Handmaid’s Tale season 4

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is nobody worrying that Nichole might be Fred’s baby and not Nick’s? And now that Fred is going free might they end up in some kind of joint custody situation? How come nobody is proposing a DNA test?

I think there was a June’s face close up about this when she hears that it’s Fred’s baby and realizes that he might be Nicole’s father. My take was that they all realized, but no one will say anything about it because it’s horrible and they can’t do anything about it anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is Lydia going to try and make Janine an Aunt? I realize she’s still fertile, so that goes against their whole setup, but she obviously wants to keep her safe, but still have her be useful.

I had the same thought. Despite Janine’s two #girlpower episodes, she has always been the Handmaids who seemed like she most liked the flavor of the Koolaid. She was glowing at Lydia’s praise, not just relieved.

Janine just needs to be loved. By June, by Aunt Lydia, by the sleazy guy in Chicago-- doesn't matter who.

I think this is very unfair. Janine is a survivor - that’s why she’s still alive! She had a full breakdown and lost an eye, remember? Almost murder/suicided her baby? Janine has decided to get along as best she can wherever she finds herself.

There was a quote from John King in an article about going to visit the house in Maryland where his family were enslaved that comes to mind:
“ My ancestors must have had full lives, families, relationships, and joy and sadness, but their experiences were so bound up with their exploitation,” said John, 44, president of the Education Trust, a nonprofit group devoted to closing achievement gaps. “My wife and our two girls are living a life my ancestors could not have imagined, because of their perseverance. Their daily resistance by living their lives made possible ours.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is Lydia going to try and make Janine an Aunt? I realize she’s still fertile, so that goes against their whole setup, but she obviously wants to keep her safe, but still have her be useful.

I had the same thought. Despite Janine’s two #girlpower episodes, she has always been the Handmaids who seemed like she most liked the flavor of the Koolaid. She was glowing at Lydia’s praise, not just relieved.

Janine just needs to be loved. By June, by Aunt Lydia, by the sleazy guy in Chicago-- doesn't matter who.

I think this is very unfair. Janine is a survivor - that’s why she’s still alive! She had a full breakdown and lost an eye, remember? Almost murder/suicided her baby? Janine has decided to get along as best she can wherever she finds herself.

There was a quote from John King in an article about going to visit the house in Maryland where his family were enslaved that comes to mind:
“ My ancestors must have had full lives, families, relationships, and joy and sadness, but their experiences were so bound up with their exploitation,” said John, 44, president of the Education Trust, a nonprofit group devoted to closing achievement gaps. “My wife and our two girls are living a life my ancestors could not have imagined, because of their perseverance. Their daily resistance by living their lives made possible ours.”

The observation that Janine needs to be loved and have approval is spot on, it is not unfair. She is an excellent, sympathetic character who has moments of great strength and fortitude, she is very human. But it is not inaccurate to say that she definitely seeks approval.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am I the only one who thought Luke was asking June to trade Nicole for Hannah? That’s why he brought Nick up and suggested to bring his daughter, and why he looked so sad seeing them off.

I just thought he was testing her, seeing how far she would go to get back Hannah.

+1. I definitely got the impression he was testing her somehow.

I actually thought he had her take Nicole to see if she would run away with Nick (maybe back to Gilead to get Hannah or just to be with him). But if she took Nicole, he knew she wouldn't risk it and that would guarantee her return to him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am I the only one who thought Luke was asking June to trade Nicole for Hannah? That’s why he brought Nick up and suggested to bring his daughter, and why he looked so sad seeing them off.

I just thought he was testing her, seeing how far she would go to get back Hannah.

+1. I definitely got the impression he was testing her somehow.

I actually thought he had her take Nicole to see if she would run away with Nick (maybe back to Gilead to get Hannah or just to be with him). But if she took Nicole, he knew she wouldn't risk it and that would guarantee her return to him.

