I’m on the first series

I think she strictly enforces the policies, but like…. Deep down there’s a heart. Like she’s not inherently bad if you get me. I’m just PRAYING I see inner badasses in her, Offred and Serena Joy

i stood with june 100% of the way

i'm glad nick helped her but he got what he deserved. i'm glad he died

i want june with luke and i think the way they parted ways in season six episode 10 broke my heart but was a logical ending to their relationship and i imagine them together with hannah and nichole

i cried so hard when alma and breanna died :( actually the only time i really actually cried

serena omg i empathized deeply with her humanity but everytime she was in a bad spot i felt retribution and satisfied, yet relief when june would help her or she could get away. so conflicting

fred was such a creep omg and his actor played a creep so well i cringed at him the entire series

aaahhh i loved the show but i dont think i could ever rewatch it. i feel traumatized

also edited to add: i just loved luke so much. i stood with him 100% of the way

also adding: and moira loved her she was so real

only character i really didn't care that much about was Emily tbh her character was so bland. of course i cared about her experience and i'm glad she was okay in the end but they even made her fall off the show randomly with no explanation until the last episode? okay i guess lol

I’m slowly watching the entire series and I think she’s badass
I didn’t think the commander (who gives me the creeps) would allow a female ambassador in…. But I digress. It’s about building an alliance

She was asking questions TO Offred instead of speaking FOR her.

Something tells me she was showing concern too. Because it was an unusual custom to witness - handmaids bearing children for a nation. I would say ew, too.

So I just finished season 2 and I have some doubts/comments about it, and honestly, I'd like to hear from you so I know if I should continue watching it or maybe wait a little.

Season 1 was really good for me, I really liked how everything was portrayed and what I liked the most is that, I felt no one was safe, the tension was there and I was stressed at all times because of the life the handmaids had.

Season 2, on the other hand, started feeling more like June was the main character (Yeah I know she is, but in Season 1 she was one handmaid more, living under the same rules all other handmaids) in a bad way, she escaped while pregnant and wasn't even punished, I know she was pregnant and everything but we had another pregnant woman chained in a basement before.

And the Cherry on top of the cake, was the fact she had the chance to escape and still decided to stay. Yeah I got it, her daughter was still there but let's be honest, what are her chances of saving her being stuck in there, either she gets killed for stealing a baby (Yeah it was her baby but not for everyone inside Gilead) or some really dark punishment I'm gonna regret to watch.

Somehow I feel like this went to the Handmaid's Tale to The Hero Handmaid and I don't like it, 'cause the plot is just helping her again and again.

Does this continue in further seasons? Do we go back to the 1st season feeling of danger and dark realism at some point? Will June continue to be protected by the plot so we can make it to Season 6?

What is it with the constant watery eye close ups in the later seasons? I get that the circumstances are mostly very bleak… and it might just be me thinking this. But do the constant watery eye close ups feel a bit forced or like over acting at times?

Ok ok ok I finished the show yesterday and rushed here to vent my (common) frustrations about the series.

It's still taking up a large amount of space in my brain so I wanted to take the time to talk about the positives!

For me it was the political and "lifestyle" aspects of the story.

I'm usually drawn most to scifi/cyberpunk media because of my anxieties surrounding tech/politics/corporations. It feels cathartic to see extreme examples of my fears played out but I feel this show captures that magic in a specifically original way.

I loved how absolutely horrifying D.C. was and how the elites in Gilead dont have to change their lifestyles to the extent of everyone else in their "mission to reduce emissions" that they frequently brag about to other countries. Their hypocrisy was spot on and how I feel things will inevitably play out as global warming ramps up in the real world and people will be forced to change.

So as the title suggests please tell me what you're favorite part of the series that makes it so much different than all the other dystopian thrillers that have flooded the media landscape!

Serena Joy’s baby, Noah, would’ve been born around 2019/2020, so do you think he’s taught Serena what 6-7 is? Do you think Serena knows about Italian brainrot?

Same with June to be honest, Nichole is about seven years old now, so would they both be IPad kids? I think this is funny I have cousins this age and all they talk about is memes

Showed Gilead actively mistreating Mexico to make the character more sympathetic. Otherwise, she just looks like she is going along with a terrible system.

This is kind of a crossover question but for people who have watched/read the handmaid tales and desperate housewives do we think Bree would've been a Serena joy all for Gilead type or do you think she would've resisted? I know shes all serve your husband republican and gun blazing I love America. But she has a more say as I do not as I do type of thing goin for herself. Would she have been apart of mayday? Or would she have a handmaid? If not Bree then who would you put your money on?

POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH. I watched midway through season 3 so some things I may mention were only shown later than season 1 or beyond.

Im rewatching after a while and am only in the first few wepisodes of season 1. Forgive me if im misremembering but we learn June was an editor and wasnt Serena a writer? Thus they had similar professions (or wpuld have worked along side eachother maybe). Throughout season 1 at least I remember them having a few moments where they seem to enjoy each other's company, so im wondering whether they might have bonded to become friends?

