I actually studied abroad in the SOviet Union prior to the Gorbachev era. I remember at the time meeting all these people who would say this weird SOviet communist stuff (like calling each other COmrade)_ and I would wonder how many of them actually believed all the weird crap they were spouting, and how many of them were just saing these things to get along in society or to get the benefits that COmmunist Party membership gave them.
THese were the thoughts that I had watching this season. It was just like being back in Russia and wondering who actually believed in the regime and its ideas and who was just an opportunist, and who was appearing to go along but secretly working against the regime. It could be anyone.

I also remember wondering what I would have been like if I had grown up in the Soviet Union. Afraid I would have been a teacher's pet, suck up who did whatever it took to get along. Thought about that while watching this season too.

Anonymous wrote:Im interested in Commander Lawrence's wife and what role she might play in this season. Based on the interaction with June and the Marthas when the guard came in to conduct a search and psychplanting in the newly dug grave, I think she may develop in more than a minor character over the next few episodes. I also wonder whether she has mental illness because of what her husband has done or if she "acts" this way as a buffer.

Agree—very interesting. Here’s my imagined back story for her. She was a professor at someplace like Tufts in something not political—maybe English lit or Greek classics with low level depression well managed with therapy and medication. Maybe she’d had some miscarriages or a stillbirth in the fertility crisis. With the collapse of academia and the psychiatric care industry, what is a woman like that to do? I’d wander around in my bathrobe, plant flowers to cover up a grave, and resent my husband. He probably makes little stands against the regime as a sop to her.

Anonymous wrote:Have watched episodes 1 - 3 and am feeling mixed about this season so far. One of the things that I'm having a hard time is the dialogue, particularly from June. Her narrations and voice overs just don't ring true. Like the "Mama's got work to do" line at the end of the first episode. It's cute but almost too self conscious. There are other scenes like this. And the scenes between June and Lawrence are also a bit off. It's like they used a B list of writers this season ....

Hanging in there because I want to love this season as much as I've loved the first two.

Yup. Less close ups and voice overs. They used to give good context, not so much now.

Anonymous wrote:Something that I don't buy....Serena's mother. Giliad is still a very young "country" (Serena was instrumental in the movement that led to its founding) but we're supposed to buy that a woman in her 60s or early 70s has bought into the cult totally hook, line and sinker after living 50+ years as an American? I just don't buy it. I get that she's a shallow woman who loves gloating that her daughter is a powerful "celebrity" but I still don't believe she'd be so entrenched in their new nation.

Google Southern Baptist and complementarianism. This is a thing and it's not at all surprising to me that Serena's mother is into this. We had states passing laws against allowing transgendered people in bathrooms - in 2017/2018. An Alabama mayor called for gays to be killed last week - and he's still in office. How often do you hear prominent evangelical pastors like Franklin Graham and Jerry Falwell Jr. publicly stating how persecuted they are. There are conservatives all over social media that think feminism is evil and that gays have an agenda to turn children gay. David French, who is thought of as a respectable, intelligent conservative voice was celebrating the total abortion bans recently passed - including the one that allow for no exceptions. The logical consequence of that is that even girls as young as 11 or 12 (well below the age of consent) could be forced to carry children against their or their parents will.

The people that would be in power in Gilead are living among us today. They are not some anomaly.

On the show, Serena and Fred both thought things went a little far with Gilead - remember how Serena was hoping to speak before the commanders in the first season, but was denied? But it's not like they can escape now. It makes perfect sense to me that they have invested in it.

Anonymous wrote:Im interested in Commander Lawrence's wife and what role she might play in this season. Based on the interaction with June and the Marthas when the guard came in to conduct a search and planting in the newly dug grave, I think she may develop in more than a minor character over the next few episodes. I also wonder whether she has mental illness because of what her husband has done or if she "acts" this way as a buffer.

I’m hopeful about her too. I was really surprised when she acted like a functional human and helped the women.

I wonder what her husband would do if she decided to aid the resistance. He seems like he could go full in in either direction.

Have watched episodes 1 - 3 and am feeling mixed about this season so far. One of the things that I'm having a hard time is the dialogue, particularly from June. Her narrations and voice overs just don't ring true. Like the "Mama's got work to do" line at the end of the first episode. It's cute but almost too self conscious. There are other scenes like this. And the scenes between June and Lawrence are also a bit off. It's like they used a B list of writers this season ....

Hanging in there because I want to love this season as much as I've loved the first two.

Im interested in Commander Lawrence's wife and what role she might play in this season. Based on the interaction with June and the Marthas when the guard came in to conduct a search and planting in the newly dug grave, I think she may develop in more than a minor character over the next few episodes. I also wonder whether she has mental illness because of what her husband has done or if she "acts" this way as a buffer.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Something that I don't buy....Serena's mother. Giliad is still a very young "country" (Serena was instrumental in the movement that led to its founding) but we're supposed to buy that a woman in her 60s or early 70s has bought into the cult totally hook, line and sinker after living 50+ years as an American? I just don't buy it. I get that she's a shallow woman who loves gloating that her daughter is a powerful "celebrity" but I still don't believe she'd be so entrenched in their new nation.

I buy it. This isn’t far fetched at all. Think about today’s America and how many women evangelicals and right wingers would love - and actively promote - a Theocracy, to include female subservience to men in marriage and who see women as mere vessels for babies. Serena’s mom strikes me as someone who would be buddies with Karen Pence (aka Mother). Think about the woman like Kay Ivey. She’d have no problem fitting into Gillead along with Mother Pence. That’s what makes HMT so unnerving; there are aspects of this society alive and well in today’s America.

