The Handmaid's Tale, Season Two, Episode Thirteen

There are so many things to unpack in this season finale.  Eden's death is still resonating throughout the Gilead. The task of gathering up her few belongings falls to June and Rita. Because of her so-called sins, Eden won't even be given a proper burial and will instead be hung on the wall and then fed to animals in order to reduce waste. Don't you just love Gilead's idea of environmentalism? Rita in particular is troubled by Eden's death, feeling guilt that she never had a kind word to say to the young woman. The truth is, in her position as a Martha, there's little Rita really could have done to make things better for Eden anyway. 

When going through her things, June finds Eden's bible filled with notes, hidden between some clothing.  June decides to share this with Serena who is quick to dismiss this discovery as truly unimportant, claiming that her daughter (read kidnapped child) will be raised to follow the rules of God. It's left for June to point out the obvious, if her daughter is not allowed to read, how will she know what the rule of God truly is? It's a salient point which hits the mark expertly. It's a reminder that Gilead isn't really about Christianity at all because if that were the case, the bible wouldn't be forbidden to women. June shouldn't have had to make this point to Serena.  It should have been obvious to a woman who is so intelligent that the trap she helped create has ensnared her and her descendants.

This season, the writers have worked hard to make Serena more dimensional by showing her frustration with the system she has found herself in, as well as the labour Serena does to maintain Gilead. This is why Serena was shown mobilizing the mothers of girls to petition the council in order that their daughters would grow up and read the word of God. It quickly became apparent from the dismissive attitude that Fred displayed that they were only interested in patronising the women.  Serena upped the ante when she actually read from Genesis to prove the goodness of the word of God, causing some of the women who came in support of her to leave.  Instead of reinforcing Serena's point, reading actually was deemed threatening to the all male council and so they responded by removing her pinkie finger.  Fred actually stood by and watched as his wife was taken off to be maimed by two Guardians. 

I know that Serena's awakening is meant to evince sympathy but there is more here than being careful what one wishes for. Serena worked hard to bring Gilead into being and she has supported the system every step of the way, including playing the dutiful wife on Fred's trip to Canada.  There's also the fact that she's been actively cruel to June, and even went as far as to hold June down so that Fred could rape her and hopefully induce labour.  On every level that you can think of, Serena is a horrible person and yet the writers seem convinced on suggesting that a woman in June's situation would have empathy for her oppressor.  It makes sense to me that June would attempt to push Serena to thwart the rules for Holly's sake but to attempt to comfort Serena when she gets what is coming to her is just a leap I am unwilling to make. There is no difference between Serena and Fred in terms of their culpability and I am unwilling to go along for the ride and believe that by virtue of her gender that Serena is even remotely a sympathetic figure.  

It seems that every step of the way that the writers are determined to give us scenes with a redemption arc for Serena.  Having Serena stop June when she is about to escape with Holly and simply say a teary goodbye to the child without raising the alarm because she has finally decided to act in the best interest of the baby, is meant to once again cast Serena as moral and good. I don't believe that Serena would have let that baby go without a fight having done so much to ensure her conception and with the sure knowledge that having a baby elevates her family in Gilead society.  

The narrative clearly has to move beyond the Atwood novel, not only because the writer are out of source material but one can only show maimed and brutalised women for so long before it becomes pointlessly gratuitous. This means some real change needs to happen in Gilead. We've watched as the writers teased us with June's escape attempt only to be brought back to the Waterford home. Then we had June giving birth to Holly, being sent back to the red center and of course, ending up in the Waterford home.  This time, June has a chance to escape when she is told by Rita that through the Martha network they can both June and the baby out. Nick even brandishes a gun at Fred when Fred figures out what is going on to stop Fred from raising the alarm.

The Handmaid's Tale, Season Two, Episode Twelve: Postpartum

Postpartum marks the penultimate episode of season two.  When last we left June, she had just given birth alone after briefly reuniting with Hannah and watching Nick get dragged away by a pair of Guardians. Just as Serena promised, June has been seperated from her daughter and is once again in the Red Centre awaiting a new position. Any mom will tell you that labour and delivery is just the start of the journey and that the real work begins when you are handed this tiny human who wants attention all of the time. It's tiring, it's stressful but these moments are filled with the most selfless love. This is an experience June is being robbed of and instead, she's being treated like a dairy cow, forced to express milk for Holly every three hours. June's only reward is a bran muffin from eager couples looking to have her become their handmaid because she's delivered a healthy child.

