Handmaid's Tale, series 6. US pace

[HaddyAbrams]

Welcome one and all to those who are watching series 6 as it is released in the US.

Here's a place to discuss everything we've seen so far, but please don't post spoilers. If they haven't been broadcast, they are spoilers. I don't care if you've read about it online/ in a magazine.

Under his eye.

It seemed very rushed. And some stuff didnt make much sense, like why did Naomi give up the child to Janine? I thought maybe to buy clemency for her part in Gilead but then she went back to Gilead controlled territory. And how did Aunt Lydia make that happen?

Because commander Lawrance opened her eyes to what Angela was growing up in.He said along the lines of "all that child wants to do is learn, let her" and i think aunt Lydia probably made her realise that life in Gilead wasnt about to get easier for that to happen. I feel Naomi always had an odd realtionship with Angela too, she loved her, but it never came across that she loved her as a mother would love her child. Commandre Lawrence made her see Angela deserved more, and she loved her enough to let her go with the woman who lobed her like a mother, to let her be charlotte, in to safety where she could learn and thrive.

I kept waiting for the story to progress but it felt like everyone was standing still

What story was left to tell though? Every character got a resolution pretty much. Gilead is on its way out but it won’t happen overnight.

The only remaining loose end was Hannah but I think a reunion would have been too overly perfect plus she wouldn’t have known June and Luke so it wouldn’t been a big tearful payoff. They would have to gradually build a relationship with her.

I think she realised that she wasn’t cut out to be a mother, especially a single one, and what little care she had for the best interests of the kid made her hand her over. And Aunt Lydia helped her with that.

I loved it.

Janine and Angela/Charlotte being reunited. I think Mrs Putnam had realised that life in Gilead was shit for women and girls. She's lost 2 husbands, and will be married off again ASAP. Plus everything already said.

I loved the karaoke scene, but thought it was too long. And had Gilead never happened they wouldn't all know each other.

And the repetition of some of the early scripts. So Emily and June outside the ice-cream shop. And June's closing speech was how the very first episode started. Just perfection.

i felt like Luke and her are over too. Feel very sad it is over.

I think I wanted more from it but I can’t say what, so maybe it was perfect after all. This series will forever be one of the best things ever made and I look forward to watching all 6 seasons in a binge.

I've already started!

Yeah, the ice cream shop and revisting the Waterford residence (in a green coat) was really poignant.

Same 😅

Possibly my favourite thing about this show, is that my son is considering reading the book as a result of watching it. This is major. He hates reading. His average is 2 Series of Unfortunate Events books per year. As soon as he suggested it I dug my copy out for him.

I agree, this just didn’t seem like something Naomi would do. she was ardent in her support of the regime and her right to the child all the way through.

June’s ability to look Lydia in the eye and thank her - also unearned and out of character for June. All the things Lydia did to June- and what we know about Junes character- I don’t think she would let bygones be bygones like that. Likewise with Serena. If someone literally stole my child and tortured me by locking me in a room where I could hear them cry- I am not going to respect them and wish them well.

Because of the wait between series’ and because Lydia hasn’t been as abhorrent this series, I had found her to be a sympathetic soul this series and didn’t question why June forgave her.

However, when I read online about Emily’s character to remind myself of her story, and recalled what Lydia did there (FGM)… I too struggle with the fact that June thanked her

Season 1 episode 9 - when June is trying to talk Janine down from the bridge, she says when this is all over, they can go out for a drink. Janine asks if they can do karaoke ...

Oh I’d forgotten that! 😭

Really disappointing I thought there was 1 more episode ! We never got to see if Hannah got out

I didn’t think Hannah was going to get out/be reunited with either of her parents, based on storyline in The Testaments. Makes sense plot wise for her to be stuck there.

The Janine storyline was a huge stretch, presumably for a happy bit!

Oh my !
I saw the last episode last night on RTE2 in Ireland.
I am in awe of those of you who are going to rewatch all 6 seasons of the show again.
I couldn’t.
I found it a really difficult watch.
My heart was in my mouth so often.
My heart racing.
The best thing I watched. Ever.
I felt Series 6 wasn’t as heart stopping as previous series but it was gooood
I think I’ll reread The Testaments as I rushed reading it and need a refresh.
One of the things I just didn’t get - one of a few - in Episode 8 the guard had a gun when June was giving Aunt Lydia a few home truths. He could have shot June and raised the alarm but he didn't, he just stood there and allowed it to happen. Allowed the Handmaids to live and do what they were gonna do. That was odd.
I always thought there was something between Serena and Tuello.
He spoke of his ex wife in the final episode He’s a free man……
Something just didn’t ring true when Serena was soliloquizing for some time about the baby being all she ever wanted. Oh yes she desperately wanted him but she also wanted more I felt.
I was so happy Janine was reunited with her daughter but again, Naomi just handing her over and walking back in to Gilead. I thought she’d want to save herself and seek refugee status. With Aunt Lydia.
I thought episodes 6 and 9 were the best in Season 6.
When Lawrence chose to go on the plane - oh my 🥲 and wryly said to Nick he should have listened to June knowing their deaths were imminent - brilliant.
And no Hannah. 🥲
But there was hope, June and Luke weren’t going to give up……..

Just watched episode 10 on prime. I thought that soliloquy wasSelena trying to persuade herself to go with what June said about just being Noah’s mum, that that was enough. Serena is trying to let go of her need to be in power. I did think she would have been better in some kind of protective custody. Surely some of the other refuges will recognise her, like on the train in episode 1, and she seems incapable of knowing when to keep quiet and stop making demands to protect herself and Noah.

Overall I was a bit disappointed with the final series. There were a few outstanding episodes that moved faster and had some really suspenseful moments. But the earlier series were like that almost throughout. Long shots of people’s expressions and lots of flashbacks seemed unnecessary and lazy, especially in situations where characters could have spoken and acted more freely.

Glad as I am about the characters who survived and were reunited it all seemed a bit far fetched. I ended up with a sense of just wanting to see it through to the end because I had watched it for so many years. Was actually tempted to fast forward some scenes of episode 10 because they were so drawn out.