New series of The Handmaid's Tale

[NotTerfNorCis]

Already off to an exceptional start. Is anyone else watching it?

What how do you know

Was that to me?
Because I’ve streamed it online and am at the same timing as America

I liked the flashback parts. I thought they were actually much more chilling than all the male gaze torture porn - being interrogated by the nurse as a bad mother; watching the horror unfold on TV and knowing you couldn't do a thing about it.

For me too Lang. And I agree on the male gaze stuff that several commenters mentioned.

What I found chilling about the questioning parts, is that it is not that far off now really, and seemingly 'innocent' but rather nosy questions - all with a hidden agenda. I was just thinking about that this morning actually.

I thought it was gripping. I was very emotional watching it.

It is reminiscent of the Nazi war camps - who did enlist help of the jews to do a lot of the horrific stuff. The getting out of the black vans, with the sound of dogs barking, and being taken along a tunnel to the gallows was taken straight from the death camps. The stuff of horror indeed.

I thought one of the interesting things was the way she thanked her 'helper' lorry driver with a hug and a kiss, but he just looked confused. That struck me as so realistic - like he wasn't really aware of the enormity of what he had done. Just helped one pregnant woman to freedom. It strikes me that is what it would be like - people not realising the fate of the handmaids, and if they did, not really caring that much. Much as how many people feel about violence against women right now.

Oh, and the other thing I noticed amongst the sheer horror of everything, was Aunt Lydia, sobbing as she rang the bell. So is she wretched because of her role there, literally imprisoning and torturing these women, or jealous because she can't/hasn't had a child? Does she believe in the "greater good?

Every time someone draws attention to the falling birthrate amongst white nations, sets off massive alarm bells for me now.

Interesting piece on the Handmaid’s Tale and feminist dystopias here

I don’t think I want to watch it. I found the first series hard enough but the comments about the male gaze really puts me off, while also being totally unsurprising.

Absolutely loved the 1st series and can't wait to see how the second unfolds. Ive just watched S2E1 and was glued to the TV. I'm excited to watch next weeks. It's so gripping and really gets adrenaline going. Filmed and written very well too, the flashbacks vs real time work so well together. I do have to admit it's hard to keep track of some of the maids though as they keep changing 'owners'

Yes, the flashbacks are great - the real fear and uncertainty on their faces, but having no idea just how bad things could become.

Off topic- but are you a liveaboard boater too?

No, just a landlubber reaching for a fairly generic nickname using what was in my line of sight at that moment.

The flashbacks were the best part for me. I'm a bit worried about where the season is going to go but interested to learn more about Lydia before.

I'm not sure which episode I'm on, but that is not how you measure fundal height!

I wonder if they thought they were going for humiliating in the prenatal checkup scene there... but they missed the mark, a real one is way more invasive than standing in your nighty for a bit.

I understand where people are coming from with regards to the torture and sexualised scenes but, I think it’s necessary. If we didn’t see all of that would it really hit as hard? Or could we play it off as lesser in our minds if we don’t see it? Yes it is shocking and very hard to watch, but it shows the effects brilliantly because of the actresses facial expressions and how spit on they are. If we only seen the rest and not the brutality it wouldn’t hit us as hard. Also, everything we see is happening somewhere and it helps to highlight that. Let’s not forget, Gilead is not a woman’s world, so why would we see everything from a woman’s point of view? We are seeing what is done to these women by men and with them having no choice in the matter. It’s uneasy watching at times and I’ve cried through many an episode but that’s what it’s meant to do. It’s made me slightly more worried for our future though and I do believe this kind of thing could happen.

DisturblinglyOrangeScrambleEgg I don’t agree. With a real one you have given permission, you are exciting about finding out how things are. You aren’t being forced to hear about a pregnancy that won’t be yours in front of the woman who will be taking your baby and a woman who is in the position of control and will be forcing you to pet with your child. That has to be difficult and the whole time you have to stand there nicely doing as you are told without showing any pain.

Excited part

But that last scene, for example, was nothing to do with what men do to women. Um... trying not to give spoilers for those who haven't seen it yet... um...

No need to show a woman in her underwear on all fours in a pool of blood - the point of what she was doing in that scene and why she was doing it could have been made just as forcefully and with as much impact without resorting to lingering torture porn cinematography.

They'll have done an analysis on why people watch The Handmaid's Tale, and they'll have decided people watch it for the violence, gore and oppression, therefore let's have more of it.

That pool of blood scene was gratuitous. I'm looking forward to seeing how they depict the colonies, though. They just existed in the book as a shadowy threat.

Gilead is not a woman’s world, so why would we see everything from a woman’s point of view? It might not be a woman’s world but women still exist in it and have points of view. The show is all about women, and should absolutely be from their point of view, otherwise what’s the point?

I do have to admit it's hard to keep track of some of the maids though as they keep changing 'owners'

Isn't that partly the point?

Wasn't there talk during series 1 of Margaret Atwood writing a sequel book?

Gilead is not a woman’s world, so why would we see everything from a woman’s point of view?

Because it's the Handmaid's Tale, not the Driver's Tale nor anyone else's.

LangCleg Remind me which scene in which episode? I’m up to episode five btw.

EBearhug Yes, but the women haven’t chosen any of this to happen and it’s being kept from the outside world. Her tale is to tell what happened to her. This is what happens, it needs told (in our case, shown) to make people aware.

Last scene, episode one. I'm trying not to spoil it for those who've recorded and not yet watched so don't want to go into any more detail. It's not the narrative that bothered me and that scene wasn't the only one to bother me. It's the cinematic style, which in that episode was not feminist, IMO.

Mayura Did you not read my entire comment? We won’t see everything from a woman’s point of view because the women didn’t choose this. To understand the story and bulk it out we are seeing background stories from other people, that’s what is making the show big enough for tv. It’s all well and good only seeing her story that she can tell, but to never see anyone else’s? Take her husband for example, we are seeing his life and what’s going on and she obviously isn’t telling that part because she doesn’t know it. If ta only meant to be her tale (in the show) then why are we bothering to see anyone else’s story? What’s the point of seeing Emily(?) background and what happened to her or seeing nicks part in this? What’s the point in any of t if it’s only meant to be from her view? Her story is the most important because that’s where the story comes from but the second series isn’t from the book, we are seeing more of others lives and the colonies for example, it’s bulking it out and broadening the story. I think they are doing very well with it and I’m enjoying the show and hopefully the awareness is brings to more people. I think having it so in your face also helps many men to understand things. Things they may not necessarily get if it was so subtle because they haven’t lived as women.

LangCleg Ahh I get you now. I know the scene. Without giving much away I think it was an empowering moment for her and the blood is just what would happen when she did what she did. It would have also been overwhelming for her. I did think myself there was quite a bit of blood but it doesn’t phase me so I accepted it.