In Gilead, parenthood, particularly motherhood, grants a certain kind of status. It's no surprise that once he had kidnapped June and Nick's child that Fred was promoted and moved into a bigger office. Fred being petty as fuck of course has to force Nick to hang a family portrait.  Even as he repeatedly tells Nick that he's going to go far, it's clear that it's Fred's objective to point out to Nick that though Nick is the biological father, Holly is his and will always be his. Even when Fred isn't being physically abusive, a strong streak of cruelty runs through him.  When Fred isn't busy pissing on a bush to mark his territory, he alternates between coming onto June, expecting to be rewarded for facilitating her brief reunion with Hannah, and dangling Holly in front of June to stimulate milk production. On every level that you can think of, Fred is a despicable human being. 

I know that there are those who have issues with the ways in which The Handmaid's Tale deals with motherhood, and I can imagine that this episode in particular would cause some consternation. The fact of the matter is that June didn't give up Holly for adoption, just as Janine didn't give up her daughter for adoption. These children have quite literally been kidnapped after being force breed. The idea that a baby needs its mother resonates strongly and I would argue rightfully so given the circumstances of the handmaids.  The wives who participate in child theft and raise them as their own are complicit in a horrible system, regardless of whether or not they love the child as in the case of Serena, or despise the child as in the case of Mrs. Putnam. It's torture to force rape and pregnancy on women and then deny them access to said child and even the title of mother. I think when examining the issue of motherhood re biological versus adoptive, it's important to remember the circumstances of reproduction in the Gilead. There are many aspects of The Handmaid's Tale which are analogous to the real world but not everything translates well. 

One of the most disturbing scenes in Postpartum is Serena's attempt to breast feed Holly. Breastfeeding is just such a deeply personal experience and it helps bond mother to child. No matter how much Serena may love Holly, she cannot give the baby what she needs and instead only ends up further frustrating the child to feed her own ego. That Serena withdraws and apologises to the baby shows that she understands that what she did was wrong.  It's absolutely abusive to breast feed another woman's baby without her explicit permission. It's easy to see this scene through the lens of biological mother vs adoptive mother because the emphasis is on the fact that of course Serena is not Holly's mother and this is when the system in which Holly's custody occurs is important to remember. Adoptive mothers can be just as loving as biological mothers which is why Serena loves Holly so much but in this case, Serena is also Holly's kidnapper. 

For quite some time now, Eden has been the looming threat in the Waterford household. Eden snooped through Nick's things and found the letters written by the handmaids. Eden also happened to witness the Handmaids in the store sharing their real names with each other. Eden was also suspicious of the feelings between Nick and June and even wondered if Nick was a gender traitor when he didn't rush to consummate their marriage. I knew that things would come to an end with Eden in a dramatic fashion however, I didn't expect her to run away with Issac after being told by June that she should hold onto love. Eden's death while unexpected was absolutely haunting. Eden was after all raised to be a good Gilead wife and wanted nothing more but to follow the rule of law because she deeply believed in God. If someone like Eden, who was so committed could not survive, what hope is there for any other woman?

The Handmaid's Tale, Season Two, Episode Four: Other Women

For the last season we've watched as June has been subjected to torture and degradation, yet in the face of it all, though she has had moments of sadness, June has always been a fighter. The Gilead may have renamed her Offred but she has refused to take on that monikor, identifying only as June in her mind.  This week, we see that a mind can only be pushed so far before it breaks.

