The Handmaid's Tale on Hulu

[Anonymous]

June and Luke were adulters. They started their relationship while he was still married. Moira wasn't caught because Aunts could walk alone. Handmaids needed to be in pairs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I assume this goes back to the book since the series supposedly stays true to its source material but one thing I don't understand is why the infertile wives are kept around at all. With the way that society dismisses life it makes no sense that infertile wives aren't just disposed of in favor of the fertile women. In the show they seem to try and show that perhaps the wives are more traditionally beautiful and refined (maybe) but since they can't pass along their supposedly more refined genes, then what's the point?

The handmaidens are not supposed to be sexual or marital substitutes. They are wombs on legs. Which creates problems for the men as well, apparently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I assume this goes back to the book since the series supposedly stays true to its source material but one thing I don't understand is why the infertile wives are kept around at all. With the way that society dismisses life it makes no sense that infertile wives aren't just disposed of in favor of the fertile women. In the show they seem to try and show that perhaps the wives are more traditionally beautiful and refined (maybe) but since they can't pass along their supposedly more refined genes, then what's the point?

The handmaidens are not supposed to be sexual or marital substitutes. They are wombs on legs. Which creates problems for the men as well, apparently.

They are also temporary and passed around. In the book, this is Offred's THIRD assignment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought Epi 4 was a bit of a drag.

Really? I loved it. I will not go into detail as to why, as I do not want to spoil it for others. But the last line of the episode was awesome.

It seemed like a flip to me. Now we have the notion of solidarity among the handmaidens. Whereas before they were completely isolated.

I think the problem is not total isolation -- Offred was becoming friends with her partner before she was taken away -- but that they don't know who they can trust.

I don't understand how Moira escaped during training, yet let June go back with the cops. Since her presence was enough to escape notice earlier, why didn't she say to the cops, "Hey, she's with me."

I wondered this as well but it looked like Offred was giving a small head shake to Moira to go onto the train and that's why she left.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The previews grossed me out thinking how something like that could actually happen in the Trump era

Oh, please.

The irony is that your eye roll,is why some are saying this show is so powerful right now. The story is about a society of people like yourself who ignored what was happening.

I loved the first three episodes. The beginning of the third with her description of how it happened was haunting.

Is there something going on that we should know about? Have reproductive rights been rolled back? Is abortion now illegal? Please enlighten us as to what we've been "ignoring." Thanks so much.

This. People keep saying stuff like the comment above but can't point to anything that has changed or happened.

[Anonymous]

How can there be more than 1 season of this? They can't drag out the book that far... it will be so tedious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How can there be more than 1 season of this? They can't drag out the book that far... it will be so tedious.

I think the plan is to go beyond the book. Margaret Attwood is a consultant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The previews grossed me out thinking how something like that could actually happen in the Trump era

Oh, please.

The irony is that your eye roll,is why some are saying this show is so powerful right now. The story is about a society of people like yourself who ignored what was happening.

I loved the first three episodes. The beginning of the third with her description of how it happened was haunting.

Is there something going on that we should know about? Have reproductive rights been rolled back? Is abortion now illegal? Please enlighten us as to what we've been "ignoring." Thanks so much.

This. People keep saying stuff like the comment above but can't point to anything that has changed or happened.

You can read about changes in abortion law here: https://www.guttmacher.org/article/2017/04/laws-affecting-reproductive-health-and-rights-state-policy-trends-first-quarter-2017

Highlights of more restrictive abortion laws:

So far this year, five states (Arizona, Arkansas, Kentucky, Utah and Wyoming) have adopted 10 major new abortion restrictions. The new laws will:

Ban use of a common and safe method for second-trimester procedures, as well as any abortion for purposes of sex selection (Arkansas)
Ban all abortions at or after 20 weeks postfertilization, also defined as 22 weeks after the woman’s last menstrual period (Kentucky)
Impose restrictions on abortion facilities (Arkansas)
Impose requirements to preserve the life of a fetus delivered during an abortion procedure (Arizona)
Mandate counseling on a medically unproven method to stop a medication abortion from completion after the first dose of the two-dose regimen (Utah)
Offer a woman the option to hear the fetal heartbeat prior to obtaining an abortion (Wyoming)
Impose ultrasound requirements for a woman seeking an abortion (Kentucky and Wyoming)
Although legislators are considering a wide range of measures to restrict access to abortion services, they appear to be paying particular attention to banning abortions in specified circumstances, perhaps in anticipation of changes to the U.S. Supreme Court that might make it more sympathetic to rolling back abortion rights.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The previews grossed me out thinking how something like that could actually happen in the Trump era

Oh, please.

The irony is that your eye roll,is why some are saying this show is so powerful right now. The story is about a society of people like yourself who ignored what was happening.

I loved the first three episodes. The beginning of the third with her description of how it happened was haunting.

Is there something going on that we should know about? Have reproductive rights been rolled back? Is abortion now illegal? Please enlighten us as to what we've been "ignoring." Thanks so much.

This. People keep saying stuff like the comment above but can't point to anything that has changed or happened.

