She obliviously loves her, I'm not saying she doesn't. Her main priority now is Hannah because she's the one in danger, that's more than understandable of course.

The thing is, June has been separated from Nichole for a long time, now that they are reunited she doesn't seem to spend that much time with her, letting Moira and Luke to do most of the work. Not saying June should become The Perfect Loving Mama the moment Nichole is with her, she's still fresh of years of trauma, constantly in danger and desperate to save the other child.

With all this in mind, it's possible that June feels detached from Nichole because she's not used to healthy bonding anymore? Or doesn't want to get attached out of fear of losing yet another daughter? Could that make her feel guilty as well?

This show is crazy! I gave several questions that might be answered later on but I can’t wait.

Did Aunt Lydia become a bitch because she went on a date and got rejected?

Nick nick nick! I really love Nick and June. I was hoping they’d get together but now…. Is he a goody or baddy? Good to June but 99% gilead?

How is Serena pregnant and for who? The commander? So he’s not sterile? Therefore is there really a fertility problem? Or Is gilead infertile? Like when an environment is toxic things can’t grow. I guess not as Mexico had problems too so how is Serena suddenly fertile?

Why didn’t June kill Aunt Lydia? I’ve noticed the “stars” don’t die. 😂 they hate maids so much yet Janine has 9 lives. I get they can’t kill June Maybe there are no answers

How did everyone feel when the Washington Football Team (formerly the Redskins) of the NFL and the Cleveland Indians of the MLB rebranded to the Commanders and Guardians, respectively? As a fan of The Handmaids Tale, I couldn’t shake the association out of my head.

This episode was so unrealistically funny. Those kids are 12 and younger, I know for a fact that some of them would have been crying or making unnecessary noises the entire walk to the airport or worse, right in Joseph’s house. Especially the babies, remember how Nicole yelled the whole way to Canada? That’s what babies do. Anyway this was just a thought.

When June see the pills on top of Eleanor’s dresser why does she not tell the commander what happened? Is it because she feels bad for her ? That she’s suffering. Or does she think that Joseph will do something in that moment that might jeopardise the kiddy rescue plan?

I’m rewatching the series and I’m on the episode where evil Fred convinces that commander from DC to force Joseph to r-word June. What if a commander keeps saying, we’re not ready for children so we won’t get a handmaid or we already have one and we’re done so we don’t need a handmaid? Are there exceptions?

Apologies if more info is revealed in the show, I’m still on season 1 (spoilers welcomed though) but one question I can’t stop thinking about is; where is the military?

Background: I’m in military myself and what each servicemember would do in a similar completely “unlawful” unethical coup takeover always interest me.

First I can tell you, if I get fire from my job, lose my bank account and can no longer own my house and I find out why; I’m taking my guns to defend myself on the way and going out of country. Fuck my unit’s accountability or activation unless they are fighting against it. First of all; they’d have to catch me first to courtmartial me; that proceeding also take time and paperwork; and I probably won’t be the only one so I’m banking on that.

Even in peacetime, disobeying an order thats unlawful would not get you courtmartialed. Ok fine they changed the law. But good luck arresting - it takes x2 at least of servicemember to arrest.

Also in real life, there’s military everywhere; rural conservative and liberal city areas. Where you get stationed got nothing to do with your ideals. Military is incredibly diverse, there’s females. POCs. And a lot for something like this probably will go AWOL and be like “good luck catching me bc I’m the MP that would catch people” - how do you courtmartial so many on the spot and actually catch them? Same reason why I think if there is an attempt to re write constitution second amendment, it wouldn’t work because the military they’d leverage to enforce that ARE the ones that own the guns so they’d have to do something like “all prior military are exempt” then maybe it would work cuz “doesn’t affect me”. Even the riots have led to fraction within military itself but that was only targeting one small group and during peacetime where courtmartial of disobeying orders WILL happen.

Not to mention military controls the most concentrated armory weapon and transportation, take a Humvee drive to Canada, take a plane, hop on a ship…the very people who would be the “power” are the people that operates these - and guess what they have ideals and values and diversity. I also think we are generally more prepared and better trained than the Gilead’s armed security with fancy but not so fancy gear. US military have so many various forms of lethal combat power and technologies, wearing your full battle rattle with a M4 is honestly pretty basic and that’s still above what Gilead portrays.

So normally I love horror movies, war movies, or these type of genre that talk about difficult yet important social issues/phenomenons. I just started watching - still in season 1 (spoilers are welcomed). I genuinely feel depressed watching this but at the same time can't stop. It's unlocked a new fear in me. You can always say ghosts and aliens arent real, clowns are just costumes, war is war and rape/suicide/PTSD movies aren't about you if you never experienced it...but this show, it scares me to the bone and I'm generally a very dominant and borderline aggressive person. Maybe it's the timing with election. My husband has tried to tell me I need to stop watching it because I keep saying we need to plan an escape route to Canada. Only thing he's happy about is that it makes me want to stock up on more guns and ammo. There's just something about it I can't explain that really scars me this could be a realistic reality not too far off and I don't think I'd be able to be as brave as any of the handmaiden (either I'm making it to Canada or I'm saving a bullet to shoot myself). My husband is very supportive of feminism and I'm more dominant in the marriage, financially and otherwise and now I'm just mad at him for no reason as if he's pretending but could be like the commander if he was given the power for it. Ironically, I'm in the military, so I know how to defend myself and means to do so, I've made peace with the reality I could die for someone else's war yet I'm not afraid. But this show makes me genuinely afraid and fearful and no amount of money or ammo can even provide comfort. I think I need to see a therapist now...

