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

999 replies

Faircastle · 20/06/2021 14:55

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.

OP posts:
Breathmiller · 05/07/2021 07:28

The torture scenes were awful, I was hiding behind my hands at one point.
I kind of felt that June and Aunt Lydia would be meeting again. I didn't expect June to get caught at the start of the episode and escape again bu the end though. I felt that jarred a bit. It's all getting a bit - I dont know - action packed. Is it because Gilead as we saw it in the first series and the book is collapsing.

I also was incredulous that Nick could be so open about helping/snogging June. I kept thinking why on earth would they trust him when they know he has history with June? That felt a bit plot holey.
But I've also am team Nick more than Luke. Surely Luke would understand why June would stay in Gilead when Hannah was there. If he knew June at all?

I do like the direction they have taken Aunt Lydia, she is a deeply disturbed but complex character who seems to believe she cares for the handmaids. Beggars belief how she can torture them as she does and still believe that. Even though it has always been that she seems to be the one in power, she has her weaknesses and June got in there to that place of weakness and turned the knife. And June has some weird relationship with Lydia, or why would she not swedge her in the bus when she had the chance? There was that hesitation.

I loved the extra time last night.

What's to become of June and Janine?

Horehound · 05/07/2021 08:07

I didn't understand why June and Janine didn't run into the forest! They just stayed on the road and I thought "well, you'll deffo get seen there!"

Luke, I think is just going through the motions. But since June has been in Gilead so long and what she has seen/done and been done to her I really don't see how she can go back to luke and it all be ok.
I don't believe nick is a double agent either. For how many years does he have to spy before the other country(IES?) Intervene? Nah doesn't seem plausible to me.

It seemed like Aunt Lydia was quite keen to be killed by June. So i think that gave insight to her not actually liking her current role/life at the mo too

whatsthestory123 · 05/07/2021 08:46

i think aunt lydia and june have a classic abuser/abused relationship even abusers can be be charming and nice and lydia imo plays a classic abuser but also shows her abusive side and has little concience but has flickers of normality (not sure that's the right word Grin

Crinkle77 · 05/07/2021 08:50

Luke, I think is just going through the motions. But since June has been in Gilead so long and what she has seen/done and been done to her I really don't see how she can go back to luke and it all be ok.

I don't think her and Luke would work either. She's not the same person that she was when they were together before Gilead. She'll be traumatised and only Nick will be able to understand what she's been through.

MotionActivatedDog · 05/07/2021 08:54

Luke and June don’t stand a chance outside of Gilead. I think the only reason they might try to be together is if they get Hannah back. But even then Hannah doesn’t know them anymore and would be really traumatised so that would be a really hard situation to deal with with someone you’re only with through a sense of duty.

LadyEloise · 05/07/2021 09:10

I too was* shocked at Nick openly kissing June @Breathmiller*.
It just seemed wrong - surely it would be reported back and he'd be toast ?

I remember way back in Season whatever, June and Nick kissing inside some public building in Gilead and thinking this is nuts, surely there is CCTV.
Matt Hancock anyone. I'd normally put in a smiley emoji there but there's possibly a wronged wife, a wronged husband ( both might be in open relationships) but definitely six children whose lives have changed irrevocably.

AlohaMolly · 05/07/2021 09:24

Can I just ask… what colour does everyone see the wives’ dresses as?

Horehound · 05/07/2021 09:28

@AlohaMolly bluey turquoise

JoeGrundyWasMyRoleModel · 05/07/2021 09:42

What did Commander Lawrence mean when he said to June "Gilead was due a makeover and thanks to you it got one"?

I can't see any change, except possibly a shoot on sight policy rather than recapture and punishment as referred to by a PP.

There do seem to be an increasing number of situational illogicalities and plot holes.

LadyEloise · 05/07/2021 09:46

I see the Commanders' wives clothing as teal blue.

GoingGently · 05/07/2021 09:50

@JoeGrundyWasMyRoleModel

What did Commander Lawrence mean when he said to June "Gilead was due a makeover and thanks to you it got one"?