June has been captured and locked in the very room that Aunt Lydia warned her was her destiny if she didn't capitulate to everything that the Gilead wanted from her. Because June is pregnant and the Gilead prizes babies June cannot be subjected to the physical punishments that Aunt Lydia seems to love so much and this forces Aunt Lydia to switch gears.  Alone in a room with nothing to amuse her and no one to interact with, it's clear, June is in danger of losing her mental faculties. When Aunt Lydia first appears a defiant June stares her down. June is informed that she she can remain chained to the bed and then executed after the baby is born or she can change into her red dress and move back in with the Waterfords.  It's not really a choice and so June returns to the Commander and Serena Joy, with Aunt Lydia whispering in her ear about being lucky to be there, entreating her to be a good girl. 

June may be back in the red dress and back in the Waterfords home but she is not yet defeated. In fact, June is amused that they managed to frame her escape as a kidnapping in order to save face. Even in moment of defeat the Gilead always looks for ways to stay on top. Serena is the only to physically harm June in the episode a rare moment on a show in which we have become accustomed to violence against women as a regular occurrence. The moment June and Serena are alone, Serena pounces and begins to choke June who keeps a slight smile on her face never for one moment showing any kind of panic. June knows like we all know that as long as she is pregnant, Serena is not going to harm her.  When Serena lets June go and marches out of the room, June calls out,  “As long as my baby is safe, so is yours.” That's June's way of reclaiming power by throwing Serena's own words back at her. 

Aunt Lydia however is determined to break June down and remind her that she is nothing more than a womb. June cannot even bathe without Aunt Lydia waltzing in and demand that she "wash down there", lest any nasty germs get at the baby.  Gilead so anti-woman that it's not surprising that a vagina, is deemed dirty even as the womb is elevated. June is ordered to dress and come downstairs to have something healthy for the baby. This is when June makes eye contact with Nick for the first time since returning home and it does not go unnoticed by Serena Joy. Since everything is about the baby, June is offered a green shake.  Pretending compliance, June takes a small sip with ordered to by Aunt Lydia and then several mouthful when ordered to consumer more.  June however isn't ready to play good girl yet and proceeds to throw the shake up all over the counter.  A smile crosses June's face at this tiny moment of rebellion but it is short lived because Aunt Lydia simply decides to make June another shake.

Throughout the episode there's a lot of tension between June and Serena.  Serena is filled with disdain for June, largely based in jealousy of her fertility and the trapped environment they are both.  This is after all what Serena wanted but she now she is all to aware that without motherhood she is irrelevant and only June can provide her that. Serena is without doubt a true believer but as the walls are closing in, I don't believe that her rage is solely based on non compliance. I am quite certain that at least a part of it has to do with feeling suffocated by the Gilead.

Continuing on with absurdity, it's time for the baby shower.  June is forced to sit and watch as Serena opens presents and the wives coo.  As the wives comment that it's a shame that Serena has missed so much of the pregnancy and that it's too bad that she hasn't felt the baby kick yet, June is quick to volunteer that she felt the baby move the night before.  Aunt Lydia tries to defuse the situation by asking if June needs a break, June is quick to declare that she's having a great time.

And just where is the commander while this huge estrogen fest is going on? He's busy hunting with the other commanders. It's clear at this point that he's only minimally invested in the baby who isn't even his to begin with and even less interested in the domestic war waging between Serena and June. In fact, the commander is busy trying to get himself assigned to negotiate with Canada, who it seems has put sanctions on the Gilead.

On a break, June attempts to reach out to her fellow handmaidens. Ofglen, who participated in the rebellion (read: the refusal to stone Janine) led by June, simply walks right past June without even acknowledging her. It's Ofrobert who explains that as punishment, Ofglen had her tongue cut out. June asks about Mayday, only to learn that they are no longer helping handmaids to escape. June is quick to take ownership, particularly after seeing the nasty scar on Ofrobert's hand, and is told she is blamed by some for certain things.

The Handmaid's Tale, Season Two, Episode Three: Baggage

I believe that Baggage, the title of this episode, relates to all of the weight we carry with us everyday. Not only do we have our own personal expectations and disappointments, we carry those of our parents and if we are parents our children.  It's a heavy burden that often goes unnoticed throughout our lives but we carry it nonetheless. 