Sorry for the rant

I read the book first so that has definitely influenced my judgement.

June in the book vs in the show is very very different and I much preferred the June in the book. I also found the message I got from the book vs the show to very different for this reason. In the book, June isn't a rebellious leader at all. The whole book is from her (very limited) perspective and we don't even ever find out what her real name is. To me, she represents all the women, all with their own stories, but now stripped of their identity and their autonomy. And for that reason I find it so powerful.

In the show, June is a lot more bold. I found it to be more 'June's story' rather than about the control, the oppressive societal structures, the extremist beliefs, etc. The show is also definitely about those issues, of course, as it is what June is living in but the show isn't as powerful as the book in getting that across (although, the book is usually always better, isn't it!)

Maybe if I hadn't read the book first, I would have liked the earlier seasons, while June is still in Gilead, much more. But because I had, I was not the biggest fan. I did like seeing more about the other characters stories though and their lives from before, which the book doesn't offer.

I have seen a lot of people say they don't like the latter seasons as much but I personally really loved them. Firstly, I think once June is out of Gilead, I was able to separate the book from the show much better. But apart from that, I loved the portrayal of June's trauma and what particularly really stuck to me was how Fred was killed - in the same way that the handmaids were made to deal with rapists, in a salvaging. The violence and anger that she feels, her attempts of taking back control, even her leaving the handmaids tag on, is so real and makes her such a complex character. She has gone through so so much living under Gilead and it has changed her.

I liked when the women wanted help from June to kill their own abusers the morning after Fred's salvaging. It takes us out of just June's story and makes us realise that each of these women out there have their own stories and their own experiences and it's not just June but all of these women who lived under Gilead.

I also really liked the urgency at which June wanted to leave Canada. For us, as viewers, it's easy to look at Gilead and think how horrible it is Over There and not Over Here. But all over the world, there is a rise in a lot of hateful rhetoric like anti-immigrants, anti-abortion, etc. And we have to realise how dangerous those sentiments really are.

Anyways! This ended up being a lot longer than I thought it'd be - I just needed to put all my thoughts somewhere and I hope my long ramble made sense! Let me know what you think, if you agree/disagree. :)

Is it ever really addressed what the rest of the world is doing to address the fertility crisis outside of Gilead? The Mexican politician stated they hadn’t had a baby born in their city for years.

Wouldn’t there be mass testing of fertility male and female and the fertile population identified even if just to create babies through IVF etc..

It’s hinted the issue is more with males than females worldwide by Mark in Canada, and the doctor said to June that the commanders are more likely to be infertile? Is this ever expanded upon?

this is a hate rant for serena joy so if you don’t want to see horrible things don’t read it.

! I need to see serena joy curb stopped in 4k!!! idc what it takes. she is so holier than thou acting like anyone owes her anything. she’s a traitor who only cares about herself. she never asks about nichole anymore. she gave fred up which indirectly led to his death. her own country doesn’t even want her. I need her to die a slow painful death while her baby is ripped from her arms while june is kicking her in the face. Yvonne Strahovski you are a damn good actress. I can’t stand this bxtch UGH!!! !<

Currently on S2 E13

The marthas are so underrated and brave and I wish I knew more about them. Rita tells June that she can escape and mentions the other marthas helping her do so. You’re telling me they have the ability to help handmaids escape which means they too probably have the capability to escape and they don’t so they can help more handmaids? Maybe I missed a detail or something but that is just so absolutely selfless and kind in a way that I can’t even begin to imagine. Without spoiling anything, do we ever get to know more about Rita’s backstory? She’s always been one of my favorites

When Serena went to Canada and had the chance to escape, she didn’t. Was she scared? Then she went back to see baby Nicole and had the chance to escape and get away from Gilead and she didn’t. Why do you think she went back? I don’t think she loves Fred? Does she feel scared to escape?

I’m only up to season 3. I absolutely love this show! Wish I had watched it sooner. But I’m Hooked!

???

Hannah and June reunion had me literally crying my eyes out, a show has not made me do that in forever. Maybe it unlocked some mommy issues trauma for me lol 😭 Anybody else have that experience 😂

I'm sure this has been said a million times, but I HATE aunt Lydia. She's awful and manipulative and just a very angry person. TBF, there are a lot of people to hate in this series, which is understandable given the subject matter, but women treating other women that way always angers me. She was a judgemental snot even before Gilead, she just got worse when given more power. I would definitely say Serena is worse in that she helped build this society and is just insufferable, but I think we see more of Lydia's abuses so that's why she gets more hate. How she treats Janine boils my blood. She's nice to her one minute, then punishing her the next. I know that's part of the manipulation, but poor Janine is so fragile she falls for it. It's a testament to the actress' abilities though that she can incite this kind of feeling and reaction whenever she's on screen.