I think that there were complex emotions behind his suggestion to bring Nichole, but in the end the most important thing to both Luke and June is getting Hannah back. Luke knew that having Nichole there would push any empathetic/parental/protective instinct buttons that Nick has, and would be a powerful weapon in convincing him to help get Hannah out. Agree that there may have been a degree of ensuring that June wouldn’t return to Gilead with Nichole, but if June had been determined to return she would have just left Nichole safe in the building and ducked out another door, knowing that the protective detail would come in looking for her shortly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is Lydia going to try and make Janine an Aunt? I realize she’s still fertile, so that goes against their whole setup, but she obviously wants to keep her safe, but still have her be useful.

I had the same thought. Despite Janine’s two #girlpower episodes, she has always been the Handmaids who seemed like she most liked the flavor of the Koolaid. She was glowing at Lydia’s praise, not just relieved.

Janine just needs to be loved. By June, by Aunt Lydia, by the sleazy guy in Chicago-- doesn't matter who.

I think this is very unfair. Janine is a survivor - that’s why she’s still alive! She had a full breakdown and lost an eye, remember? Almost murder/suicided her baby? Janine has decided to get along as best she can wherever she finds herself.

There was a quote from John King in an article about going to visit the house in Maryland where his family were enslaved that comes to mind:
“ My ancestors must have had full lives, families, relationships, and joy and sadness, but their experiences were so bound up with their exploitation,” said John, 44, president of the Education Trust, a nonprofit group devoted to closing achievement gaps. “My wife and our two girls are living a life my ancestors could not have imagined, because of their perseverance. Their daily resistance by living their lives made possible ours.”

The observation that Janine needs to be loved and have approval is spot on, it is not unfair. She is an excellent, sympathetic character who has moments of great strength and fortitude, she is very human. But it is not inaccurate to say that she definitely seeks approval.

ita. The actress does such a brilliant job of tapping into the character's deep-seated vulnerability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like the writing has really gone off the rails. Nick can just take a jaunt to Canada? Lawrence can take secret calls? I just don’t understand what’s happening. Waterford flipped for what, asylum in Canada? And I just don’t get what intelligence he has that will help anyone. Prisoner exchange would have made more sense than informant.

I don’t think that’s how/when Hot Diplomat would have told them about a deal with Fred.

Plus, why wouldn’t Nick flip and defect to Canada? Is it because of worrying about his new wife, is that what the ring thing was about?

I don’t care any more about Elizabeth Moss’s face. I thought the catholic school stuff was hokey.

Agree, it was really bizarre and drawn out. None of it made sense. Why wouldn't Nick just leave.

I agree. The world-building had gone off the rails this season. The writers are asking us to suspend disbelief but it’s too much.

Probably his printer broke so he couldn't print out a Canada ID.


j/k though I think it was the wife thing. We haven't met her but presumably if he defected, she would be killed/sent to the colonies/whatever.

Another sloppy thing I didn't like - an Aunt referred to the "breeding colony." I don't think she would have used that term in front of Aunt Lydia. They called it a Magdalene camp or something iirc. I just think they're phoning it in. Possibly because they were literally phoning it in, I think. Zooming.

The romantic scenes between her and Nick need a lot more explaining to me. She should hate him at least somewhat for his role in maintaining Gilead, or at least challenge him on it. He has so much power in Gilead, seems to travel freely, and made out with her (the most wanted person in Gilead) in front of other people on that bridge, without consequence. He didn't keep June from the breeding colony when he met up with her before her travel to the colony. He has essentially abandoned his baby without even a discussion, and still gets great character treatment. He hands June some pictures and she is satisfied that he is doing all he can to help them get Hannah? This does not square with her development as a character.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like the writing has really gone off the rails. Nick can just take a jaunt to Canada? Lawrence can take secret calls? I just don’t understand what’s happening. Waterford flipped for what, asylum in Canada? And I just don’t get what intelligence he has that will help anyone. Prisoner exchange would have made more sense than informant.

I don’t think that’s how/when Hot Diplomat would have told them about a deal with Fred.

