I find the lighting so dim, it’s annoying. They also go from whispering most of the indecipherable dialog to suddenly blasting out everyone’s eardrums.

I just finished rereading the Handmaid's Tale and watching the series and have a couple observations:
Serena's concern, preGilead, was about declining fertility. She was then shot in the abdomen while leaving the university and probably rendered infertile. Commander Waterford is weak and all about punishing Serena, who is definitely the stronger of the pair.
Atwood was inspired by reading 1984. Lois Lowry wrote "The Giver," about the same time Atwood wrote The Handmaid's Tale. Same general theme where a "utopian" community suppresses individual freedom and expression.
Atwood takes many of her themes directly from the Bible. The Martha's, of course, as well as handmaids (Rachael and Lea's children in the Bible do not belong to them). In the book, all AA's were the "Children of Ham" another white supremacist theme incorrectly interpreted from the Bible. There was no integration in the original book. All Martha's and Ritas were minorities.
Ann Dowd won the Grammy as best supporting actress for her Season One role as Aunt Lydia.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it hard to believe that June was unwilling to abandon Hannah (living in a safe, stable situation with a nanny who cared about her) but was totally willing to abandon her newborn nursling to a dangerous border crossing and no food whatsoever. Hormones alone dictate that would not happen.

Hannah isn't safe, she lives in a country that will cut off her finger for reading the Bible and drown her for falling in love. That forces women into sexual servitude. That condones beating your wife because she didn't submit to your will. June does not view Hannah becoming another Serena as a "safe, stable situation." If Emily and Nicole make it to Canada, Nicole will be safe from that life, and June being with them probably doesn't increase the odds of that happening (if anything, the more people traveling together the more it might increase the risk of them getting caught).

The Marthas arranged for June, Holly, and Emily to be saved. How did June know that they hadn't also helped Hannah to escape??? Maybe Hannah's house was the next stop for the truck...

Staying behind will not help her save Hannah - she has no clothes and nowhere to live. She's been caught multiple times before and has no leverage of being pregnant or nursing to help her escape harse punishment.

I don’t know that June will be punished. She and Serena can say the baby was kidnapped. She could go back to being Fred’s handmaid and work with Serena and the Martha underground.

Side note: I really hope this isn’t the end of Bradley Whitfield.

+1 and Fred made it clear he really wants a boy.

Anonymous wrote:Does Fred know that Nicole is not his baby?

Yes. June spat something at him about never having had a child and that he never would.

The Aunt Lydia actress is basically type-cast at this point. Watch the pother shows and movies she’s been in; basically the same character....

PP here. I was on vacation so I am just now catching up on the last episode. Agree with others about Aunt Lydia. She is terrific!

Does Fred know that Nicole is not his baby?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it hard to believe that June was unwilling to abandon Hannah (living in a safe, stable situation with a nanny who cared about her) but was totally willing to abandon her newborn nursling to a dangerous border crossing and no food whatsoever. Hormones alone dictate that would not happen.

Hannah isn't safe, she lives in a country that will cut off her finger for reading the Bible and drown her for falling in love. That forces women into sexual servitude. That condones beating your wife because she didn't submit to your will. June does not view Hannah becoming another Serena as a "safe, stable situation." If Emily and Nicole make it to Canada, Nicole will be safe from that life, and June being with them probably doesn't increase the odds of that happening (if anything, the more people traveling together the more it might increase the risk of them getting caught).

The Marthas arranged for June, Holly, and Emily to be saved. How did June know that they hadn't also helped Hannah to escape??? Maybe Hannah's house was the next stop for the truck...

Staying behind will not help her save Hannah - she has no clothes and nowhere to live. She's been caught multiple times before and has no leverage of being pregnant or nursing to help her escape harse punishment.

I don’t know that June will be punished. She and Serena can say the baby was kidnapped. She could go back to being Fred’s handmaid and work with Serena and the Martha underground.

Side note: I really hope this isn’t the end of Bradley Whitfield.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it hard to believe that June was unwilling to abandon Hannah (living in a safe, stable situation with a nanny who cared about her) but was totally willing to abandon her newborn nursling to a dangerous border crossing and no food whatsoever. Hormones alone dictate that would not happen.

Hannah isn't safe, she lives in a country that will cut off her finger for reading the Bible and drown her for falling in love. That forces women into sexual servitude. That condones beating your wife because she didn't submit to your will. June does not view Hannah becoming another Serena as a "safe, stable situation." If Emily and Nicole make it to Canada, Nicole will be safe from that life, and June being with them probably doesn't increase the odds of that happening (if anything, the more people traveling together the more it might increase the risk of them getting caught).

The Marthas arranged for June, Holly, and Emily to be saved. How did June know that they hadn't also helped Hannah to escape??? Maybe Hannah's house was the next stop for the truck...

Staying behind will not help her save Hannah - she has no clothes and nowhere to live. She's been caught multiple times before and has no leverage of being pregnant or nursing to help her escape harse punishment.

I agree. June isn’t as interesting now.

At this point I'm much more interested in the Nick, Lydia, and Serena characters than I am June's. I find her too predictable, and generally more and more grating to watch.