I can't see any change, except possibly a shoot on sight policy rather than recapture and punishment as referred to by a PP.

There do seem to be an increasing number of situational illogicalities and plot holes.

I puzzled over this too
TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 05/07/2021 09:51

‘I can't see any change, except possibly a shoot on sight policy rather than recapture and punishment as referred to by a PP. ‘

And the establishment of Magdalene colonies- hardly an improvement!

Iggi999 · 05/07/2021 09:54

If Nick made it to Canada I think he would be arrested, so they wouldn't have a happy ending there either.

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 05/07/2021 09:54

The thing about handmaids including June having to be kept alive at all costs because of the value of their fertility should be such a great gift to the scriptwriters in allowing them to make the plot armour of June and others plausible. But it’s handled so inconsistently, with the ready shooting of runaway handmaids.

Iggi999 · 05/07/2021 09:56

I loved the building of the tension in the van, when they all realised they were alone with Aunt Lydia and she only had one weapon and far more of them..

CafeMochaVodkaValiumLate · 05/07/2021 10:14

@memberofthewedding yes! I think I've seen a film called the Magdalene sisters! Many years ago but I remember it being very upsetting.

viques · 05/07/2021 10:20

Anyone else puzzled by the time scales of June’s children’s ages. Hannah looked to be at least nine in this episode, yet the last time we got a really good look at her , when June was pregnant, she was not more than about 6, whereas baby Nichole isn’t walking yet.

Horehound · 05/07/2021 10:26

Mm yeh you're right @viques

vivariumvivariumsvivaria · 05/07/2021 10:33

The driver shooting the handmaids - that might have been just how he handles other escaped prisoners. I don't think he had thought it through, it was an impulsive reaction to escapees.

So, that increases Lydia's woes - not only has she let June and Janine escape, but two dead uteruses and two injured uteruses. She was beaten for 19 days, what are they going to do to her now?

Guard will get the wall. Lydia will get worse.

I think J+J were right to run up the road, they can get a fair distance in half an hour, whereas the forest will give cover but less mileage.

Running in that red get up can't be comfy.

Agree with WitchSharkadder about Nick. If he was a double agent they'd have used it in the plot by now, I think he's committed atrocities because those were his orders and that's why the Swiss didn't want anything to do with him and June will find that out at some point.

Tell you what, though, it must be love for him to fancy her when she's in a Mousey Martha outfit and has got bits of brains flecked all over her face. Not exactly a glow up look, was it?

vivariumvivariumsvivaria · 05/07/2021 10:36

Iggi yes, that was really well written and acted.

vivariumvivariumsvivaria · 05/07/2021 10:37

Viques is that because they lost time to film from lockdown? So the actress has aged but the character has not and they have swapped the baby because all blonde blue eyed babies look the same*?

(*opinions may differ)

AlohaMolly · 05/07/2021 10:57

It’s been bothering me since season one because I know in the book they’re blue, but the wives dresses look really emerald green to me!

GoldenGumballs · 05/07/2021 11:14

AlohaMolly Emerald green to me too!! Was totally confused by the blue descriptions Grin

Wineloffa · 05/07/2021 11:17

June and Jeanine will be easy to spot in those red outfits! I wonder where they’ll go? Hopefully Nick will come to the rescue again. Agree that transporting a load of renegade handmaids in a low security red mini bus with one driver and Aunt Lydia was ridiculously implausible.

DonttouchthatLarry · 05/07/2021 11:24

@BlankTimes

memberofthewedding Google Tuam Babies.

I found tonight's episode awful re the torture, and wonder where Janine and June can run to, to avoid Lydia and that guard physically seeing them, there seemed to be only a couple of hundred yards between them, if that.

Those trains in the US can take half an hour to pass - the guard and Lydia can't see them and can't even begin to follow along the road until the train has passed. They'll have a good head start as could be anywhere either side of the road and run about 3 miles in half an hour.

I agree there has to be some suspension of disbelief as otherwise there'd be no series - they'd be caught and never have the chance to escape again.