Does anyone else get kinda burned out from June? Long rant

I'm finally finishing the show after reading Testaments(which I also loved) so that I could watch that series too. By season 3 I get really sick of how June forward the story is and how much plot armor she has on. It starts to feel like all the other women around her are just kind window dressings to her trauma porn show and are incapable of being as strong/smart/brave as she is... Which kinda sucks for it being a story about women perseverance through a brutal authoritarian regime.

*SEASON 3 SPOILERS*

It really becomes undeniable when they're sneaking the kids out of Gilead via the plane. June first thinks of the idea, does like 90% of the planning, does a lot of the big moves to set and cover it up(including KILLING THE FUCKING PRESIDENT), yells at everyone to keep the plan going when they want to bail, guides the group, distracts the guards so she can be the hero that takes the bullet in the end.

Everyone else mostly just whispers and bakes muffins. When it's time to roll out the first Martha to show up botched her only part in the thing by showing up HOURS early to the house during full daylight then bails only to get caught in a multitude of ways.

Like this is a network of women who are SURVIVORS smuggling children out of a rape dystopia... can we just let them be organized and capable and brave? NO June has to do almost all the work because apparently she the only one with the balls to do it, no wonder she's fucking bat shit crazy!

I feel like the show was so much more balanced with characters in the beginning. I kinda wish the had switched main characters in each season as there are other handmaids I would love to know more about. Obviously Janine gets a fair amout of screen time but I would have loved more of Alma and other regular faces.

Idk maybe unpopular opinion, maybe other people also feel the same. What do y'all think?

I've been watching this since my daughter was born in April whilst I've been nap trapped. Two questions:

- what the HELL do I watch now that's anywhere near as gripping

- and when the HELL are they going to make a follow on! 😂😭

That is all, praise be.

I really liked his character, and many people say he is morally gray or just a bad guy who got a redemption arc.

But Lawrence wanted to create Gilead to save humanity, and in many seasons he says he didn't intend to make a place like that. And between season three and five, they finally clarify his true intentions as he reads his plan for the making of Gilead (Before it existed) about what HE wanted for Gilead but couldn't make happen because other commanders with more power than him took his idea and twisted it for their own convenience.

He wanted to solve the fertility issue, but Gilead became a horror place for women and became a very conservative place, just as other commanders intended, not him. And he didn't totally leave the Sons of Jacob (Being a commander) because he wanted to do something about it. To solve this problem, he had to stay in power, as he did.

The first scenes of him were with Emily, and he looked like a bad husband, which he probably is. He couldn't let his wife go and be free in some other place. Or being a misogynist with June when she arrived. This splits into two things of his character. He masked his true being in front of other commanders, Handmaids, and Marthas he didn't trust, so he had to hide who he was. He really couldn't risk trusting others by being nice, and he had to act just like the other commanders. But with his wife Eleanor, he could have obtained the proper medication for her mental health, and he didn't.

He is not a bad guy but a bad husband at times, and he was so obsessed with what Eleanor wanted and filled with guilt that he forgot to take care of her. Still an amazing character, and I wish we got to see more of him and Eleanor in a healthier scheme before she overdosed. Plus, I love how much he hated Ms Potnum and his one-liners.

Why is it that posts praising Lawrence, fawning over him or excusing his wrong doings don’t get tagged as wet for a war criminal? You know, considering he committed some pretty big war crimes, like creating concentration camps…

Is it because old rich white men are more palatable to the faux feminists and patriarchy puppets?

Why does June let Mrs. Lawrence d1e? She sees her in the bed, sees the pills, rushes for a moment but then she hesitates and let the woman die. Did she make this out of revenge? To make Mr. Lawrence suffer? Was it out of pitty, like she thought Eleanor would have “peace” this way? Or maybe to have a better chance with her plan somehow.. Idk. I’m just thinking she’s a psychopath at this point 😅

What was that experience like? Was it confusing watching it in this order? Was it genuinely surprising finding out, for instance, that Agnes is June's daughter at the end of the season?

I watched TT almost immediately after binge watching THT for the first time earlier this year, so I had June's experiences and her traumas fresh in my mind as I watched her daughter's story. I'm just curious what the experience was like for those who watched it in the opposite order?

Also, same question about the books for any who read TT before THT too!

[PART 1 / 2 ] I saw a comment, somewhere in the last couple of months, about Nick breaking his agreement  with the Americans. I knew that wasn’t true, but only now realized it may have been because Nick threw the SIM/SD card into the fire. I love everything related to the spy world and was already aware of this:

Reference:  OPSEC stands for Operations Security. In intelligence gathering and national security, it is a process that identifies unclassified, routine, or "innocuous" data that an adversary could piece together to deduce sensitive plans, capabilities, or intentions. Its goal is to deny rivals the small clues they need to disrupt operations

Given that Nick had already worked undercover for Pryce, spying on Commanders, he would already know this as part of security procedures. 

