It occurred to me a lot later in the series that the handmaids deserved the choice to an abortion. Even if the child was conceived or was still her body.

The amount of screaming and suffering Edith makes while she is handcuffed to the bed in season 5 made me cry. It makes me realize abortion is human right EAPECIALLY during times of war for women and girls

So I’m all the way into season 5 now, and I feel like I must’ve missed something, because I still don’t really understand even who the Wheelers are, much less why/how they have power, and especially why they have power and authority over Serena. In S5, E9, Mrs. Wheeler even tells Serena that her husband “doesn’t even answer to those Commanders.” Who does he answer to, then? Can anyone provide any insight into this?

How do you think Gilead would handle a cryptic pregnancy? Like, I know they're incredibly rare, probably no more than like, 3 or 4 throughout the entire reign of Gilead itself, but how do you think they'd have handled this? Considering there'd be no indication of pregnancy, they'd likely get reassigned at least once during the pregnancy.

Would it be considered a miracle baby? Would it go back to the family that they were posted at when they would have gotten pregnant? Just curious what yall think!

They were amazing!! The Testaments is a masterpiece! I did already watch the series several times…lol I’m not sure how the TV show came about or was created but I was shocked to see so many things that were different in the books. Don’t get me wrong the series is phenomenal, dark, and the acting is the best I’ve ever seen. I was also surprised with how the first book ended. She had so many escape attempts in the series. Where did Commander Lawrence come from? Is he supposed to be Commander Judd? Aunt Lydia’s former profession is completely different. Flashbacks of hers were different. Would love more discussion of the comparison of the two.

A woman, let’s call her Cathy, gets arrested, found to be fruitful, and is trained as a Handmaid. At her first posting, she becomes Ofpeter. She does not get pregnant until her very last Ceremony, after which she is to be reposted and become Ofpaul. Who gets the baby?

My speculation is that she would be held at the red center for a month or so before being sent to Paul’s household. If she misses her period, she is tested for pregnancy. If she’s positive, she’s sent back to Peter’s household, has the baby, nurses it, and is only then re-posted. Meantime, another Handmaid is identified for Paul.

Otherwise, there might be some question. Did Cathy get pregnant by Peter at their last Ceremony and deliver at (say) 42 weeks, or did she get pregnant by Paul at their first Ceremony and deliver at 38 weeks?

How satisfying is that Commander Waterford get arrested and Commander Winslow is killed by June's hand... okay it was a highly symbolic pen!!!

I’m trying to rewatch the show and I realized I stopped at season three last time im trying to push through but this season is just boring to me. Just seems like an excuse to put June through really bad/sad situations

https://apple.news/AcDG40B9WSJqFmPJTDaJEGQ

I just saw what looked like an ad for season 6 coming soon on channel 4 in australia. It was tucked in between the ghastly real news. Does anyone know anything about this, because I was scrolling down and it kept disappearing.

I’m not sure I’ve ever spoken much about this episode but I do remember that when it originally aired I sat straight up and screamed “HOLY SHIT, YES!” as soon as I picked up on what was going on, and I didn’t sit back again until the credits started

It was explosively cathartic, and Nick & June’s kiss in front of Fred to drive home the fact that they did this together, and they’d been plotting against him all along was absolutely perfect. The frenzied violence— scratching, biting, howling, screaming— was horrible and wonderful and gruesome and beautiful

If it’s been a long time since you’ve watched it, it’s some solid stress relief

I don't even have human children but every time I see this episode, I sob from how unfair and brutal it is. June telling Hannah that she doesn't know if she'll ever see her again. Ugh! You can feel her pain as she's crying, seeing her daughter being driven away. How she wanted to make it a little less traumatic bye, instead of her being ripped from June's arms.

Due to current events, I’ve been listening to HMT on the Libby app for free through my library. The cover art for the audiobook is shown here. My question is, do you think this cover art is based on Elizabeth Moss or did this cover art come before she was cast as June? And if so, how coincidental is it that she looks similar to this version of June. I wonder if that played a part in why she was cast?

This felt very fitting here.

at the end when they ran, after Alma and Brianna got hit by train June said something to Janine and in final scene she also said that at the red Center they learned to lipread and whisper in semidarkness. Everything was so intentional in this episode but i couldn't figure out what she was saying. Can anyone lipread?

So we know it’s an unspoken truth that a lot of the fertility issues are with the men. Serena and Fred tried for a long time, and Serena was not happy with the idea of having a handmaid.

When she came up with the plan of having Nick impregnate June, why didn’t she consider having Nick impregnate her instead?

Initially, I thought the answer was obvious: Serena didn’t want to put herself in a position of facing the consequences of adultery. June’s life is disposable; if she was caught, she’d be punished or killed and Serena wouldn’t face any repercussions.

