Anonymous wrote:I’m totally at a loss in trying to figure out commander Lawrence’s motivation with respect to his conversation with Lydia. He essentially pumped her up to go torture Janine??? I always thought he was a good guy (relatively speaking). Did he know about Lydia and Janine’s weird relationship so he was in a way protecting Janine?

Anyone have theories that can help me figure this out?

Well, no one is truly good on this show (except maybe Janine). Everyone’s a mix...like real people!

But I agree on Lawrence. I can’t figure him out either. Does he truly believe in Gilead now? And serving up Janine for torture...ugh. Irredeemable now. He needs to die. I’m very unforgiving. String him up alongside all the other traitors. Yes, including Nick. He doesn’t get a pass because he’s cute.

Anonymous wrote:I’m convinced June’s relationship with Luke is doomed. I’m not sure when or how, but she’s going to wind up with Nick.

Nah, I think Nick's a goner sooner or later.

I’m convinced June’s relationship with Luke is doomed. I’m not sure when or how, but she’s going to wind up with Nick.

I’m totally at a loss in trying to figure out commander Lawrence’s motivation with respect to his conversation with Lydia. He essentially pumped her up to go torture Janine??? I always thought he was a good guy (relatively speaking). Did he know about Lydia and Janine’s weird relationship so he was in a way protecting Janine?

Anyone have theories that can help me figure this out?

Janine could be pregnant from that jerk rebel.

I’m waiting for Lydia to turn around and hoping that the Testaments version comes through this season. Not much hope though. Janine might be able to turn her.

I’m the PP who called Nick a double agent. I still believe that. I’m curious to see how June uses Luke to achieve her goals regarding Gilead revenge/revolution. I can see the Moira friendship fracture as June works to turn everyone into battle mode. I think there’s more to come there.

June needs a fight and won’t be satisfied with legal justice. I don’t think that will come and it would not be enough if it does. Even if Hannah came back June cannot stop fighting at this point until Gilead is destroyed.

The Waterfords will go back to Gilead for sure.

So many possibilities for the next few episodes and seasons!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Next week looks like a juicy ep.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GXGGTAtUUQ


A PP called it, Mrs. Keen now a handmaid in training. Looking forward to her interactions with Janine.

I knew McKenna Grace was not going to be a one off! Poor kid. But she is continuing in the proud tradition of June and Emily with the killing.

That does look good. Notably, Serena tells Fred “they could make me a handmaid.”

I had hoped that she would eventually be shocked and blindsided to find herself in that situation, but I guess she’s too sharp for that.

Something I noticed about this episode is that we may be getting hints that Gilead is slowly (d)evolving. The Aunts who are working around Lydia aren’t so worried about appearing pious any more. Serena and Fred show more clearly than ever that Gilead is build on a foundation of sand- even they don’t believe in their own bs. I would love to see factions develop that undermine the power structure. The commanders are all in it for themselves- let’s see a civil war within a civil war, please!

I get the appeal of doing this, but I kind of feel like it would be jumping the shark. I guess it depends on how it was done.

Definitely agree we are seeing Gilead devolving but the factions were always there I think.

I'm really hoping we get whatever Nick's secret is next week.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Next week looks like a juicy ep.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GXGGTAtUUQ


A PP called it, Mrs. Keen now a handmaid in training. Looking forward to her interactions with Janine.

I knew McKenna Grace was not going to be a one off! Poor kid. But she is continuing in the proud tradition of June and Emily with the killing.

That does look good. Notably, Serena tells Fred “they could make me a handmaid.”

I had hoped that she would eventually be shocked and blindsided to find herself in that situation, but I guess she’s too sharp for that.

Something I noticed about this episode is that we may be getting hints that Gilead is slowly (d)evolving. The Aunts who are working around Lydia aren’t so worried about appearing pious any more. Serena and Fred show more clearly than ever that Gilead is build on a foundation of sand- even they don’t believe in their own bs. I would love to see factions develop that undermine the power structure. The commanders are all in it for themselves- let’s see a civil war within a civil war, please!

I didn’t buy the cheering people. I’m sad about Janine but I hope they give her a good ending.

