The Handmaid's Tale Series 4 - finale coming up, no spoilers please.

[Clawdy]

New thread, looking forward to finale, but wishing it really was the last episode, with all storylines and characters ending satisfactorily.

@BIWI

I thought there was an awful symmetry here - Luke in Canada with his daughter in Gilead, and Nick in Gilead with his daughter in Canada.

And June caught in the middle of the two men.

Yes- and Luke caring for Nick’s daughter in Canada, while Nick is caring for Luke’s daughter in Gilead by having “friendlies” find her and get photos.

@BIWI

I thought there was an awful symmetry here - Luke in Canada with his daughter in Gilead, and Nick in Gilead with his daughter in Canada.

And June caught in the middle of the two men.

Yes that's so true.

Nick seeing Nicole and all the while knowing he couldn't be there for her - and the little doll - was giving me all the feels :_(

I must be soft - because I really don't want to see anything bad happen to Serena or her baby. Hate her of course, but I just don't wanna see any female character parted from their child. Very soft

Serena will just be hoping it looks like her rather than it's father (presumably Fred)

I think an unintended consequences of handmaids and steeling babies is having lots of half siblings running about who don't know each other.

The books suggest an arranged marriage system to combat accidental incest.

@Twizbe

I think an unintended consequences of handmaids and steeling babies is having lots of half siblings running about who don't know each other.

The books suggest an arranged marriage system to combat accidental incest.

Yes, that makes a lot of sense, hadn't thought of that.

@Twizbe

I think an unintended consequences of handmaids and steeling babies is having lots of half siblings running about who don't know each other.

The books suggest an arranged marriage system to combat accidental incest.

Don't the Aunts have their diaries that they keep track of who is who's parent to ensure the lines are genetically ok?

I assume Nick has been married off to the daughter of a fellow Commander.

10 series is a lot. I’ve enjoyed it so far, I hope it doesn’t become too repetitive.

There were files at the red centre of who was who etc, that's were June found out the information about janines son.

I was worried that they would suggested trading Hannah for Nichole, or that Gilead would want to trade June for Hannah.
I can't trust Nick, I think he is slippery. I wouldn't be surprised if that doll is bugged. I would choose Luke over Nick any day.
There can't be a happily ever after for Fred and Serena "West" (suits them) and their baby.

I think Nick's only priority is Nick.

I was worried that they would suggested trading Hannah for Nichole, or that Gilead would want to trade June for Hannah.

I think if they wanted to trade June for Hannah, June would feel she couldn’t refuse.

I wonder if it ever occurred to Fred that Gilead might have offered Hannah in exchange for him? If they gave a shit about getting him back, which they clearly don’t.

The thing that struck me about Luke and Nick was the efforts they both went to in order to gather information to find Hannah.

June was amazed by the amount Luke had done. It was impressive.

Then they had the awkward "I'm sort of dumping you but we need to work together to getHannah" conversation.

June meets Nick, who hands her a small pack of valuable information and she says "You did this for me?"...

Luke did it for Hannah
Nick did it for June

Nick hid his marriage because he'll get a handmaid and I expect June would have an opinion on that.

PP are right, that'll be Esther. I think Janine has shown herself to be useful in managing to get Esther to toe the line without having to cut the girl's tongue out. Aunt Lydia can use her in that role - she is chastened after June pointed out that she did not protect "her girls" at all. Lydia does not want to send Janine to be a HM again.

June in Canada, Janine in the red centre and Esther and Nick in Gilead's power. So, that's a resistance network?

Oh, hang on - the Last Supper imagery - we had a betrayal but no death?

Serena's baby? June said it would die
Tuello? June said she'd kill him

@vivariumvivariumsvivaria I missed the ‘awkward dumping conversation’???

I don’t have a similar story about vendors but I do clearly remember being totally shouted at by an estate agent who was massively angry with us. We put an offer in on a house which they declined so we went to look at others and put an offer elsewhere. The EA of the first house actually rang us up to shout at us for finding somewhere else. Was completely gobsmacked as didn’t think we had done anything wrong. They wouldn’t accept our offer and we couldn’t go any higher so that was that in our eyes.

Whoops! Totally wrong thread. Sorry!!! 😂

@Hopeisallineed

I don’t have a similar story about vendors but I do clearly remember being totally shouted at by an estate agent who was massively angry with us. We put an offer in on a house which they declined so we went to look at others and put an offer elsewhere. The EA of the first house actually rang us up to shout at us for finding somewhere else. Was completely gobsmacked as didn’t think we had done anything wrong. They wouldn’t accept our offer and we couldn’t go any higher so that was that in our eyes.

Must rewatch, missed that bit

Nick could have given June that information knowing that she wouldn't just accept that hannah was happy and that it would draw her back into gilead to a known location so she could be captured?

@Theredjellybean

There were files at the red centre of who was who etc, that's were June found out the information about janines son.

That's what Aunt Lydia was leafing through when Janine came to bring her tea - and before she had the conversation with her about Esther. Presumably AL was searching for a suitable posting for Janine. She will, ultimately, have to find her a posting as she is still a handmaiden.

And re Luke, don't forget he betrayed his wife by having an affair with June - so continuing the symmetry, he in turn has been betrayed by June having an affair with Nick (albeit that the circumstances/context were rather more legitimate!), and now Nick is sort-of betraying June by being married without telling her.

And the final betrayal is of June by Tuello, of course.

[quote Hopeisallineed]@vivariumvivariumsvivaria I missed the ‘awkward dumping conversation’???[/quote]
So did I. I don't think that happened.

I'm looking forward to the last episode.
Why are June and Janine wearing red clothes?I can't for the life of me imagine that they would ever wear red again, is it symbolic?

Anyone else watching events in Afghanistan, those poor women and children. It's still happening.

I think Tuello has made a huge mistake by allowing the Puttnams in, I realise that he was hoping to use their indifference to the fate of Fred and Serena as a lever to push F and S into confessing once they realised that they were persona non gratis in Gilead , which worked well as a strategy, but the Canadians are now stuck with them, and if there is a movement in Canada of approval for Gilead then F and S will be in the thick of it. Both of them have shown before that they are masters of self publicity and manipulation. Watch out Canada, it’s how Gilead got started in the first place.

Poor Janine, I don’t think she has the gumption and brains to be a secret mayday rebel. Janine has always taken the road of least resistance to survive, and has tried to keep on the Aunts good side, she is not bright enough to realise how she has been abused into compliance. She is a very damaged person who has suffered huge trauma through her life and is so desperate both for approval and not to be a handmaid again that she will agree to do anything . I think Lydia will invent a new role for her at the Centre, not as an Aunt, but as a “Sister” to new Handmaids to persuade them to conform.

@mm8989

I'm looking forward to the last episode. Why are June and Janine wearing red clothes?I can't for the life of me imagine that they would ever wear red again, is it symbolic?

Anyone else watching events in Afghanistan, those poor women and children. It's still happening.

Janine is wearing red because she's a handmaid again?

And re Luke, don't forget he betrayed his wife by having an affair with June - so continuing the symmetry, he in turn has been betrayed by June having an affair with Nick (albeit that the circumstances/context were rather more legitimate!), and now Nick is sort-of betraying June by being married without telling her.

And Nick's first wife was having an affair. Was Nick also sleeping with June whilst married to Eden?