The Handmaid's Tale, Season Two, Episode Six: First Blood

Like many, I binge watch a lot of the shows I choose to follow, even waiting sometimes for the end of a season before watching it.  The Handmaid's Tale has always been the exception to this rule, and not just because I recap it each week for this blog. The Handmaid's Tale is unrelentingly dark and so painful to watch, I doubt I could watch two episodes back to back, let alone an entire season.  This time however, the ending of First Blood had me screaming at the television, instantly wanting more and cursing because I couldn't just move onto the next episode. Yes, I know I started at the end but not to worry, we will start at the beginning and work our way towards the awesome ending of First Blood. 

This episode largely focuses on Serena Joy and her relationship with June.  It begins right where we left off with Serena racing to get the doctor to report that June has finally awoken.  The first olive branch Serena Joy offers is to open the barrier which blocks June from seeing the ultrasound.  This is June's first glance at her baby and a rare moment of kindness from Serena Joy.  When they arrive home, Serena even takes June's jacket and hangs it up. June notices the kindness and the change but she is clearly and rightfully suspicious.  With June back home, Serena is anxious for her to eat a healthy meal and offers a shake which June quickly rejects, claiming that it upsets her stomach and Serena compromises and offers soup instead.  June not only gets an alternative meal, she gets to have it in the comfort and beauty of Serena's office.  It's a huge contrast to the dingy room which June has been occupying for months. 

Serena isn't the only one who is happy that June is back at the Waterfords. Nick takes the first opportunity he gets to talk to June, explaining that he thinks about her all of the time and he dreams about a life for the three of them. June admits that she thinks about it as well but reminds Nick that he is married now. When Rita walks in to deliver the soup, she catches them holding hands and tells June into enjoy her privileges for as long as she can. 

That night, June is firmly ensconced in the study because Serena Joy doesn't think she can handle the stairs and the two women share a moment.  Serena is desperate to know what pregnancy feels like and June obliges of her own free will and places Serena's hand on her stomach. The two women marvel at the mystery and beauty that is life.  It's the closest they've ever been, yet an ocean of difference lies between them. 

In a flashback, we watch a nervous Serena Joy getting ready to speak at a college campus. This is a very different Serena because she is passionate, and in control in a way that she no longer is.   Fred is right by her side, egging her on, sensing that it's important the world hear a woman advocate the elimination of women's rights and the curtailment of civil freedom.  Serena makes her way out on stage and it's clear that though a crowd has gathered, they are there to shut her down.  People in the crowd scream that Serena isn't welcome and she is called a Nazi.  It's only when the students start to throwing things that security rushes in and takes Serena from the stage.  Fred is appalled and starts going on about this is America, and they have a right to be heard. I suppose the irony escapes him.  

Serena gathers her courage as she is rushed through the crowd and with Fred's encouragement, she stops and demands to be heard.  Serena yells that the birthrate is down over 60% and that this is everyone's problem.  Serena tells the gathering that they are selfish, spoiled and entitled.  It's a moment of triumph for Serena as she heads outside saying that she wants to add more stops to her tour.  Moments later, a shot rings out and Serena lies wounded on the ground, next to her now dead secretary.  When Sererna awakes, she is in hospital with a much chastened Fred. Seeing Serena in pain attempting to be strong has worried him and so he suggests that she take a step back. Serena however demands that Fred "be a man" because there's too much work to be done.  Fred immediately sets to work taking Serena's statement and she shares her worries that they won't get justice because she doesn't trust the cops. 

June is making up her bed when she is joined by Eden. It seems that her marriage is yet to be consummated though she has done what a wife is supposed to do: cooking and cleaning for Nick. Eden worries that she is ugly and that this is why Nick doesn't want to have sex with her.  It puts June into an odd situation because now she has to comfort the child bride of the man she loves. June does her best assure Eden that she isn't ugly and that these things take time in marriage, promising that Nick will be a wonderful father to her children. Eden however still isn't comforted and begins to wonder if the reason Nick hasn't had sex with her is because he's a gender traitor (Gilead's term for gay) and June assures her this is not the case. By not consummating his marriage, Nick has actually placed himself in a dangerous situation.