I'm going to begin with Moira because she has the smallest section of the episode this week. Moira has tried very hard to establish some normality for herself since escaping to Canada. Moira exercises, has secured a job at the welcome center and even manages to engage in sexual activity in a woman's bathroom at a club.  What is clear however is that Moira is living with PTSD.  She's trying to run from her memories, even as she makes Luke eggs because she believes that he is getting too skinny.  Moira is lying to herself. Moira tries to tell a fellow survivor that it gets better but she still refused to allow the woman she had anonymous sex with to touch her.  Moira may not say it but she is still on the run and news that the Canadian and British military are doing exercises by the border makes her worry that her reprieve from Gilead is only temporary. 

June's mother was an avid feminist during the pre Gilead days.  Holly saw the world for what it was and was absolutely determined to raise a daughter who was a fighter.  Holly even took June to Take Back the Night rallys where women burned pieces of paper with the name of their rapist on it.  As June grew however, her politics didn't align as strongly with her mother, causing a clear rift in their relationship.  Holly for instance did not support June's promotion to assistant editor at an academic press and instead championed the success of a friend's daughter who had designed a website for lesbians. Holly wasn't even pleased with June's at the time impending marriage to Luke.  Holly didn't actually have a problem with Luke per say, just the idea of a woman devoting all of her time and energy to a man while the world was so messed up. June was clearly hurt but what she deemed to be her mother's disappointment in her. 

In a flashback we see June and Moira at the re-education centre receiving a lecture from the most hated auntie on the planet about the dismal state of the world which Lydia blames on human sin and sees as a punishment from God.  Holly appears in one of the images as a farm worker in what must clearly be part of the colonies.  Given Holly's political beliefs, it's certain that she is still fighting and that her life is very difficult.

In the present, June has become accustomed to living in the Globe building. She's started running to keep in shape and has spent her time looking through the remnants of the newspaper in the hopes of figuring out how the Gilead came into being so rapidly. June organises articles under headings like Militarization and Curtailment of Civil Rights. As June puts the pieces together, she begins to realise that the Gilead was always there and that no one noticed.  The truth is, Holly noticed and that is why she fought so long and was even wounded for the cause. 

June's routine is brought to an end when the delivery driver returns to let her know that it's time to move onto the next location.  June is driven to a broken down warehouse where she is met by Omar, and informed that the plan is to get her to safe house and then she will be escorted to an airfield to be flown out of the country. Before June can even get in Omar's car however, he gets a call saying that the safe house has been compromised.  Omar orders June back indoors, apologising to June about the state she now finds herself in. June quickly realises the stakes and jumps in front of Omar's vehicle, refusing to allow him to leave without her.  It takes Omar a few moments before he decides to take June with him.

Omar takes June to his home and in the process we get to see a part of the Gilead that has been ignored up until now.  Thus far, we have really only glimpsed the lives of the elite but Omar and his family are part of the working class. June thinks this is “where I’d live if I hadn’t been an adultress, if I’d gone to church. If I’d played my cards right. If I’d known I was supposed to be playing cards.” June is a handmaiden because she had an affair with Luke while he was still married and had viable ovaries.  

The Handmaid's Tale, Season One, Episode Ten: Night

In many ways this first season of The Handmaid's Tale has been unrelenting. Through flashbacks, we watched as the Gilead was formed and how by the time people realised that their rights were gone, in many cases, it was too late to flee. We watched as June became Offred and struggled to find a way to exist in this new reality.  Nolite Te Bastardes Carborundorum became the order of the day, as the handmaids attempted to find a form of resistance. 

The Handmaid's Tale has long been one of my favourite books even though Atwood left her readers dangling at the end.  Did Offred/June escape the Waterfords? The epilogue doesn't answer that and instead seeks to take a critical look at the Gilead from years in the future.  As much as the season finale left me wanting more, I am heartened by the fact that I will finally get to find out what happened to Offred/June. 

Night begins with Offred entering the Red Centre for the re-education (read: indoctrination) Aunt Lydia wastes not time in calling the women sluts and berating them on their dress and posture. The first thing that future handmaids are told is that their hands are to be clasped in front of them and that their eyes are to be downcast to show submission to God. June hasn't quite realised how her life has changed yet and she stares at a passing Handmaid, which causes Aunt Lydia to use the cattle prod on her.  Welcome to the world of the Gilead. June/Offred is made to apologise to Aunt Lydia.  This apology shows June's submission to the new world order but later, the same apology will be an act of rebellion. 