Plus, why wouldn’t Nick flip and defect to Canada? Is it because of worrying about his new wife, is that what the ring thing was about?

I don’t care any more about Elizabeth Moss’s face. I thought the catholic school stuff was hokey.

Agree, it was really bizarre and drawn out. None of it made sense. Why wouldn't Nick just leave.

I agree. The world-building had gone off the rails this season. The writers are asking us to suspend disbelief but it’s too much.

Probably his printer broke so he couldn't print out a Canada ID.


j/k though I think it was the wife thing. We haven't met her but presumably if he defected, she would be killed/sent to the colonies/whatever.

Another sloppy thing I didn't like - an Aunt referred to the "breeding colony." I don't think she would have used that term in front of Aunt Lydia. They called it a Magdalene camp or something iirc. I just think they're phoning it in. Possibly because they were literally phoning it in, I think. Zooming.

The romantic scenes between her and Nick need a lot more explaining to me. She should hate him at least somewhat for his role in maintaining Gilead, or at least challenge him on it. He has so much power in Gilead, seems to travel freely, and made out with her (the most wanted person in Gilead) in front of other people on that bridge, without consequence. He didn't keep June from the breeding colony when he met up with her before her travel to the colony. He has essentially abandoned his baby without even a discussion, and still gets great character treatment. He hands June some pictures and she is satisfied that he is doing all he can to help them get Hannah? This does not square with her development as a character.

I think it squares with her compartmentalization. Nick was her only respite in Gilead. She is incapable of really holding him responsible for anything because she might not like the answers she gets. And on some level she knows that Nick has to play the game in Gilead to help her the way he has. Nick on the wall is not very useful.

[Anonymous]

I have watched every episode and I’m glad this season is ending. It was bad. I just want to know the plot and I feel like actually watching it isn’t fun/good any more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have watched every episode and I’m glad this season is ending. It was bad. I just want to know the plot and I feel like actually watching it isn’t fun/good any more.

Some it dragged, for sure. Other parts were revisiting the horror of Gilead in ways none of us needed revisit. I agree. Happy to know the story, less happy to sit it out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have watched every episode and I’m glad this season is ending. It was bad. I just want to know the plot and I feel like actually watching it isn’t fun/good any more.

Some it dragged, for sure. Other parts were revisiting the horror of Gilead in ways none of us needed revisit. I agree. Happy to know the story, less happy to sit it out.

I feel like this season finale is at best going to disappoint and at worse completely turn me off of the series. Sigh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have watched every episode and I’m glad this season is ending. It was bad. I just want to know the plot and I feel like actually watching it isn’t fun/good any more.

Some it dragged, for sure. Other parts were revisiting the horror of Gilead in ways none of us needed revisit. I agree. Happy to know the story, less happy to sit it out.

I feel like this season finale is at best going to disappoint and at worse completely turn me off of the series. Sigh.

Well if it follows the new book, we will see more Hannah.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have watched every episode and I’m glad this season is ending. It was bad. I just want to know the plot and I feel like actually watching it isn’t fun/good any more.

Some it dragged, for sure. Other parts were revisiting the horror of Gilead in ways none of us needed revisit. I agree. Happy to know the story, less happy to sit it out.

I feel like this season finale is at best going to disappoint and at worse completely turn me off of the series. Sigh.

I don’t know. A few of the actors have teased a really impactful finale. I’m looking forward to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have watched every episode and I’m glad this season is ending. It was bad. I just want to know the plot and I feel like actually watching it isn’t fun/good any more.

Some it dragged, for sure. Other parts were revisiting the horror of Gilead in ways none of us needed revisit. I agree. Happy to know the story, less happy to sit it out.

I feel like this season finale is at best going to disappoint and at worse completely turn me off of the series. Sigh.

I take it back - this was not disappointing. Wow.

Gonna have to process, but the future seems clear for June. And you go June.

[Anonymous]

Wow, indeed. There's a lot to unpack here.

Best episode since The Boston Globe. Damn.