put herself first at the expense of others, which is surely the opposite of what makes a good HM? Ideally a HM would put the needs of Gilead before her own, willingly submit to being raped and having her babies stolen - June refuses to submit. Yes, she does good things, yes she has rescued people and given people comfort - but that's not what drives her decisions. I love that we have a heroine who isn't just everybody's mum, it's so refreshing.

Lydia, Serena and June are similar - they all have an indefatigable sense of being right. Nothing will stand in their way, and if sometimes other people have pay the price of those convictions, well, that is a shame but, shit happens when you are in the shit.

All three women know that the stakes are high and they are all equally determined to get what they want for the greater good, they just each have their own version of what the greater good looks like. Well, Serena might be changing her mind a bit now, which I'm looking forward to seeing play out.

vivariumvivariumsvivaria Lydia, Serena and June are similar - they all have an indefatigable sense of being right.

Absolutely! It's what makes them so interesting (and scary).

Absolutely this @vivariumvivariumsvivaria. I love that June, Serena & Lydia are all equally complex characters. Despite how vile they can be (particularly S & AL, obviously) you can still understand where they are coming from, have moments of empathy etc.

I really felt for Serena during the ceremony scenes in S1, despite her being responsible for creating this world, you could see on her face the hurt she felt at having to sit there while her husband shagged another woman. (BTW, I know it was rape, I'm not trying to minimise anything by not using that word, I just mean that from Fred & Serena's POV, it was sex not rape).

Same with Aunt Lydia, she treats the Handmaids so dreadfully, yet you can see that she genuinely believes she is being cruel to be kind. She does love them in her own way.

Yeh I'm not getting the shock about the guy who had to be killed. The women were happy to best him to death but obviously June knew Mrs Keyes would likely want to kill the man who had raped her. She seemed pretty keen to have him beaten when he was outside.
June also didn't want the guys to take him to the river because there would always be an element of mistrust. Did he really die? What did they do with his body etc. So at least she knows 100% he is dead.
I hate aunt Lydia but she is a fantastic actress.
I imagine when June gets out of Gilead, she won't be able to be with Luke, or anyone really. It's too much to go through, you'd need a lifetime of therapy.

Plus, Horehound, Luke is a bit wet.

I thought they did the "life afterwards" really well with Emily meeting up with her wife and son. It was very thoughtfully done.

Anyone else listening to Eyes on Gilead?

I was really scared to hear of a plan to invade Canada (Nick and commander talking). All our safe escapees and the children, even the thought of Canada going Gilead-style!

JojoandGreg

No...is that a podcast about series 4?

Place marking
Just watched it on planner
Was going to save it all Up then binge watch at same time as a Freind

I have failed
Blessed day though

Yes it is @vivariumvivariumsvivaria

JoJo - does the podcast talk about it one episode at a time or does it give away the future episodes we haven't seen yet on channel 4, I don't want to ruin the series for myself

It's one episode at a time. If you look for it you will see the list of episodes.

Series 3 is still available as well.

Actually, be careful as they merged e1 and e2 into one podcast. Maybe wait until next week.

Maybe try out a couple from S3 and see what you think.

How would Fred have known that though? Serena did it to get June pregnant by another man (Nick) to pretend it's Fred's?

As I recall Luke visited Fred in prison, stormed out in apparent fury & conveniently left some documents containing that information.

I’m looking forward to seeing more of Rita & wondering if Moira & Emily might end up together.

@JoJoandGreg I love that podcast. I'll wait a few weeks if they talk about episodes 1 and 2 together. I think the Australian network releases the first few episodes on the same night as they show episode 1, so that might be why they have linked them in the podcast.

JoJo - thank you xx

@CurbsideProphet

It was recommended on here, I think when we were discussing series 3 - which now seems like a very long time ago.

I think June made a mistake letting Esther kill her rapist. If she (June) had killed him herself she could still have earned Esther's respect and loyalty but without further damaging the psyche of a child. As it now stands Esther has now broken the ultimate taboo and taken a human life. I think June has created a monster who won't hesitate to kill again.

June calls Esther 'Banana', her pet name for her daughter. That's a travesty. If it was Hannah who had been repeatedly raped there is no way June would have made Hannah kill the rapists, June would have done it herself to protect and avenge her daughter. By encouraging Esther to do it herself she used and dehumanised the child, just as the rapists did. She is creating a killing machine and might come to regret it.

@Confusedandshaken

I think June made a mistake letting Esther kill her rapist. If she (June) had killed him herself she could still have earned Esther's respect and loyalty but without further damaging the psyche of a child. As it now stands Esther has now broken the ultimate taboo and taken a human life. I think June has created a monster who won't hesitate to kill again.

June calls Esther 'Banana', her pet name for her daughter. That's a travesty. If it was Hannah who had been repeatedly raped there is no way June would have made Hannah kill the rapists, June would have done it herself to protect and avenge her daughter. By encouraging Esther to do it herself she used and dehumanised the child, just as the rapists did. She is creating a killing machine and might come to regret it.

I feel the same! Esther, to me, is terrifying and turning her into a murderer to help her deal with her rage isn't going to help her heal or relieve her trauma. Killing this one man isn't going to heal her. She's still going to have all those memories. It's only going to create a need to kill again.

I felt deeply uncomfortable at that scene,
"make me proud" etc. My least favourite episode so far.

@Confusedandshaken you've managed to articulate what I've had milling about in my mind when I was trying to figure out what made me uncomfortable.

Perhaps June knows that Esther will NEED to kill again... out there when they start the 'fight'. At least she's had a strong motive to kill this guy so it's a good start? Might be a reach but just a thought?

but June will need more HM to be able to kill the fight is far from over,i sense the other HM would be more reluctant so in Esther June has a willing HM,an important role in their fight

June had to get Esther to kill the guy who raped her to get Esther placed firmly on the HMs side.

She was a loose cannon who could have given the HMs away at any moment. By getting her to commit murder she can never go back to being the commanders wife position again.

Yes it was uncomfortable watching June manipulate a clearly traumatised young woman but that's why June is a leader. And it's why the HMs have achieved what they have achieved so far.