Page 38 | The Handmaid's Tale S4 at C4 pace (no spoilers from Hulu subscribers) Thread 2

MotionActivatedDog · 26/07/2021 09:17

I took Luke’s expression as initially just very emotional- didn’t know what to say after finally laying eyes on June and then when June didn’t come towards him he looked confused. He could tell there was something in her head.

PitchImperfect · 26/07/2021 09:50

The felt like a filler episode to me & it suddenly made June's need to get Hannah back all about Luke, rather than her maternal instinct to rescue her baby, which felt a bit off. The entire time she's just been desperate to reunite with Hannah, not Luke, & it seemed like they were completely changing her motivation & priorities.

I'm so cross that we didn't see what happened to Janine. I was scanning the crowds at the aid camp hoping to see her there. It was interesting to have a glimpse of how difficult aid work is when they're going in to help people for a short time but know they can't save them. All the "greater good" stuff of leaving people behind so they can come back to help a bit more another time must be so hard!

I was a bit confused by Luke appearing on the boat - did they radio ahead & say they were bringing her in or did June & Moira just hang out on the boat for ages waiting for him? I'd have much preferred it if they'd done the same speech with June that they did with Emily upon arrival in America, the "would you be in danger if we sent you back?" thing, & then Moira took June to see Luke. I'd have loved a scene where Luke was working in an office & Moira opened the door & just stood there staring at him - Luke would've said "Hey! Welcome back, how did it go?" & then looked confused when she continued to just stare at him & then she stood aside to reveal June behind her...

Am I right in thinking this isn't the last series? I want to see Nick's reaction when he finds out that she got out & then I want to see him working to get Hannah out, possibly dying in the process. He must know where she is &, assuming he has indeed committed war crimes, there's no life for him after Gilead so I think all he has to live for is June's safety & happiness. I want him to be a double agent who's secretly helping to bring down Gilead but eventually realises that it's collapsing & he'll be arrested so he kidnaps Hannah & runs through the woods with her, just like June did, except this time Hannah is older & faster & can keep running after Nick gets shot & she makes it to Canada.

MotionActivatedDog · 26/07/2021 09:55

it suddenly made June's need to get Hannah back all about Luke, rather than her maternal instinct to rescue her baby, which felt a bit off. The entire time she's just been desperate to reunite with Hannah, not Luke, & it seemed like they were completely changing her motivation & priorities.

Totally agree. I said earlier in the thread that the June in the flashbacks had a different personality than June in flashbacks from previous seasons and you have summed up what I was thinking. Suddenly in the flashbacks she was insecure about Luke, doubts about whether he would leave her if she couldn’t have a baby. She was honestly like a young teenager not the confident adult woman we’ve seen in previous flashbacks. And then it all ties in with “oooh I can’t see Luke without bringing Hannah back for him” “I’m sorry I don’t have her”. As if Luke only ever saw June as a means to have Hannah! When in reality Luke didn’t even mention Hannah in the scene where he was blaming June for staying in Gilead. He said June chose to stay. Didn’t even occur to him that she was staying to get her child.

MotionActivatedDog · 26/07/2021 09:57

@PitchImperfect you should be writing these episodes!!

NashvilleQueen · 26/07/2021 09:57

I assumed they didn't count them leaving Canada but checked that everyone on board when leaving Gilead had valid ID.

I mean it's not perfect as a plot but it hangs together just about.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 26/07/2021 13:10

Since the agile and forces didn’t catch the NGO smuggling June out, I think @FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop is right, and she could wait a week or two and then appear, and say she slipped over the border on her own.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 26/07/2021 13:12

Hah - the iPad autocorrect doesn’t recognise Gilead and replaced it with “agile and” - is Apple part of The Resistance?

thevassal · 26/07/2021 13:50

Agree with everyone else that this episode was very short, and comprised of too long a recap - why did we need to be reminded they escaped in a milk train again, it only happened 2 episodes ago and is irrelevant as a plot device?

I think they should have established some more distinctive costuming for young!June (and moira) - in the college scenes in s1 they were presumably no older than 21ish but being played by actresses in their late thirties and it was a bit distracting. Even in the scene as June was packing to leave their shared flat this episode it's at least 12 years earlier (assuming Hannah is 9/10 and it took a while to get pregnant after they'd married) and with all they've been through, yet they look exactly the same Even something like coloured highlights, strong make up, more 'youth' (or distinctively 2000s clothes...)