The Handmaids used to make eye contact and share a look of collective horror but those days are gone. As June walks back from the butcher with her illicit package, she likens them (read: handmaids) to a silent army. Since the beginning of the Gilead, the rulers have used violence and threats of violence to keep society in order but what happens when you are no longer afraid? What kind of freedom does the lack of fear bestow on a person? June rushes back to her room and quickly hides the package.

June was so fixated on doing a mission for Mayday that she forgot that the real danger lies a lot closer to home.  Serena Joy has learned of Offred/June and Fred's visits to the bawdy house and lashes out physically at June/Offred, in the process, slicing June's face open. At this point, Serena is so complicit that she doesn't recognise that June/Offred had no power to decide whether to stay or go and blames June/Offred for not saving anything for her. It's a return to the theme of women being complicit in their own oppression, a theme that will continually crop up this episode.  June/Offred is then forced to take a pregnancy test and much to her horror and Serena Joy's delight, the pregnancy test is positive.  June/Offred is absolutely incredulous when Serena Joy claims that their prayers have been answered. With her pregnancy, June/Offred has finally become what the Gilead wants her to be, a walking womb. June/Offred has fulfilled according to the Gilead, her biological destiny.

Serena then decides to press her advantage by confronting Fred next.  Serena waits in his office ready to play scrabble in the place of June/Offred.  Fred is quick to remind Serena Joy about the rules in order to avoid playing and Serena Joy is quick to remind him that she is the one who helped create them.  Yes, Serena Joy actually wrote the very laws that ended up restricting her life, how's that for being complicit. And now that the mask of civility is gone, the Waterfords confront Fred's raping of Offred/June outside of the ceremony.  Fred, like a typical man, blames Serena Joy and points out that it was she who brought temptation and lust back into their home. To assert his power, Fred actually attempts to send Serena Joy to her room.  This moment reveals just how little difference there is between Serena and Offred/June in Fred's mind.  Serena may be able to abuse June/Offred at will but at the end of the day, they are both always secondary to men. Serena Joy lays the ultimate trump card when she informs Fred that June/Offred is pregnant and that it isn't his because he wasn't man enough to make a baby.

The Handmaid's Tale, Season One, Episode Nine: The Bridge

The Bridge is the penultimate episode of the first season of The Handmaid's Tale. It's yet another entree in which we step away from June for a time to see what is going on with the other characters. It's stark but presents a moment that we could all see coming. 

When we first meet Janine in the re-education center, she was openly resistant to what the Gilead wanted her to be.  It cost Janine her eye and ever since, Janine has not been the same. We've watched as Janine became pregnant, delivered a child, struggled to negotiate with Mrs.Putnam and the resentment both women have of each other.  At the center of it all is Mr. Putnam, whom Janine believes is going to leave his wife and position to run away with her and their child. Janine is living in a fantasy world and everyone knows it but they are all determined to soldier on and pretend that everything is going to be okay.

It seems that there's a ceremony for Janine to hand over her daughter and she bows to Mrs. Putnam who in turn bows back.  This is meant to imply respect between the two women when nothing could be further from the truth.  Mrs. Putnam is anxious to have Janine out of her house because she sees her as a trouble maker who refuses to be obedient.  Janine's presence is a further reminder that it is she who is the mother and not Mrs. Putnam. Janine hands over her child but as she walks through the Handmaid vanguard that has been sent to witness this grand moment, Janine stops and tells June that Mr. Putnam is coming for her. This is a fantasy bubble that is just ripe to be popped. 

Janine like Moira is broken. The Gilead has stripped her of her personhood, and systematically raped her. June tries to intervene with Aunt Lydia, only to be told that Janine is stronger than she seems.  It fits with the idea that one has to embrace this patriarchal mass delusion to think that women who are regularly raped, controlled and then forced to give up their children aren't suffering through PTSD and are mentally competent.  Aunt Lydia has to believe that she's doing the best she can for the Handmaidens under her charge, otherwise she would have to face her own horrible complicity. 