I also think we should have left Aunt Lydia behind. She’s just not compelling any more and I don’t understand why I’m watching her. I know she was a different character in The Testaments so I suspect they’re bringing her to some other point but I dunno, I’m tired of her.

I also feel like commander Lawrence should have been killed and they kept him around because Bradley Whitford agreed to stay but it just makes no sense after the kids on the plane.

Anonymous wrote:Next week looks like a juicy ep.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GXGGTAtUUQ


A PP called it, Mrs. Keen now a handmaid in training. Looking forward to her interactions with Janine.

I knew McKenna Grace was not going to be a one off! Poor kid. But she is continuing in the proud tradition of June and Emily with the killing.

Next week looks like a juicy ep.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GXGGTAtUUQ


A PP called it, Mrs. Keen now a handmaid in training. Looking forward to her interactions with Janine.

I really loved this episode, with the tiny exception being the machinations going on back in Gilead. I'm a bit tired of it and it's getting kind of silly to boot.

I kind of wonder if there will be more tension between June and Moira. I think leading the group was helping Moira heal, but she was obviously running it on her own terms and bringing her own experience of what helped her heal to it. I guess the lesson is don't let June into your organization if you don't want her to take over.

I laughed out loud when the one woman, stone faced, said, "B---- took the coward's way out." about the Aunt killing herself. I watched that like five times. I wonder if Emily gets a little more of her groove back by embracing the vengeful side of her personality. I mean, she did kill Marisa Tomei in the Colonies simply because Tomei was a wife.

Did anyone else sort of freak out when Emily was driving to meet the Aunt, all by herself, in what appeared to be an isolated location. I was thinking she was going to be tricked and kidnapped back to Gilead. When I saw the policemen I thought for a second they were Guardians. Aiieeeee.

I'm still loving Serena and loving how she just keeps sticking it to Fred. I really am interested to see what the endgame is for them. What happens if he's imprisoned and she's sent back to Gilead? I know people are speculating that she could be made a Handmaid and I guess so, but I'm actually more interested in what happens to widows or someone like Serena whose husband isn't present? Women have no value or agency on their own. Like did Commander Winslow's wife get to keep all those kids? Remember Naomi Putnam actually advocated that her husband be maimed, not killed, for his affair with Janine.

I am so glad Janine is alive, but to see her back in Gilead is depressing. I was hoping she'd get a fresh chance out in the world. The Gilead storyline is reminding me of the Cylon religion storyline in Battlestar Galactica - it just keeps spinning out until you can't keep track and sort of don't care. Just get to the good stuff.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:JANINE!!!

So worried for her, though. Hard to see how she will be able to escape now.

I was really thrown by all of the people cheering for the Waterfords after Fred’s outburst during June’s testimony. Surprised that they would receive any support in Canada, even from the Christian sect.

I was and I wasn't. I can see the idea of giving it all over to God being very attractive to solving things like loss of fertility, etc. I mean, the Sons of Jacob overthrew a government and are now ruling America. It's not unthinkable that other people may find those ideas attractive. And it's always palatable when you think YOU won't be a Handmaid or a Martha or one of the Econopeople. And once you start othering people, it's much easier to turn a blind eye to their pain. But yeah, with all the information that has to be out there about how Gilead treats people, it was surprising.

Elisabeth Moss has some directing talent, I think. I really like the way she used occasional slow-mo and lighting in this ep. Though the pacing felt a little wonky.

Janine is ready to die. Aunt Lydia has such a weird relationship with her- I really wonder what she’ll choose to do. I loved that Janine just kept her mouth shut rather than counter Lydia’s bs about June; hopefully she is mentally stronger now and won’t be as susceptible to brainwashing. I was afraid when Aunt Lydia told her “you’ve lost everyone you’ve loved” she was gearing up to tell her that June lied to her about the death of her son as a way of convincing her that June can’t be trusted.

I thought the end where the former handmaids were honest and vented their anger in the group was really satisfying. Sorry Moira doesn’t like it, lol.

Anonymous wrote:I was so excited to see Janine! I’m still rooting for her to survive Gilead.

We will all be so broken hearted if she does not!