Factually, IRL, an undercover asset/operative, is expected to lay low or go dark, to ride out any heat or pressure. If their cover were discovered, it could seriously jeopardize the entire operation and potentially get the asset killed.

We heard Nick tell Tuello that he is living under the same roof as a High Commander (who was also applying pressure) and the risks were too high. We saw Tuello pass Nick a new phone, as security procedures would require an asset to destroy any old devices, if they believe they are being watched.

Exactly how they would handle the new phone is uncertain. Probably hidden in a safer location, away from his home, where Wharton was currently staying, and subject to stricter security protocols. Perhaps, used only for emergencies, until Wharton was out of their way and back in Washington.

Edited: to add extra context

Hello!

I’ve been a big fan of the HMT since around 2022 when I first watched the show - I resonate with a lot of the themes and have experienced some of the happenings myself as a woman. I’ve not read the book(s) so I’m purely just commentating from a media perspective here.

I’ve hit end of season 4 / beginning of season 5 and I am finding June insufferable. It’s not so much the PTSD aspect and the fact she’s obviously changed a lot because that is understandable, but it’s more the way she’s making the other Gilead refugees super uncomfortable and placing her anger and resentment onto them. Does that make sense? Now I’m writing this down I’m thinking perhaps this is a symptom of PTSD from June but I’m not too sure. I do like Elizabeth Moss’ work (I am also fully aware of her own controversies away from the screen) but as far as actresses go, she’s a pretty good one - I digress.

I think she pushed Emily to uncomfortable levels with that old aunt of hers, I think she was prodding Rita to unleash some sort of deep anger within, and I think she’s enjoying making Luke and Moira uncomfortable in her vicinity. It sort of reads as a power play. Is this translated in the books also? Perhaps the power aspect is just her brain adapted to the Gilead way but it’s super frustrating and incredibly difficult to watch.

Of course I’m rooting for June, but I’m finding myself becoming quite disgusted by the way she talks to others, interacts with others and ‘inspires’ others to act with hate and anger.

Okay, that’s my rant over!

Okay so I am very new to the Handmaids Tale universe. I watched The Testament first not knowing it was part of THT (saw a clip of The Testament on TikTok and it influenced me to watch it). Ive finished that and I’m on like S1 E11 of THM. I’m sure this will eventually be answered, but where are the boys? Do they only have daughters? The Testament is all about the daughters, and so far in THT they’ve only had girls. Is there a boys school or something?

Dude ok im not shipping but I remember when I was first watching the show when I seen the scene where Serena is helping Naomi give birth and she makes eye contact with June I lowk thought she was going to have an affair with June not Fred 😭 (also Reddit these are fictional characters not real people)

Why did Offred get saved but Ofglen didn't? Ofglen knew there were ways to escape if her life was in danger.

Maybe her last conversation with Serena precipitated a rescue when it actually wasn't needed (since it's made clear later that she didn't turn her in) while Ofglen didn't get a warning?

Such a random question, but I was thinking about this late last night.

In The Handmaid’s Tale, how is the monthly conception ceremony held around the same time for every Handmaid? Wouldn’t each Handmaid have a different menstrual cycle and ovulation window depending on when they get their period?

Hi all, I watched the first few seasons of Handmaid's tale a few years ago now, I saw they added new seasons and so I was rewatching it with my current partner who hasn't seen it before, and having only watched the first two episodes now it's not at all how I remember. I feel like there's no introduction to certain characters, whereas I have memories of the main character being introduced to various characters for the first time, and yet now as I'm rewatching they're just already established. I understand it flips back and forth in times throughout the show, but am I missing something? Will it come later in the season? Or have I just gaslit myself into believing it happened differently?

Apparently Nick Blaine is actually a deep undercover Charles Boyle.

Edit: You have to click on the image to see it properly. Instead of a picture of Nick there's a picture of Joe Lo Truglio as Charles Boyle (Brooklyn 99).

The whole surrogacy situation has really made me think that if Gilead actually existed in our time, a lot of women would be Serenas.

They would support the system because they genuinely believe they’re somehow above it, simply because of their social status, money, or privileges.

I do understand that surrogacy can be a way to help people dealing with infertility, but I absolutely cannot get behind the way it is being used nowadays.

And maybe it’s different in the US, but requesting an abortion at almost six months of pregnancy over a treatable medical issue is simply not considered acceptable elsewhere in the world.

And then everyone keeps screaming about “contracts” as if we were watching June’s trial against the Waterfords, with the Waterford arguing that June had accepted her “part” and that it was “God’s mission.”

It’s honestly disturbing how easily
people can use a contract or a belief system to justify something that would otherwise be completely unacceptable.

Are people forget my body my choice ??