Janine doesn't break when she's taken to a new Commander and his wife and is informed that she has a new name now.  Janine doesn't break when she realises how far away she is from the Putnams and her baby. Janine breaks when she must participate in the ceremony and is raped but a new commander. Janine realises in that moment that she's created a fantasy and that it has no bearing on reality.

It's not a surprise when June is woken up early and rushed to an outdoor location to find Janine standing on a bridge holding her infant daughter. Janine wants out and the only escape that she can see is death.  Commander Putnam tries to talk Janine down but she reveals that he asked her to do all of the kinky things like sucking his dick that Mrs. Putnam wouldn't do.  Commander Putnam is quick to call Janine a liar but everyone knows that Janine speaks the truth.  June tries to talk to Janine about being hopeful and things going back to the way they used to be. June talks about doing Karoke and going out dancing but all Janine can wonder is who would want to dance with her now. For Janine, her missing eye is but a physical manifestation of just how broken she is on the inside now. Janine cannot delve back into a fantasy but June does manage to convince Janine that her daughter does deserve a chance to grow up.  Janine makes June promise that her daughter will grow up knowing that she was loved by her mother before handing the baby over.  Janine tells June goodbye and promptly jumps off the bridge. The antipathy in this situation is not that Janine jumps because that was always going to happen. The horror is that Janine survives and has not in fact escaped the abomination of the Gilead.

The Handmaid's Tale, Season One, Episode Seven: The Other Side

We know that Luke, Hannah, and June, were desperately trying to cross the border into Canada when they were seperated.  June and Hannah were taken and from June's perspective, Luke was probably dead at the side of the road.  This is absolutely true in Atwood's brilliant book.  Because Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale, is going to be a series, rather than a miniseries, it's necessary to enlarge Atwood's world and perhaps fill in gaps Atwood originally allowed the reader to do for themselves.  The first such attempt at this is The Other Side, when we see what happens to Luke. 

In the book as well as the show, Luke, while concerned for the well being of his wife and daughter, doesn't seem to quite get how dangerous life is rapidly becoming for them.  In the book, Luke stops June from going to protest. On the show, he valiantly promises to protect June and Hannah though he clearly doesn't have the skill set to do so.  This is a man who doesn't know how to load or fire a gun but is too proud to admit it, even when the lives of his wife and daughter depend upon it. Luke may be a good man but he's short sighted.

Rather than dying on the roadside, Luke is shot and placed in an ambulance, so that he can receive enough medical care to be well enough to be questioned. Fortunately for Luke, the ambulance that he is traveling in ends up slipping on ice and crashing, leaving him the only survivor. Luke then makes his way back to where is car went off the road and walks into the woods. There he finds the torn family album, he and June tried to preserve, along with Hannah's stuffed animal. Luke continues to travel and makes his way through an abandoned town. The store fronts are graffitied  with "gender traitor" and "fag". Luke makes his way into an abandoned business and collapses.

Fortunately for Luke, he's found by a group of people who are also fleeing the Gilead.  He's resistant to even going with them though he is warned repeatedly about patrols and the fact that he won't make it far on his own and is injured. Even now, Luke cannot grasp the reality of his situation.  His fellow travellers are “an Army brat, two strays, a gay, and a nun”. One woman is so traumatized after being repeatedly raped that she doesn't even speak.  Even in the face of this, Luke is determined to get out of the van to somehow get back to Boston and find June.  It's only when a gun is pulled on him that Luke is forced to settle the hell down.  

When the van finally stops and Luke is free to go, the Nun says a little prayer for his safety.  Luke doesn't fully grasp his situation until Zoe, the woman who saved him, drags him into a church to see the bodies hanging from the ceiling. Apparently, people tried to hide the fertile women and the Gilead responded by hanging them all in retribution.  Luke is informed that there are places like this in every small town because this is how the Gilead deals with resistance.  It's the sight of the dead bodies hanging from the ceiling which finally wakes Luke up.