Serena has another big surprise for June, it seems that she has invited some other handmaidens to come by for lunch.The handmaidens are quiet and clearly fearful, as Serena Joys serves each one a huge piece of quiche and encourages the women to chat the way they do on their walks together. June senses Serena's desperation and brings up a little cafe she used to attend and this breaks the ice.  It's only when Serena mentions that she often frequented that cafe and it's possible that unbeknownst to them, they all could have been in the cafe at the same time and in that  the difference between Serena and the handmaidens is made explicit.. Serena retreats and head back to her greenhouse, clearly lonelier than ever. It really is a case of be careful what you wish for. With Serena out of the room, the handmaidens gather around June and begin to talk and gossip.

In another flashback, the Gilead has risen to power and this time, Fred stand in front of a kneeling man and woman. It seems that the man fired the shot which made Serena infertile. Fred talks about his helplessness having to watch the woman he loved experience pain and try to hide it. Fred decides to kill the man's female partner rather than kill the man himself, so that he will know first hand what Fred suffered. Fred may not be in love with Serena now, but there was clearly a time when she meant everything to him.

The Originals: Klaus and his Vagina Collection

On the Originals we have a number of female characters - both plotting against the Original family, and the eternally troubled Klaus in particular - and working for them. And, of course, sharing Klaus’s bed. These women need to be careful, though, because there’s fine print - get too close to Klaus and you may become his chattel. And since he’s one of the most powerful creatures on the planet, how free are these women to reject him and his claim?

We have been complaining  about the portrayal of Rebekah Mikaelson since early on in her appearances on The Vampire Diaries (TVD).  Over time, we have seen her backstory on both TVD and The Originals.  There has been one long running theme to Rebekah’s past - she is not free.  Rebekah is not free to fall in love and she most certainly is not free to have sex. You might  think that a 1000 year old female vampire might just be able to make competent decisions about what do with her vagina but according to Klaus Mikaelson, you would be wrong. Klaus spends an epic amount of time either killing Rebekah’s suitors, or scaring them away. This, of course, is done under the guise of love because what good is a patriarch for if he doesn’t keep the family vagina pure? No man can possibly be good enough for Klaus’s little sister and while he projects this as a sign of his high esteem for Rebekah, it is really just the same ordinary patriarchal desire to control female bodies that has been going on since the beginning time.  

That his infatuation with his sister’s genitals is downright incestous is ignored. No, that would be creepy, so instead it is wrapped in sexist justifications that reduce Rebekah’s personhood. Klaus is just intense when he loves people and because he believes that he is protecting her it’s deemed okay and it is further troubling because, as Klaus is the protagonist of The Originals, the audience is expected to see his POV. Yes, Rebekah continually rebels and she talks about wanting to be in a loving relationship and even raise a child some day. What Rebekah doesn’t do is simply express a desire to get laid. Casual sex is something the males of both the TVD and The Originals can and do engage in sex without much direct consequence. When Rebekah seeks a partner it is almost always about wanting a relationship. At times it reads as justifying her sexual desire as chaste enough in the hope that Klaus will break down long enough for her to get her groove on.

What is further galling about this whole situation is that Rebekah has come to accept Klaus’s policing of her sex life. When she finally confronts Klaus about his policing, it’s not because he has no right to control her sex life - but because his standards are too harsh and limiting. She doesn’t think he should have no say in policing her - he just needs to be more relaxed about it, less exacting. She doesn’t question his right to make those decisions for her - she questions whether he’s making good decisions.

The second blonde in Klaus’s life is Camille. Klaus was introduced to Camille by Marcel and from almost the moment he meets her, Klaus manipulates her. Klaus uses compulsion to force Camille to date Marcel, messes with her memory, forces her to provide counselling and, when things begin to look like they just might get rough in the quarter, tries to force Camille to leave New Orleans (it’s for own good, love honest.)  Somewhere in the middle of all of that manipulation, Klaus decides that he must police the vagina of another grown woman. And what does Camille do about? Why she panders to it and justifies it of course.