I’m a man. I rarely cry in movies/tv shows, but man this show has broken me. That part when Emily reunites with her son in season 3 and tries to read a book about dinosaurs to him, only to start sobbing along with her wife, and then her little son taking over. I just can’t. The way they both start crying because of everything that has happened and then the way their son says “want me to take over?” and keeps reading made me cry BUCKETS of tears.

In S2Ep13 when Commander Lawrence takes Emily to the rendezvous point, did anyone else notice the car he’s driving has the steering wheel on the right side? I’ve only seen that in countries who drive on the left so that’s been bugging me all afternoon lol

Aren’t there guards everywhere? I know some Martha’s killed their commanders or drugged the wives but how did they all manage to sneak out the kids? Are there no guards outside houses?

I just finished my first watch of The Handmaid's Tale and had a question. I've not seen this addressed on here before so apologies if it has been covered and I missed it.

We know that June wasn't getting pregnant during her ceremony with commander Waterford so she was forced to sleep with Nick. She continues sleeping with Nick but also continues to sleep with Fred, outside of the ceremony. Serena tells June that Fred is most likely sterile and wants her to sleep with Nick. Serena is later shocked to find out that she's pregnant, so Fred obviously couldn't be sterile.

Does anyone else think that Fred could possibly be Nichole's father or would it be more likely that Serena had a lover on the side that she got pregnant by?

This may have been covered in the books but not the tv show. I haven't read the books yet but hope to start them soon.

Frankly, I don't think Fred is father to either baby. Just wondered about everyone else's thoughts.

One thing I've really been enjoying about this show is the depth and complexity of the characters. Very few are completely good or evil, even those we are 'rooting' for.

In particular, I've been thinking a lot about Commander Lawrence and Nick, and how grey they are shown to be throughout the series.

We learn that Lawrence is essentially responsible for Gilead coming into being. Though he didn't intend (and is horrified by) its more brutal and cruel aspects, he created the conditions by which those who wanted to control and abuse women (and others) had the power to do so. He's in a position to change things, and is trying to do so (at risk to himself), but also seems to accept the fact that this will take time, and therefore people will continue to suffer. While we do learn that he is deeply regretful and would choose differently if he had it all to do over again, he also seems to be able to detach himself from real individuals that he knows are suffering from his actions.

It's also strongly hinted that Nick had a role in the terrorist attacks that led to Gilead coming to power. So he is also culpable in the creation of this system (though much less so that Lawrence I would argue). As an Eye, and later a Commander, he is contributing to the continuation of Gilead (though very reluctantly as we often see). However, we see that he has real empathy for others, and tries to use what power he has to protect them. He also seems to feel trapped, where he can't leave because of his earlier actions, and therefore sees this is the only way to survive.

I tend to land on Nick being a lighter shade of grey that Lawrence, but my perspective on both of them has evolved over the series as we learn and see more.

What do others think? Are there other grey characters that interest you and you're conflicted by?

This podcast discusses how the lady judges were taken out of their positions in both of the Taliban takeovers in the 90’s and recently—with interviews. I guess it’s politics but not really….just kinda bringing it up. Scary stuff. Gave me goosebumps.

https://thisiscriminal.com/episode-204-they-came-for-the-judges-1-6-2023/

I’m rewatching the series and I’m so gutted by the fact that Nick actually suggested to Fred that Eden might have run away with that guardian (Isaac). I thought he was decent when he didn’t want to sleep with her because she was a child. I know they would have found them, but still.

Is it just me, or was this one of the least spoken about creepiest things to happen on this show? I'm talking about the part with the ribbon and Serena is in the middle of everyone chanting "Let the little children come to me". Season 2 Ep 4... And to think she gets even worse! Serena is a true PSYCHO!

Okay so I’m new to the show, and there’s a scene in season 2 ep 1 that is a flashback to the “before” and the scene shows June saying she wants to get off birth control. I don’t understand why, immediately after telling Luke he needs to sign permission for her to pick up her birth control, June basically states she wants to have another baby. Like I know it’s a show but your right to own property has been taken away, your bank account has been taken, and your husband needs to sign off on your contraceptives. Why on earth would you want to have another child??? Especially when there’s a possibility it could be a girl? Idk why but that scene made me so mad😭😭😭

Where is everyone/anyone else Aunt Lydia’s age, besides Lawrence? Are all the Gileads murdered on their 65 birthdays?

Here I go again, rewatching the entire series after I finished all five seasons back in May of this year. I have a feeling rewatching this a second time around will be much more intense than the first time. The first watch gave me such whiplash that I couldn’t grasp everything completely because it was just that compelling.

Blessed be the fruit.

The way I cackled at this scene! This was definitely a top moment in the show for me. A citation for transporting bio material.

What are some of your top moments from the show?

i’m at the end of season 4 episode 8 and im just not loving anyone or really any of the plot lines that are happening, serena joys pregnancy and the court scenes have been the saving grace’s for me but even that’s losing its traction. does it get better ? does june ever stop acting the way she is ?