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.

That was it, Crinkle! Thanks!

So, If I was a Big Cheese Commander, I'd choose someone malleable who didn't think too hard and was bright enough to recognise a shortcut to an easy life if it was offered to him. Not a "yes" man, but someone who knew which were his circus and monkeys and who'd keep his mouth shut in return for a deposit in the favour bank.

I think that's Nick. Focussed on himself than the big issues. Nick's not a freedom fighter, he just wants a shortcut to a bit of comfort. That's why Eden was doomed, he just didn't think about her and the harm that ignoring her would do (I'd forgotten Eden was an econowife, too, thanks, PP), he didn't want to rape a child but he didn't think about what would happen if he didn't consummate their marriage or if he had a wife tidying up his stuff and found the letters.

On the other hand, double agents have to be able to blend in and be a bit bland. Dunno. I like that about the character, he's "what about Nick, would you shag/marry/avoid/assassinate/who's Nick?"

That works too Curbside and Uhtred. So that might mean he's pretending she's a Martha. June might be on the most wanted list but they probably don't have an up to date photo of her. Hoping anyway.

@Thisisworsethananticpated

I can’t bear to watch next week Now she has been captured

Never has a programme made me so tense 😬

At least we know she survives as they talking about season five ! But yes tense

..or they could kill off character and have flashbacks but unlikely?

Is anyone else bothered / distracted by Mrs Keye's false eyelashes? She is so tiny they are bigger than she is.

Mrs Keyes sometimes has a look of Emma Watson

IIRC in early seasons it was partly fertility rates dropping off a cliff but also babies being born who didn't survive. Handmaids were chosen who had living children I think as that was proof they could "breed" successfully

@crucru I thought that too

CruCru - yes, I keep thinking she looks just like Emma Watson

Placemarking

He won't have he long to decide what to do - they arrive, all handmaids are gone, van pulls up with a bloke and a Martha. Until she walked up to the house he couldn't know she had been off executing commanders

Hmm, I'm going to have to disagree on Nick. I'm not sure we are going to get an answer quickly though.

My big niggle is that the Swiss negotiators refused to deal with him (apparently, as if he is a double agent then the international community are already dealing with him and the Swiss didn't want to blow his cover). To me the Swiss refusal means either double agent or war criminal / terrorist (genocide in the crusades or storming the capitol ie killing the president), as Serena referred to him as a crusades hero (Gileadean war hero is a terrorist / war criminal to the international community). Terrorist / war criminal also means he can't escape Gilead though - as he would end up in front of the ICC.

One of my friends thinks he is a CIA agent who is now deep undercover after infiltrating the SOJ prior to the civil war.

As PP said, being a bit bland could be deliberate so that he doesn't draw too much attention to himself - essential for a spy, whether Eye or CIA.

I think, generally, we should remember that this is June's story and we essentially only see what she sees / knows.

Hi everyone. Just joining after binge watching S3 again and then Ep 1 and 2 over the past few days!!

I am also confused about what is going on. Very surprised at the age of Mrs Keyes - literally a child and it seems like from what she is saying that she's been married to the commander for a while. McKenna Grace is an amazing actress though and she has been in many high profile films/TV at such a young age.

Hated the killing of "Johnny" although I suppose they had no other option.

Glad to see Nick back but very interested to see how it plays out. Want to know why they shot the driver though? Maybe he was rogue against Mayday and Nick ordered him to be killed?

Can't believe Serena is pregnant - great twist!

Oh and I have to watch with subtitles. I literally cannot understand a word otherwise.

Also, when June first arrived at the farmhouse and was unwell, I thought it was quite sinister when Mrs Keyes was saying "I dreamed about us killing people together" or something like that. My ears pricked up at that as I found it such a strange thing for her to say.

Very surprised at the age of Mrs Keyes - literally a child and it seems like from what she is saying that she's been married to the commander for a while.

The girls who are bred to be commander's wives, become wives as soon as they start menstruating. I think the producers have deliberately chosen a young looking actress to really drive home the perverted nature of the Gilead high command.

I'm not that surprised Esther Keyes is infatuated (of a fashion) with June.
June is this mystery figure who has escaped several times, had secret meetings with Hannah, killed a Commander with her bare hands, got her baby and all of those children out of Gilead, and had the chance to leave but has stayed to rescue her daughter.
Poor Esther was given as a child bride to an older man who has raped her and allowed other men to rape her. June is the ultimate mother figure - willing to do anything to find and protect her child - and now she Esther has met her. Esther must be so mentally damaged. No wonder she wants to join June's gang and make her proud.

I think there was a scene at the hospital where June and the other handmaid who was being kept alive to give birth where at where they showed young girls coming in. Vague recollection but they were being checked for fertility? So they could be married.

I really want Holly to charge in like Boudicca, as head of May Day.

That would actually make the series for me 😂.

@UhtredRagnarson

I think there was a scene at the hospital where June and the other handmaid who was being kept alive to give birth where at where they showed young girls coming in. Vague recollection but they were being checked for fertility? So they could be married.

I remember that too.

The Gilead regime is basically an organised sex trafficking and paedophile gang. Hiding under the name of religion.

Where are Ted, Kate and Steve when you need them?

Yes there was an episode in series 1 where he was at the job centre and Commander Price was the job coach. Nick kept losing his jobs and Price offered him a job as a driver.

I thought Nick was being portrayed as an angry young man, someone who the system had failed. Exactly the type of recruit terrorist organisations look for.

(Unless of course he is CIA and was acting to infiltrate SOJ, as my friend thinks).

I'm starting to get twitchy at wanting to watching ahead. I really want to binge watch it. or find spoilers. But I don't want to either😂

I like watching it once a week especially when it's really intence because one is enough to digest! also DH won't keep up if I binge as I normally pull all nighters

I was lost to the family for 10 days when I binged all of Mad Men

@JoJoandGreg

I really want Holly to charge in like Boudicca, as head of May Day.

That would actually make the series for me 😂.

Was Holly June’s mother?

I think Nick is too clever and good at being sneaky to be some random unemployed dude who got sucked into a rape cult. I don't know if he's gilead through and through from expedience and helps June because he loves her, or if he's just a sneaky opportunist who does whatever serves his own interests, or some deep undercover double agent.

@EmpressWitchDoesntBurn

Yes she was. Last seen in a video of the colonies that June and Moira were shown when they were at the Red Centre. I thought she was an interesting character but probably there to demonstrate how regressive Gilead is.

I think I'm dreaming but hey, we can all hope 😂.

Iirc the young girls had started menstruating and were being checked to see if their pelvises were wide enough to give birth.