Handmaid's Tale Season 2

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think I remember in the book that fertility rates were plummeting and babies were also not surviving infancy for unknown reasons... does anyone else remember this? Maybe this is alluding to that issue.

The book had babies who were “shredders,” but I think they had serious birth defects because of environmental contamination. If you remember the scene when Hannah was born, all of the other babies born with her were in the NICU or had died, and she was the only healthy baby in the nursery.

Janine’s baby did die in the original book though. But that was soon after birth, and we are way off the original book at this point.

[Anonymous]

This week's episode broke my heart
Poor Janine

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Am I the only person who watched today’s episode and thought baby Angela has a Muchhausens by Proxy thing going on? Or that Naomi just does not want her and is somehow slowly poisoning her? The neonatologist said no virus, bacteria, structural problem. And sure, Janine looks like a miracle. But that is probably not it. More likely that putting her in the hospital got her away from whatever Naomi is up to and have her a chance to recover.

I do think this show is nuanced with the female characters. I don’t think Serena, Aunt Lydia, etc are all evil. I think they are making the best of a bad situation where they have no power. I don’t think Eden is all evil either, but I do think she is a girl who should be in her freshman year of HS, and who is playing a dangerous game. Things are not going to end well for her and Nick. But, they never stood a chance.

And I do not think June is 100% good. She’s the heroine. But she is also collaborating with Giliad. Maybe for the right reasons, but still...

Serena Joy is one of the creators of Gilead. She just thought that she would be given special privileges. Now she has buyer's regret because she realizes she would be treated like the other women. Aunt Lydia wouldn't be in a position of authority if she wasn't an early supporter. No sympathy for them. They did this to themselves.

June is doing what she needs to do to survive. It's not like she can refuse without being killed or maimed.

[Anonymous]

I gotta say, I didn't really buy this episode and I'm just about over this season.

Basically what saved it was Joseph Fiennes who is truly terrifying and should win all the awards, Elizabeth Moss's face when Janine said she sounded like "one of them," her face during the beating, her face at the end, and the actress who plays Janine whose name I don't know. The actors are so so good. But even Elizabeth Moss's face can't make up for what kind of feels like writing whiplash. Serena and the Commander were completely obsessed with Offred's pregnancy and now what, they're not worried any more? She was a glass doll to them and now she's traipsing all over town bringing handmaids to babies? And while I am down for the complicated nature of slavery within a household and the relationships that go with that, Serena held June down while she was raped. Aunt Lydia tortured her repeatedly. I just don't know if any human could bounce to interacting with them as more or less equals the way June did in this episode.

And frankly, the baby-healed-by-birth-mother story seemed pretty darn contrived to me. This show has made such elegant and visceral moments of humanity. The Janine on the windowsill magically healing the baby moment was a big flop for me because even if the baby's Gilead "mother" sucked at mothering, the baby was well cared for. It would have had martha's to dote on it and whatever. Compare that to, for example, the scene where June and the bread truck driver stare at each other and he decides to risk his life and his family to help her. It just didn't rate.

[Anonymous]

They need less violence and more story. I haven’t bothered to watch even one whole episode this season and am just reading recaps.

[Anonymous]

Can someone shed light on why June went to see the commander at the end of the episode? Was it to rebuild his trust in her?

I’m also not a fan of the miraculous healing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can someone shed light on why June went to see the commander at the end of the episode? Was it to rebuild his trust in her?

I’m also not a fan of the miraculous healing.

My theory is that she realized that Serena was not her way out. She realized that she has to go back to manipulating the commander. She is doing what she needs to do to survive and escape and it is tearing her apart.

I personally loved the Mom saves baby plot. There are actual real life stories of how simply holding babies skin on skin has saved them. And while it is a little hokey, I think it helped to point out that Gilead is actually harming kids, by separating them from the Mom and by not allowing them the best care.

I am loving the Serena storyline. It will be interesting to see how she reacts to the beating. Does she fall in line or does she start to rebel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone shed light on why June went to see the commander at the end of the episode? Was it to rebuild his trust in her?

I’m also not a fan of the miraculous healing.

My theory is that she realized that Serena was not her way out. She realized that she has to go back to manipulating the commander. She is doing what she needs to do to survive and escape and it is tearing her apart.

I personally loved the Mom saves baby plot. There are actual real life stories of how simply holding babies skin on skin has saved them. And while it is a little hokey, I think it helped to point out that Gilead is actually harming kids, by separating them from the Mom and by not allowing them the best care.

I am loving the Serena storyline. It will be interesting to see how she reacts to the beating. Does she fall in line or does she start to rebel.