The Handmaid's Tale, Season One, Episode Six: A Woman's Place

Serena Joy has featured in this story largely because of her abuse of Offred and her desire to have a child. Being the wife of a powerful commander, Serena Joy enjoys a lot of social standing but beyond being able to abuse a handmaiden, it doesn't translate to much actual power because Serena Joy cannot escape her gender. To be a woman in a patriarchal world is to be subject to gender based oppression. 

A Woman's Place is a reminder that people are prone complicity in their own oppression.  This complicity can be found in members of every single marginalised group.  Sometimes it's about the hope of living one more day, perhaps  it's about extra food or even more lenient treatment and for some, it's about not believing that you are the same as the rest of your social group because of internalised hatred. Serenea Joy initially begins her work based in a firm religious conviction to improve the lives of women.  What she fails to acknowledge is that women are all different and what might be an improvement to seem is certainly a decline to others.

In the beginning of the Gilead rebellion, Serena is front and center, even writing a book in support of the Gilead's ambitions.  Serena and Fred are deeply in love and he values her input.  In Serena, Fred believes that he's found a true partner and an equal, even as both of them are labouring to ensure that the very characteristics that he loves about Serena are stamped away. With the creation of a religious fundamentalist state, both Serenea Joy and Fred got exactly what they wanted, never realising that having their wish fulfilled would greatly damage their marriage. 

Oh the irony of Serena couching her complicity in Christian fundamentalism. It seems that she missed Proverbs 26:27

"Whoever digs a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolls a stone, it will return on him."

Serena and Fred worked because of their partnership and she even supports him when it comes to the terrorist actions that set the stage for the takeover of the U.S. It even comes complete with prayer and sex.  By the time Sernea realises that the noose she created for other women is also for her own neck it's too late. Serena throws out her high heels, and short skirt suits to settle in making a home for a commander. Irony of all ironies, her book ends up in the garbage. On Serena's behalf, Fred appeals to the council to allow Serena to speak but she's rejected because a woman's place is in the home.  At this point, Serena's only choice is to smile and persevere because that's what a woman does in the Gilead and it seems - she's no different. 

The Handmaid's Tale, Season One, Episode Four: Nolite Te Bastardes Carborundorum

After watching what happened to Offglen, Nolite To Bastardes Carborundorum is almost a relief.  The pain however is still unrelenting and it's still incredibly painful to watch.  Having long been a fan of Atwood and The Handmaid's Tale, I went into this knowing that it would be painful to watch; however, I absolutely underestimated the degree to which it would affect me. 

In this week's episode, Offred has been banished to her room for failing to get pregnant and in the process disappointing Serena Joy.  The one thing the Gilead knows is how how to oppress and in the process make people miserable. In the season opener, Offred told us that the only escape is death and for some, after having their identity stolen and subjected to ritualised rape, suicide seems a seductive option. 

Locking Offred in her room is torture because humans are naturally social beings. Offred isn't even given time off to go outside and have a bit of fresh air. Offred spends her time thinking about the life that she had before and the time that she spent in the center before being assigned to the commander and Serena Joy.

In the center, Moira makes a bold move and carves into the wall, "Aunt Lydia suxs".  Personally, I could agree more with this sentiment. This is an important thing for Moira to do because she feels that it will give the next group of women in the center some hope because they will know that they are not alone in their feelings. Offred warns Moira to be careful because writing could cost Moira her arm.  

At the center, the handmaidens are introduced to the ceremony.  Of course, Aunt Lydia uses the bible to justify what the state is forcing the women to go through. It just goes to show you that the bible can be twisted to justify just about everything. Moira is suitably horrified by this.

