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

[OverByYer]

Under his eye

Do we think at this point the Waterfords are in any position to be bargaining? Not sure that the rest of the gilead commanders are that interested? They seem to have other fish to fry i.e. the war. Maybe a lot that we aren't seeing though, I've forgotten who is current Gilead top dog nowadays. There might be a few that would be happy to see the back of the Waterfords for many reasons.

I suppose what we also forget is that this lot are just the Boston/New England crew and that these groups will be repeated all over the other Gilead states with presumably different commanders and issues.

That was a fabulous episode.
I just knew that Rita would be bathed in light at the end!

I think a lot of women will really relate to the scene with Janine and the doctor. I have never had an abortion but when I was a student I remember going to the doctor for contraception and launching into a big justification of why I was going to ask for that particular method and she laughed and said ‘what kind of contraception do you feel you want to use?’ It was a revelation to me to have a doctor who actually believed in letting women make those decisions for themselves.
Given the American context and how much is at stake with abortion rights it will be an even more resonant scene for women there.

@ElephantOfRisk well a lot of commanders were killed or are very ill after the poisoning and lots were killed in the explosion in series 2 so they might be short and need Waterford back. Also if the threat of invasion is withdrawn then Canada might be happy to get rid of them. It was just an idea really.

I don’t think Canada would let Commander Waterford go but if Serena Joy gets off she might decide on go back and it’s a good point about Gilead being happy to have her because of the baby.
She might choose having the status of a successful mother in Gilead over being reviled in Canada.

[quote Crinkle77]@ElephantOfRisk well a lot of commanders were killed or are very ill after the poisoning and lots were killed in the explosion in series 2 so they might be short and need Waterford back. Also if the threat of invasion is withdrawn then Canada might be happy to get rid of them. It was just an idea really.[/quote]
Sorry, @Crinkle77, I didn't mean to be negative about what you said, i was just musing, I think he isn't that popular locally anymore but he may still have some clout with the upper echelons.

I guess we'll just have to keep watching and see, I'm not sure where and what level the commanders that got killed were but they seem to have a never ending stream of folk willing to abuse women.

The season 4 trailer gives some hints as to what might lie ahead.

@TheCountessofFitzdotterel

I don’t think Canada would let Commander Waterford go but if Serena Joy gets off she might decide on go back and it’s a good point about Gilead being happy to have her because of the baby. She might choose having the status of a successful mother in Gilead over being reviled in Canada.

She'd have to find another Commander to marry and might not have much choice!

@Crinkle77

The season 4 trailer gives some hints as to what might lie ahead.

I avoided those

@Roussette, thoroughly enjoying that. I did the daily challenge and then thought I'd try UK first, actually landed on the street a friend used to live on. Amazing

It's good isn't it ElephantOfRisk.

I've been all over the world!

I've been trying to remember if Serena or Fred's families appeared in any of the earlier flashbacks of Pre Gilead? I keep wondering if their parents / siblings will show up.

I really hope June and Janine leave that awful group and find a branch of May Day.

@Roussette

It's good isn't it ElephantOfRisk.

I've been all over the world!

I can't play again for another 19 hours - so that's stopped further adventures. I'm amazed at how quickly you can identify the general country/continent (from daily challenge but also scotland/England) without looking for street signs and van/shop signage.

@CurbsideProphet

I've been trying to remember if Serena or Fred's families appeared in any of the earlier flashbacks of Pre Gilead? I keep wondering if their parents / siblings will show up.

I really hope June and Janine leave that awful group and find a branch of May Day.

Serena has her mum and we've seen that but I can't really recall anything other than bits about them as a couple pre Gilead. Given how it's meant to be about family values, you rarely see anything outside the nuclear families although obvs the commanders do socialise with other commanders. I don't think any ever reference siblings etc. Maybe that's part of the fertility issue? were a lot of them single children?

I've thought that if Serena hadn't been arrested she'd probably have been assassinated, she's been on TV too much to be anonymous. I don't know how she could imagine a happily-ever-after in Canada

@ElephantOfRisk oh yes I'd completely forgotten about Serena's mum. Did she live on the coast or by a lake? Serena doesn't seem bothered about her at all. Yes perhaps she and Fred were both only children.
I would love it if June's mum made an appearance.

I was amazed by June and Janine's upper body strength when they managed to get themselves out of the container!

I think it was someplace by the sea, presumably in New England somewhere (lots of coastline and some beautiful big houses).

And yes, the getting out the container was hilarious and totally unbelievable - they'd have been better having some sort of pull down ladder and not bothering with the theatrics on that.

@FionnulaTheCooler

Does anyone else think that Fred might not be the father of Serena's baby?

Yes! I thought it could be the Canadian embassy man, I know he had a bit of a thing for her in the bar in the previous season.

Anyone else think that they could have used some sort of anonymised actual scan picture rather than that made up one they used?

I'm not sure who the father could be but i'm sure it will be genetically tested if it affects anything to do with Fred's trial.

Gosh just catching up. I found the scene with Rita eating her sushi really emotional.

@OverByYer

Gosh just catching up. I found the scene with Rita eating her sushi really emotional.

I know has made some huge fuck ups, but on the other side of the scales she got Rita out and that is such a good thing.

@OverByYer

Gosh just catching up. I found the scene with Rita eating her sushi really emotional.

Her quiet satisfaction in choosing and enjoying her own meal was beautiful. Something we all take for granted.

If Serena and Fred did make it back to Gilead, would they not make her a handmaid? Sex with her husband isn't allowed and she's shown herself to be problematic (getting her finger cut off, getting Waterford arrested). Just an idea but it wouldn't surprise me!

Sex with her husband isn't allowed

In S3 there was a Commander with a pregnant wife, & everyone seemed very impressed by that. Although I agree she’s problematic.

Sex with your husband is allowed, it just has to be for purposes of procreation not fun. Lust is bad. No blow jobs or interesting positions.