My mother use to tell me about this all the time. She was a NICU nurse and she told me about when they started pushing new initiatives in the 1980s where they would have volunteers hold the baby or have the do skin to skin contact to increase chances of survival. She losts two pediatric patients from what the doctors couldn't explain medically. Both young children didn't have anyone visit them in the hospital--no family, friends, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I gotta say, I didn't really buy this episode and I'm just about over this season.

Basically what saved it was Joseph Fiennes who is truly terrifying and should win all the awards, Elizabeth Moss's face when Janine said she sounded like "one of them," her face during the beating, her face at the end, and the actress who plays Janine whose name I don't know. The actors are so so good. But even Elizabeth Moss's face can't make up for what kind of feels like writing whiplash. Serena and the Commander were completely obsessed with Offred's pregnancy and now what, they're not worried any more? She was a glass doll to them and now she's traipsing all over town bringing handmaids to babies? And while I am down for the complicated nature of slavery within a household and the relationships that go with that, Serena held June down while she was raped. Aunt Lydia tortured her repeatedly. I just don't know if any human could bounce to interacting with them as more or less equals the way June did in this episode.

And frankly, the baby-healed-by-birth-mother story seemed pretty darn contrived to me. This show has made such elegant and visceral moments of humanity. The Janine on the windowsill magically healing the baby moment was a big flop for me because even if the baby's Gilead "mother" sucked at mothering, the baby was well cared for. It would have had martha's to dote on it and whatever. Compare that to, for example, the scene where June and the bread truck driver stare at each other and he decides to risk his life and his family to help her. It just didn't rate.

In early episodes it was implied that the baby cried alot and was fussy and the Gilead mother didn't hold her or interact with the baby. I don't think we can assume that the martha held the baby. Feeding a baby and changing its diapers is not enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone shed light on why June went to see the commander at the end of the episode? Was it to rebuild his trust in her?

I’m also not a fan of the miraculous healing.

My theory is that she realized that Serena was not her way out. She realized that she has to go back to manipulating the commander. She is doing what she needs to do to survive and escape and it is tearing her apart.

I personally loved the Mom saves baby plot. There are actual real life stories of how simply holding babies skin on skin has saved them. And while it is a little hokey, I think it helped to point out that Gilead is actually harming kids, by separating them from the Mom and by not allowing them the best care.

I am loving the Serena storyline. It will be interesting to see how she reacts to the beating. Does she fall in line or does she start to rebel.

I agree with all of this!

[Anonymous]

Serena will be tempted next week. I'm very excited to see what she chooses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Serena will be tempted next week. I'm very excited to see what she chooses.

I'm pretty sure she won't betray her husband and Gilead, even if she is tempted. Remember she is one of the architects of this world, even if she has suffered in its execution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone shed light on why June went to see the commander at the end of the episode? Was it to rebuild his trust in her?

I’m also not a fan of the miraculous healing.

My theory is that she realized that Serena was not her way out. She realized that she has to go back to manipulating the commander. She is doing what she needs to do to survive and escape and it is tearing her apart.

I personally loved the Mom saves baby plot. There are actual real life stories of how simply holding babies skin on skin has saved them. And while it is a little hokey, I think it helped to point out that Gilead is actually harming kids, by separating them from the Mom and by not allowing them the best care.

I am loving the Serena storyline. It will be interesting to see how she reacts to the beating. Does she fall in line or does she start to rebel.

This was my read too, June knows the Commander's favor is key to her survival.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone shed light on why June went to see the commander at the end of the episode? Was it to rebuild his trust in her?

I’m also not a fan of the miraculous healing.

My theory is that she realized that Serena was not her way out. She realized that she has to go back to manipulating the commander. She is doing what she needs to do to survive and escape and it is tearing her apart.

I personally loved the Mom saves baby plot. There are actual real life stories of how simply holding babies skin on skin has saved them. And while it is a little hokey, I think it helped to point out that Gilead is actually harming kids, by separating them from the Mom and by not allowing them the best care.

I am loving the Serena storyline. It will be interesting to see how she reacts to the beating. Does she fall in line or does she start to rebel.

This was my read too, June knows the Commander's favor is key to her survival.

+1- My thoughts as well. The baby part was a little hokey but I thought it was lack of love/touch as well seeing there wasn't anything the dr's could find wrong. I'm o.k. with a little hokey thrown in- overall it's a really interesting and entertaining series.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serena will be tempted next week. I'm very excited to see what she chooses.

I'm pretty sure she won't betray her husband and Gilead, even if she is tempted. Remember she is one of the architects of this world, even if she has suffered in its execution.

Yes, but I think she will take the deal. I'm not sure she was ever beaten before. Right now she is embarrassed and sad, but soon she will be pissed.