You can read about changes in abortion law here: https://www.guttmacher.org/article/2017/04/laws-affecting-reproductive-health-and-rights-state-policy-trends-first-quarter-2017

Highlights of more restrictive abortion laws:

So far this year, five states (Arizona, Arkansas, Kentucky, Utah and Wyoming) have adopted 10 major new abortion restrictions. The new laws will:

Ban use of a common and safe method for second-trimester procedures, as well as any abortion for purposes of sex selection (Arkansas)
Ban all abortions at or after 20 weeks postfertilization, also defined as 22 weeks after the woman’s last menstrual period (Kentucky)
Impose restrictions on abortion facilities (Arkansas)
Impose requirements to preserve the life of a fetus delivered during an abortion procedure (Arizona)
Mandate counseling on a medically unproven method to stop a medication abortion from completion after the first dose of the two-dose regimen (Utah)
Offer a woman the option to hear the fetal heartbeat prior to obtaining an abortion (Wyoming)
Impose ultrasound requirements for a woman seeking an abortion (Kentucky and Wyoming)
Although legislators are considering a wide range of measures to restrict access to abortion services, they appear to be paying particular attention to banning abortions in specified circumstances, perhaps in anticipation of changes to the U.S. Supreme Court that might make it more sympathetic to rolling back abortion rights.

These aren't new, PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The previews grossed me out thinking how something like that could actually happen in the Trump era

Oh, please.

The irony is that your eye roll,is why some are saying this show is so powerful right now. The story is about a society of people like yourself who ignored what was happening.

I loved the first three episodes. The beginning of the third with her description of how it happened was haunting.

Is there something going on that we should know about? Have reproductive rights been rolled back? Is abortion now illegal? Please enlighten us as to what we've been "ignoring." Thanks so much.

This. People keep saying stuff like the comment above but can't point to anything that has changed or happened.

You can read about changes in abortion law here: https://www.guttmacher.org/article/2017/04/laws-affecting-reproductive-health-and-rights-state-policy-trends-first-quarter-2017

Highlights of more restrictive abortion laws:

So far this year, five states (Arizona, Arkansas, Kentucky, Utah and Wyoming) have adopted 10 major new abortion restrictions. The new laws will:

Ban use of a common and safe method for second-trimester procedures, as well as any abortion for purposes of sex selection (Arkansas)
Ban all abortions at or after 20 weeks postfertilization, also defined as 22 weeks after the woman’s last menstrual period (Kentucky)
Impose restrictions on abortion facilities (Arkansas)
Impose requirements to preserve the life of a fetus delivered during an abortion procedure (Arizona)
Mandate counseling on a medically unproven method to stop a medication abortion from completion after the first dose of the two-dose regimen (Utah)
Offer a woman the option to hear the fetal heartbeat prior to obtaining an abortion (Wyoming)
Impose ultrasound requirements for a woman seeking an abortion (Kentucky and Wyoming)
Although legislators are considering a wide range of measures to restrict access to abortion services, they appear to be paying particular attention to banning abortions in specified circumstances, perhaps in anticipation of changes to the U.S. Supreme Court that might make it more sympathetic to rolling back abortion rights.

This has been going on since I was in college since the 80's. Are you very young?

[Anonymous]

I also thought episode 4 was meh. I hope they wrap up
The book story for the first season and go with a brand new story for the second. I feel like dragging out the book for more than one season will be really dull.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The infertile of the new ruling class was spared. Regular infertile women were sent to work camps to clean toxic waste.

Yeah that should have been updated bc it makes no sense. What does that even me "clean up toxic waste"
Since they talk about websites and people have cell phones it's clear the time frame they are using is right now or in the future. Right now we don't need people to clean up toxic waste bc it's mechanized. It wouldn't make sense to undue that and would cause more harm to everyone.

What would be great is if they reveal that the camps are just basically boring type suburbs but the use the whole threat of toxic waste to keep the handmaids in line and too scared to escape.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The infertile of the new ruling class was spared. Regular infertile women were sent to work camps to clean toxic waste.

Yeah that should have been updated bc it makes no sense. What does that even me "clean up toxic waste"
Since they talk about websites and people have cell phones it's clear the time frame they are using is right now or in the future. Right now we don't need people to clean up toxic waste bc it's mechanized. It wouldn't make sense to undue that and would cause more harm to everyone.

What would be great is if they reveal that the camps are just basically boring type suburbs but the use the whole threat of toxic waste to keep the handmaids in line and too scared to escape.

The book was written in 1984, so no cell phones then. It's just now being updated so everything might not fit perfectly 30 years later. I'm sure there will be a storyline that shows the other, older women, including Offred's mom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought Epi 4 was a bit of a drag.

Really? I loved it. I will not go into detail as to why, as I do not want to spoil it for others. But the last line of the episode was awesome.

It seemed like a flip to me. Now we have the notion of solidarity among the handmaidens. Whereas before they were completely isolated.

I think the problem is not total isolation -- Offred was becoming friends with her partner before she was taken away -- but that they don't know who they can trust.

I don't understand how Moira escaped during training, yet let June go back with the cops. Since her presence was enough to escape notice earlier, why didn't she say to the cops, "Hey, she's with me."

I wondered this as well but it looked like Offred was giving a small head shake to Moira to go onto the train and that's why she left.

Right. Because she did not have the papers she needed and knew that they would both be caught.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought Epi 4 was a bit of a drag.

Really? I loved it. I will not go into detail as to why, as I do not want to spoil it for others. But the last line of the episode was awesome.

It seemed like a flip to me. Now we have the notion of solidarity among the handmaidens. Whereas before they were completely isolated.

I guess I liked the flip. In my mind, the flip was on the viewers, not the story. We viewed them all being in isolation, when in fact there were small signs of unity, at least a,omg those that were in the training center together. Remember that offered was very formal with handmaidens she did not know well, but spoke more casually to those that she knew from the training center. The glimpse back shows us that the handmaidens have not all been beaten down and still have some fight in them. But once they are all isolated, it becomes more difficult to not lose yourself.