The Handmaid's Tale season 5 contains spoilers

[IconicKitty]

The new season starts on 14th September in the US. No UK date yet but likely be be later in the year

Trailer:

It looks set to be as dramatic as ever. I'm looking forward to the new series but I hope this will be the last, or it risks being one of those series that goes on too long.

[Title edited by MNHQ at OP's request]

I think she

a) liked Ezra and didn't want to kill him

b) Is still just about religious enough to not want to be a killer in general

c) This, in her mind, continues to make her superior to June

Where the feck are they going

Serena will go back to that handsome American government dude and ask for asylum, unless June harms her first.

I hope they aren't going to do a "giving birth in isolation" thing again because they already did that with Nicole.

Serena isn't going anywhere without solid protein unless she's desperate

Things are getting very interesting

Protection!

Haha protein

I think Serena is in Labour. June has to make a decision of helping her or just escaping.
As a mother she decides to help as the baby is innocent and they bond in an uneasy truce.

I enjoyed, if that’s the right word, episode 6. Is now cranking up the pace

I'm not sure why more people aren’t watching it either

i want to know what happens to Putnam's wife and 'child'. Janine was able to have some sort of relationship with them, will that be taken away now?

Mrs Putnam and Angela will get "reassigned"

I wonder what will happen with Aunt Lydia in the end. I think the execution of Putnam may have restored her faith in Gilead.

Yes I think you're probably right. Certainly seemed that way in the scene at the wall.

Reassigned…

I’m sure Angela will be reassigned very quickly. Mrs Putnam I think won’t be so lucky to even be matched to her gynaecologist

I do wonder what wives are for, really. They're not allowed to work or even read, most of them don't have children (infertile), and the higher ranking families have Marthas to do the domestic work. So what's the point of wives?! I suppose they are supposed to raise the handmaids' children, is that it?

I think I'd rather be a Martha tbh.

What was commander Putnam actually executed for? Having sex when it wasn't ceremony night? And therefore rape?

In season 1 (I think it was that early on) the handmaids stoned a man to death for raping a handmaid.
Why was Putnam treated "better" (I think his execution was kinder if that's a thing)

Is it because he was a commander? Because the handmaid raped in season 1 was pregnant and then miscarried? Or just because Gilead has progressed?

IIRC, in the book, the wives are those who were married to the commanders pre-Gilead and supportive of the regime. Women are assigned a role depending on both their status and fertility:

Wives - married to commanders, supporters of Gilead regime, no 'sinful' blemish on their character. To act as the wife but have Martha's for cleaning and handmaids for childbearing. Fertility doesn't seem to determine their role/rank.

Aunts - the highest female status under wives. No 'sinful' behaviour in past, supporter of Gilead, unmarried and past fertile age

Marthas - unmarried women past fertile age, with no 'sinful' past. A lower status than aunt.

Handmaid - fertile women with a 'sinful' past

Unwomen - women who are not fertile and have a sinful past. These women would be sent to the colonies

Jezebels - women who are not fertile, have a sinful past, but are put as prostitutes rather than the colonies

Econowives - fertile women with no sinful past. These would be married to a low ranking man and expected to do all the roles of a wife, handmaid and martha.

"Is it because he was a commander? Because the handmaid raped in season 1 was pregnant and then miscarried? Or just because Gilead has progressed?"

The first two, I think. Not the third!

That's a really helpful summary and reminder, thanks.

The Wives knit, sew and do gardening in the books. I suppose they probably could bake if they wanted to but they don't have to.

That's what I thought as well. But wasn't sure

From what I remember the bloke stoned to death was Mayday rather than a rapist

And were they also just going to 'donate' Esther’s uterus after she’d survived and was out of her coma and in full health, well medically at least

Thanks so much for the streaming link - that's me now up to date. Episode 6 was such a gruelling watch. The acting is superb.

Has anyone watched the new episode?

I almost feel sorry for Serena! But Luke is right, it is justice and now she will know how others have felt.

I've just finished it.

I can see Lukes point, she was always happy enough to see other women's babies taken away. But the mother in me feels awful for Serena.

I'm also a bit confused about where they are. Gilead? Canada? If it's Gilead how come June and Luke are free? If it's Canada how did they get there?
Who did June phone? It sounded like whoever it was answered the phone by saying "June". How did they know it was her.

I might have to watch it again!

They're in Canada and that was Canadian immigration, not Gilead people. Luke called them (it was Moira that June called). She's being detained for crossing the border back into Canada illegally.

Thanks. I've got a crappy flu/infection thing which is making my brain foggy!