However, Serena is not stupid. She knows that her husband is obsessed with power. We know that Commanders who manage to successfully conceive without a handmaid are promoted, as it’s considered a display of their faithfulness. Fred would be so excited for his promotion that he probably wouldn’t stop to question how Serena became pregnant.

We see his reaction to Serena’s pregnancy in the later seasons. He never questions if the baby is his, he immediately launches into “my son” from the start. I understand in principle why Serena wouldn’t want to risk her life, but I think she’s smart enough to realize that she could have gotten away with it easily. Do you think the thought ever crossed her mind?

Edit: I’m not implying that Serena would just turn up pregnant and Fred wouldn’t question it. He would absolutely make an example of her to preserve his ego. I’m saying that Serena is a master manipulator and she could have convinced Fred to “try again” and then pass it off as his child. In that scenario, Fred would go along with it because it brings him more power.

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I'm probably not the only one who thinks this, but since I don't believe in censorship, I think that The Handmaid's Tale should air on an over the air TV network such as NBC, so more people can see what Trump and the Christian Nationalist GQP want to do to the United States. Being on a streaming service like Hulu, which requires a subscription is holding it back. I know it's probably not going to happen, but I'm hopeful. Besides, we can call out any so-called anti-censorship hypocrites and tell them that free speech cannot be silenced.

explain why she should look past the pain and suffering he has played a role in. Also why can you look past all the suffering that the character has play a role in

As someone who manages databases, it kills me the US government in Canada doesn't have a victim database, and Moira is left to flip through binder after binder looking for her girlfriend.

Yes, I know it's more dramatic but they could have at least shown her initially searching a database and then being shown binders that hadn't been entered into the system yet.

Most of what happened to June is shown as flashbacks. Has anyone ever put together a timeline of the rise of Gilead(sp?)

So I saw a post asking about Texas being independent and it got me wondering about Vegas. The book didn’t touch on the city of course but had the show mentioned it? What do y’all think happened to Sin City? Evacuated? A giant jezebel’s style concentration camp? I love Vegas and the thought of it being destroyed like that makes me so sad. The city has strong Mormon influence that surprises some folks. I assume Mormons are on the wall but how much resistance is ongoing out this way?

In ep 3 of season 2 (I believe) we learn that the econopeople go to church, but with all the other classes they showcase never once do they go to church or even mention it, from what I recall. I do notice that they frequently have religious rituals and ceremonies (no not that ceremony but I suppose they'd sadly count that). Why do we think this is? Is it just something that's forgotten? At first I was thinking only of the wives, commanders and children that "these are who is considered the holiest, maybe they're pulling what they did with the 'commoners' back then for the sake of control and traditional values', but the handmaids and marthas are certainly not considered econopeople let alone holy by their standards, and they don't go to church. Anyways, thoughts?

I am not from USA so i am bit confused about this, isnt Texas supposed to be most coservative and religious part of USA? Has Atwood ever explained this?

Initially i was actually convinced she was so in love with her husband. Then season 2,3 and 4 showed more of her loving both Nick and her husband. Then season 5 Nick gets married to another sweet woman but clearly there is some tension between Nick and June . So who does she actually love more between Nick and her husband?

Meanwhile where can i get the book online?

I can’t be the only one who finds Commander Lawrence ridiculously attractive, right? For me, it’s his intelligence. He’s calculating, enigmatic, and somehow both distant and deeply engaged. Maybe it’s the power, maybe it’s the mystery, but whatever it is, I’m hooked. I want a less wicked version of him. 😭

Anyone else feel the same way? What is it about him that does it for you?

I am just now binge watching and have made it to season 5 and am finding it really hard to stay focused due to how unbelievable things have become, especially with how Gilead treated Serena.

Serena with a mind of her own and an ability to influence others seems to be exactly what all of Gilead is against. She is too powerful and you would think that the men of the council would rather make an examle of her than reward her behavior by giving her a job. It makes literally no sense-- their whole culture is founded on the idea that women belong in the house and not in the workplace, yet they allow her to have a job in which she is able to read and write and send little postcards out in the mail. When they tell her that they are going to send her back to Toronto they basically say that she will be living in the center as an example of how the Gilead lifestyle, yet she doesnt embody any part of the Gilead lifestyle. She reads, she writes, she wears other colored clothes, she uses modern technology like phones and computers, eats modern food, she wears pants instead of a skirt. It kind of makes sense to have someone living there the Gilead way to show others what the culture is like, but Serena is not doing that.

I loved the first few seasons so much but the longer it goes on the more outrageous it becomes. She reads a small excerpt from the bible and they cut off her finger but now that shes a global example of the Gilead lifestyle no one cares that shes not upholding these sacred laws?

Just got this email today… remind you of anything? 👀