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The Handmaids Tale S4 at C4 pace (no spoilers) thread 3

999 replies

MotionActivatedDog · 27/07/2021 09:45

New thread!

Why would Canada send Serena back to Gilead? They want to prosecute her for war crimes.

OP posts:
vivariumvivariumsvivaria · 10/08/2021 12:11

There are Aunts in Canada.

The journalist is not clearly on one side or the other

There is support for the Waterfords

There is only June in court, the other women's evidence is not relevant

The Waterford's lawyer started on the usual sexist tropes of June being "the wrong sort of victim"

Hannah is in Gilead

Nicole might be Fred's

Nick is a wild card

Aunt Lydia would love to sort June out and would travel to Canada to defend Gilead against June's insubordination

There are piles of bodies and destruction in June's wake

I have been wondering whether the twist is that June is not believed in court, or portrayed as an unreliable, hysterical shrill, or she cannot prove her case.

I have agreed with the criticism of this series and all the plot holes - but I'm still totally hooked.

Iggi999 · 10/08/2021 13:15

Great summary! There will be other women in court though, both Rita and Moira have direct experience of the Waterfords as well.

Theredjellybean · 10/08/2021 13:19

The supporters... Did anyone else want to tell them they could all go live in gilead?

vivariumvivariumsvivaria · 10/08/2021 13:31

Oh, also Esther - presumably her husband had a miracle recovery when she was removed, and the missing Eye has to be explained.

And, Commander Lawrence. He's a conundrum, who could go either way. He basically told Lydia that if she wanted to kill Janine she could, and Lydia's reaction to seeing Janine will have shown Lawrence that Janine can be used to extort something from Lydia.

Poor Janine.

vivariumvivariumsvivaria · 10/08/2021 13:33

Rita and Moira could be brilliant, or could also be dismissed in court as unreliable witnesses. Women have been victims of injustice since law began, so I'm not going to assume that the testimony of three women will be sufficient to stop whatever political power play is going on between Gilead and Canada and Sweden.

vivariumvivariumsvivaria · 10/08/2021 13:35

Must admit, I'd quite enjoy the irony if Canada was portrayed as being not a particularly good place to be a woman.

Art and life and all that.

BIWI · 10/08/2021 13:55

Do we know when season 5 is going to launch? I saw something online which looked like a summary of the first episode, but I clicked back quickly as I didn't want to get any spoilers!

ThisIsSimplyBeyond · 10/08/2021 14:37

@vivariumvivariumsvivaria

Must admit, I'd quite enjoy the irony if Canada was portrayed as being not a particularly good place to be a woman.

Art and life and all that.

🙌🏻
dapsnotplimsolls · 10/08/2021 14:40

@BIWI

Do we know when season 5 is going to launch? I saw something online which looked like a summary of the first episode, but I clicked back quickly as I didn't want to get any spoilers!
I don't know if they've even started filming yet.
BIWI · 10/08/2021 14:44

I thought that, but it was a link to YouTube, so I got the impression it was showing an actual still. But as I say I didn't linger on it as I didn't want to find anything out I don't need to know yet!

ElephantOfRisk · 10/08/2021 14:45

Yeah, i've had to click away from lots of stuff about season 5. I wish they'd just fuck off and let us finish season 4 in peace!

BIWI · 10/08/2021 15:38

I only saw this week's episode last night, so I'm still processing a lot of it. But I'm wondering what's going to happen with Janine? It occurred to me that she could, of course, be pregnant, after her 'dalliance' with the rebel guy.

That would be an interesting plot twist!

ElephantOfRisk · 10/08/2021 15:41

@BIWI

I only saw this week's episode last night, so I'm still processing a lot of it. But I'm wondering what's going to happen with Janine? It occurred to me that she could, of course, be pregnant, after her 'dalliance' with the rebel guy.

That would be an interesting plot twist!

yeah, I wondered that too! They'd probably just take the baby and give it to a commander family? Not sure what Janine would make of that though....
EBearhug · 10/08/2021 15:48

I don't think Janine would take it at all well, given how she was with her first baby in a commander's house (my mind has gone totally blank on names.)

ElephantOfRisk · 10/08/2021 15:54

@EBearhug

I don't think Janine would take it at all well, given how she was with her first baby in a commander's house (my mind has gone totally blank on names.)
Yes but would make a good storyline. Can just see June marching back to Gilead, collecting Janine and them going on a rampage to collect their children/babies.
BIWI · 10/08/2021 15:59

Baby Angela (Janine called her Charlotte), with Commander (Warren) Putnam

EBearhug · 10/08/2021 16:10

Yes but would make a good storyline. Can just see June marching back to Gilead, collecting Janine and them going on a rampage to collect their children/babies.

Yes it would. I am sure June will be back to Gilead, to find Hannah, but I could see Janine being forced to give up her baby again as really transformative for her and push her to being a leader, particularly without June there. June can't go back to Gilead openly, because of all she's done there and now in Canada, testifying. Obviously no one can openly be part of any resistance, be it Mayday or otherwise, but Janine wouldn't be seen as a risk like June is.

BoreOfWhabylon · 10/08/2021 16:23

I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Janine become Aunt L's helper at the Red Centre. Training the Handmaids.

WitchSharkadder · 10/08/2021 16:23

The speculation about Canada going the way of Gilead is very interesting. I suppose it would be very possible for the same circumstances (falling birth rate, increasing numbers of crazy fat-right type supporters etc) to happen there. Chilling thought though.

I like angry June. I think it's very realistic and, although I didn't agree with how she railroaded Emily into the confrontation with the Aunt, I get that she's very blinkered by her own anger and need for revenge right now and can't see how anyone else doesn't feel the same way as she does.

I find the way the four women (June, Moira, Emily & Rita) are dealing with things quite true to life, they are all processing their trauma in very different ways. There's no 'right' way to cope is there and we'd all react differently.

Iggi999 · 10/08/2021 16:25

Maybe June knew Emily better than Moira did - what she was capable of in Gilead.

onlyreadingneverposting8 · 10/08/2021 16:42

@BIWI @ElephantOfRisk I wondered that about Janine too! Had genuinely thought they'd killed her in the bombing. Had also wondered if they were finishing with season 4 but now there's LOADS to move into a new season with!

onlyreadingneverposting8 · 10/08/2021 16:43

Also felt bad for her that she had decided not to stay with the people they'd met rather than go with June!

RiaOverTheRainbow · 10/08/2021 16:45

I think what Moira was getting at is unproductive rage (fantasising about torturing your commander) is unhelpful/harmful. It focuses on the past and you can't act on it, so dwelling on it too much is unhealthy. The difference between her and June is June fully intends to act on her rage.

BIWI · 10/08/2021 17:25

Yes, but June is actually in the middle of a process to get justice because of the way 'her' commander treated her, so she is still actually acting on the past. She has to.

SoupDragon · 10/08/2021 17:28

@Iggi999

Maybe June knew Emily better than Moira did - what she was capable of in Gilead.
Does she know Emily better than Emily though?