Someone above mentioned wanting to see a more emotive scene where June is recognised for 'Angel's flight.' Not sure if it will happen in HM T, (although I assume they won't be able to keep her arrival in canada secret from Gilead for long, which is why Not!Vod tells Moira there won't be a NGO office from now one), however you might be interested in this video of the man who helped to organise the kindertransport before WWII (warning might make you cry).

vivariumvivariumsvivaria · 26/07/2021 13:50

I agree about June's character being different in the flashback - but I wonder if that's because there is more to Luke than we have known? I've always thought he was a bit wet and didn't like him much, but maybe he gave her a confidence that she didn't have previously?

Lots of women have a good "game face" and seem really confident but underneath it we're really not. Maybe that's what June was confiding in her best friend?

It's an important episode, sets us up for the court fight with the Waterford's that is surely coming? June can only help Hannah from court. And the other poor sods who got left behind too.

That really got me, after watching the HMT I watched the news and there was a story of a huge group of people in these awful boats trying to cross the channel yesterday. It is very confronting, there are thousands of people living in as desperate situations as what we are watching in a fictional story. Made a donation to MSF out of guilt and weeping. Those poor sods, I hope they can make a decent life here and have lots of Unas to help them find their feet.

(Also, JanineJanineJanineJanineJanine - we'll see her again, I'm sure)

vivariumvivariumsvivaria · 26/07/2021 13:51

Thanks, Vassal. I saw a documentary about him.

There are some very good people in the world.

Breathmiller · 26/07/2021 13:52

Yes, that was my thought. They can just hold on for a bit then 'find' June somewhere on the Border. Gilead know she must be heading that way.
Although, they do know she was in Chicago so they might be suspicious.

Will the Canadian powers that be shut down the aid mission? Surely there will be rules for funding and what not that have to be adhered to. Will they be willing to turn a blind eye, bit hard to do when it is someone so well known.

GoingGently · 26/07/2021 14:39

I'm not sure we will see janine again.... moira's seems to be a reliable voice in the programme and when she said to June "she's probably dead" I got the sense that we too were supposed to understand that and move on. Like someone said up thread... it's a messy war zone and we won't necessarily get resolutions

CrouchEndTiger12 · 26/07/2021 14:49

There surely won't be many scenes left in gilead now. All of the biggies have left.

Unless janine crops up alive and gets recaptured. The Waterfords, Rita, etc everyone has left.

I suppose Nick and Cmd Lawrence.

GrandPrismatic · 26/07/2021 14:56

@CrouchEndTiger12

There surely won't be many scenes left in gilead now. All of the biggies have left.

Unless janine crops up alive and gets recaptured. The Waterfords, Rita, etc everyone has left.

I suppose Nick and Cmd Lawrence.

And Lydia!!!! How could you forget Aunt Lydia

GoingGently · 26/07/2021 15:00

Will the action switch to invasion of Canada I wonder?

TheMoth · 26/07/2021 15:03

I don't think Gilead has enough fire power to invade Canada. In the book, weren't they struggling enough to contain 'insurgents ', without fighting on another front? Or would they invade because they have god in their side?

CrouchEndTiger12 · 26/07/2021 15:06

@GrandPrismatic oh I remembered her but without any of the handmaid's we know being there, scenes will be a bit meh.

GoingGently · 26/07/2021 15:07

I think the commanders discussed it earlier in this series didn't they? Or is my memory playing tricks?

CrouchEndTiger12 · 26/07/2021 15:07

@TheMoth

I don't think Gilead has enough fire power to invade Canada. In the book, weren't they struggling enough to contain 'insurgents ', without fighting on another front? Or would they invade because they have god in their side?

I think other countries would aid Canada against an invasion.

I'm sure the UK 🇬🇧 would stand by Canada against Gilead

GoingGently · 26/07/2021 15:09

Oh god.... enter BoJo stage left 😫

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 26/07/2021 15:10

I think the point about there not being many familiar characters left in Gilead is a good reason to think Janine is still alive.

CrouchEndTiger12 · 26/07/2021 15:15

@GoingGently

Oh god.... enter BoJo stage left 😫

No. Enter our amazing airforce and army. Why would he be in the scenes

GoingGently · 26/07/2021 15:27

@CrouchEndTiger12 it was a joke...

CrouchEndTiger12 · 26/07/2021 15:35

[quote GoingGently]@CrouchEndTiger12 it was a joke...[/quote]
Ah. Written word doesn't convey that of course.

GoingGently · 26/07/2021 15:44

Well that's me told then! I'll make a note to keep everything entirely literal and to absolutely never use sarcasm in writing