What part of Handmaid's Tale traumatised you the most?

[user892734543544]

I love a well made TV show. I wasn't finding anything and, despite my natural aversion to the concept of HMT, I watched it to satisfy the need to see a good show.

Here are the moments I wish I had never seen. Interested to know what you found the most upsetting part.

1. Emily being taken with that other lady to be punished for being gay. Other lady was just unceremoniously strung up and hanged in seconds.
2. What happened to poor, poor Janine. When that bloke got ahold of her and just beat her and kept her prisoner.
3. When June's daughter said to her 'will I ever see you again?'
4. When Janine's child was given back at the end.

Definitely watch it. It’s an important message x

Sydney Sweeney’s character being drowned in the pool in front of everyone!

While the violence was all horrible, the scene that got me was when they brought June and Hannah together in that abandoned house. At first Hannah didn’t respond to her, then they recovered their mother-daughter bond then they had to be separated again, not knowing if they’d ever see each other again. It was so traumatic. Imagine that was you and your child.

@ChubbyPuffling @daddysgirlnot I started it last night I couldn't help myself, I was glued! X

I Would say "have fun"... but it's not really appropriate.
Anyone have words for it?

@ChubbyPuffling well I haven't even finished an episode yet but I would say "contact a therapist and prepare yourself" ? Maybe?

How could June ever even begin to forgive Serena after that?

I found that much more disturbing than the 'torture porn' scenes which became more common in later series. Also the scene where the two lovers were drowned in a swimming pool, with little Nicole watching. The combination of the mundane and the horrific was really unsettling.

This captures it perfectly. And, how indeed?

@WeirdyBeardyMarrowBabyLady is that when they were going to be punished for refusing to stone (was it Janine?) to death?
Yes I switched off and decided not to watch any more. Then I saw some clips online that it turned to revolution and retribution and decided to give myself that as a reward for the harrowing nature of what I had already put myself through. @MissScarletInTheBallroom
@stomachamelon you are not wrong and you are being very kind to yourself to avoid it. What it has done though is solidified my feminism and shown me how precarious our situation is and helped me be a very staunch feminist.
@AnOldCynic I honestly do not recommend it. Certainly not if you are prone to rumination. I actually went physically cold a few times from watching this. I'm not sure it was any good for my fragile psyche. Anyway if you've read my post you've had quite a few spoilers.
@daddysgirlnot I never really liked Moss in the West Wing but from this I have realised she is a phenomenal acting talent. I really respect what she did with this role.
@andrinaballerina I get it because separation from children is something I find very, very difficult to watch. I certainly cuddled my newborn a few times because of this show too.
@Untailored I would rather not imagine this but believe me, I have.

Unutterably traumatic. I felt compelled to watch it but also needed to take a couple of weeks break between some episodes to recover, re-stabilise and steel myself to continue.

Oh and just to add, I honestly don't recommend it either. I wish I'd never seen it.

The episode that hit me was where June was hiding out at the newspaper offices, where a massacre had obviously taken place. Looking around the remnants of the workers’ lives - ordinary things for example a Friends dvd. Her newspaper clippings on the walls that showed the drip drip of sexism and negative stereotypes of women. Her quote, along the lines of “in a slowly heating bath you boil to death before you know it”. Its the realisation that this isnt beyond possibility that is terrifying.

If you read the FWR threads you will realise that some of these things are happening. The frozen bank accounts happened to a women's group in The Netherlands a few years ago. Women are still losing their jobs, their businesses, being forced out of their own companies.
Look around the world, particularly Afghanistan, at what the Taliban are doing to women and girls.
Domestic violence is legal in Russia.
Women are trafficked, drugged and sold in the UK. Remember Holwell?
That is just a few examples of the top of my head.

Also recent executions of women in Iran.

The ceremony scenes.
Nick’s wife Eden and her boyfriend being drowned
Seeing the Handmaids with their mouths wired
Aunt Lydia shouting heave, as the handmaids pulled on the hanging ropes
Seeing that commander push women off the building

The monthly ceremonial rape with the whole household looking on. Horrible. I read the book but couldn’t watch the show.

When June and Moria are in the coffee shop and her card is declined and the seemingly normal young guy spits “bitch” at her.

It’s so indicative of hatred that exists just beneath the surface.

its not traumatic but it’s so symbolic in its awfulness.

When Islamic State took over an area in Syria, they genitally mutilated every girl and woman who hadn't been done. Likely the same in Afghanistan, but I've not seen any direct attestations from there.

The fact that Nick was so unlike what I expected

That's apart from all the stuff of nightmares that actually seems to be true these days

I read the book in sixth form and to be honest from reading these comments don't think I could stomach the entire series

I watched a bit of it then turned it off

Women losing their jobs for having GC views.

It has been mentioned but Eden and her boyfriend and the swimming pool execution. I had to stop watching for a while after that.

I’ve debated watching before, but always hesitated because I can’t stomach violence.

reading this, I now know I can’t watch it. Torture porn is just not my thing. I know it’s an important message but I just can’t bring myself to watch such horrific violence