Lots of people like this in Duggarville. Men make the substantial and final decisions, and women focus on keeping their men happy and raising their children to toe the party line.

Although those women typically aren’t very educated. Isn’t SJ supposed to be educated? I had pictured her more as a standard UMC upbringing who through a series of life disappointments and overarching entitlement became radicalized to the right and looking for a scapegoat. Sort of like a Stephen Miller. That would ring more true for me than a story of that was how she was raised, and therefore all she knew.

I read Serena's mom as being a standard WASP, but mixed with evangelical religious extremism? It will be more believable to me if she was never that religious and just does what she has to do to maintain her status, like hosting prayer circles. I don't think of New England WASPs as the base of American theocrats. I sort of think of rich Mormons like that? But I don't see Mormons as much of a threat compared to Trump evangelicals.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Something that I don't buy....Serena's mother. Giliad is still a very young "country" (Serena was instrumental in the movement that led to its founding) but we're supposed to buy that a woman in her 60s or early 70s has bought into the cult totally hook, line and sinker after living 50+ years as an American? I just don't buy it. I get that she's a shallow woman who loves gloating that her daughter is a powerful "celebrity" but I still don't believe she'd be so entrenched in their new nation.

I buy it. This isn’t far fetched at all. Think about today’s America and how many women evangelicals and right wingers would love - and actively promote - a Theocracy, to include female subservience to men in marriage and who see women as mere vessels for babies. Serena’s mom strikes me as someone who would be buddies with Karen Pence (aka Mother). Think about the woman like Kay Ivey. She’d have no problem fitting into Gillead along with Mother Pence. That’s what makes HMT so unnerving; there are aspects of this society alive and well in today’s America.

Lots of people like this in Duggarville. Men make the substantial and final decisions, and women focus on keeping their men happy and raising their children to toe the party line.

Although those women typically aren’t very educated. Isn’t SJ supposed to be educated? I had pictured her more as a standard UMC upbringing who through a series of life disappointments and overarching entitlement became radicalized to the right and looking for a scapegoat. Sort of like a Stephen Miller. That would ring more true for me than a story of that was how she was raised, and therefore all she knew.

She could have been raised UMC (which she probably was) but still had conservative leaning parents. Her mother seemed to be proud of her for being famous and she enjoys her daughter's status as half of Commander and Mrs. Waterford.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Something that I don't buy....Serena's mother. Giliad is still a very young "country" (Serena was instrumental in the movement that led to its founding) but we're supposed to buy that a woman in her 60s or early 70s has bought into the cult totally hook, line and sinker after living 50+ years as an American? I just don't buy it. I get that she's a shallow woman who loves gloating that her daughter is a powerful "celebrity" but I still don't believe she'd be so entrenched in their new nation.

I buy it. This isn’t far fetched at all. Think about today’s America and how many women evangelicals and right wingers would love - and actively promote - a Theocracy, to include female subservience to men in marriage and who see women as mere vessels for babies. Serena’s mom strikes me as someone who would be buddies with Karen Pence (aka Mother). Think about the woman like Kay Ivey. She’d have no problem fitting into Gillead along with Mother Pence. That’s what makes HMT so unnerving; there are aspects of this society alive and well in today’s America.

Lots of people like this in Duggarville. Men make the substantial and final decisions, and women focus on keeping their men happy and raising their children to toe the party line.

Although those women typically aren’t very educated. Isn’t SJ supposed to be educated? I had pictured her more as a standard UMC upbringing who through a series of life disappointments and overarching entitlement became radicalized to the right and looking for a scapegoat. Sort of like a Stephen Miller. That would ring more true for me than a story of that was how she was raised, and therefore all she knew.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I watch on my iPad. Does anyone else find it very dark. (Literally). I couldn't tell at all what was happening with the wounded Martha in the basement.

It is very dark. I had to watch it on our large tv, with the lights off for best visual quality.

I didn't have this problem and I thought Game of Thrones was ridiculously dark. You might need to adjust your settings? I could see everything in the basement (I mean obviously it's dark and shadowy down there but no problems following the action).

Anonymous wrote:I watch on my iPad. Does anyone else find it very dark. (Literally). I couldn't tell at all what was happening with the wounded Martha in the basement.

It is very dark. I had to watch it on our large tv, with the lights off for best visual quality.

I watch on my iPad. Does anyone else find it very dark. (Literally). I couldn't tell at all what was happening with the wounded Martha in the basement.

I can't take the close ups of June's face all the time. Enough. The audience complained about it last season.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Something that I don't buy....Serena's mother. Giliad is still a very young "country" (Serena was instrumental in the movement that led to its founding) but we're supposed to buy that a woman in her 60s or early 70s has bought into the cult totally hook, line and sinker after living 50+ years as an American? I just don't buy it. I get that she's a shallow woman who loves gloating that her daughter is a powerful "celebrity" but I still don't believe she'd be so entrenched in their new nation.

I buy it. This isn’t far fetched at all. Think about today’s America and how many women evangelicals and right wingers would love - and actively promote - a Theocracy, to include female subservience to men in marriage and who see women as mere vessels for babies. Serena’s mom strikes me as someone who would be buddies with Karen Pence (aka Mother). Think about the woman like Kay Ivey. She’d have no problem fitting into Gillead along with Mother Pence. That’s what makes HMT so unnerving; there are aspects of this society alive and well in today’s America.

Lots of people like this in Duggarville. Men make the substantial and final decisions, and women focus on keeping their men happy and raising their children to toe the party line.