Determined not to be ritualistically raped, Moira and Offred come up with a plan. They manage to trap an Aunt and force her to strip off her clothing.  Moira dresses up as an Aunt and the two of them leave the center together.  Once outside, Moira and Offred see just how much the world has changed.  Bodies have been publicly hung, everywhere they look there are armed soldiers.  The streets signs have all been removed, making it difficult for Offred and Moira to even know where they are. They make their way to a subway station but without signs, they have no idea how to get to Boston.  Moira moves off to speak to a few soldiers for directions, leaving Offred alone.  Unfortunately, a handmaiden standing by herself draws attention and Offred is quickly approached by a soldier. Without papers to identify her or explain her presence in the station, Offred quickly finds herself surrounded.  Offred and Moira make eye contact as Moira tries to decide whether to rush to her friend's side, or hop on the train and make her own bid for freedom. When Offred smiles, Moira takes this as her cue to leave and makes her escape. Once back at the center, Offred's feet are beaten bloody as punishment for trying to escape. 

Offred knows all to well that staying lost in her thoughts is not at all healthy. She crawls into the closet and sees that the Offred before her carved, Nolite To Bastardes Carborundorum into the walls.  Offred may not know what it means but she understands that it's another woman reaching out and offering hope that she's not alone.  This is the moment that Rita decides to deliver food to Offred and when Rita sees Offred on the ground, Rita assumes that Offred's dead.  It's a reasonable assumption given how long Offred has been in solitary confinement and her treatment as a handmaiden. A shocked Rita drops the platter on the ground, getting Offred's attention.  Offred for a moment is at a loss to explain why she is lying on the ground in her closet but manages to stammer out that she felt light headed and fainted.

The Handmaid's Tale, Season One, Episode Three: Late

The Handmaid's Tale is the dystopian story of what the right wing really wants for women.  Women's bodies aren't their own and their only purpose is to produce and or raise children. They are to be second to men in all things and be submissive in all matters.  If you happen to have the misfortune of being a Handmaiden, matters are that much worse. I've struggle to review these because after all, what can really be said about story which lays itself bare episode after episode, leaving no room to guess about the agenda or possible horror. There are no wink wink nudge nudge moments, only unrelenting darkness from which there is no escape. It's hard to watch in one sitting without stopping for a moment of respite and to be fair, that's exactly what the creators intend.

There have been some notable changes between Atwood's book and this television adaptation.  One of the most obvious ones is the ways in which the television series has included people of colour. In the book, Black people were seen as the children of Ham and sent off to live in the territories. Hannah, Offred's baby was a blonde child and far younger than the mix raced little girl that appears on the show.  Luke most certainly was not the man of colour that he is today and Nick was not a man of Asian descent. Even though the book was written in 1985, separating the races in this fashion feels far more realistic than the inclusion that's presented in the television program because I don't believe that a state like Gilead wouldn't also be incredibly racist to go along with the sexism and homophobia it seems to have in spades. It's not that I want a less racially inclusive show, it's that it just doesn't seem to make sense in this setting.

There were really two story lines going on in Late. One was what happened to Offglen, who we were told was taken in by the authorities and the other, the possibility of Offred's pregnancy and how this changes her interactions. When Offred and Offglen finally made a connection, one of the first things Offglen revealed is that she had a wife and a child.  As the trust grew, we learned that Offglen was also some part of a resistance force.  When Offglen is taken it's easy to assume that her crime was being part of the resistance. Offred realises that she doesn't even know Offglen's real name or have anything to hold onto. When someone it taken, they are truly gone and absolutely erased.

In her prison cell, even the name Offglen is removed from her and she is called Handmaiden 8967.  Offglen no longer belongs to someone and since she doesn't qualify as a person, she's simply a number, a non entity. In desperation, Offglen tries to stroke the genitals of the guard watching her and for her trouble she is thrown into a wall in disgust.  Offglen is taken into a room where her lover is already waiting. The prosecutor appears before the judge and charges Offglen and her lover with "gender treachery". Neither woman is given the opportunity to enter a plea, let alone defend themselves, before the judge issues a sentence of death for Offglen's lover and redemption for Offglen because "God has seen fit to make her fruitful". 

Straight from the mock trial, Offglen and her lover are placed in the same van. Because both women are gagged, all they can do is express their love and sorrow with their eyes. They reach out and hold hands and touch each others faces and hair. It's a moment of anguish which Alexis Bledel sells without a single word of dialogue.  When the van stops, the two women try desperately to hold onto each other but Offglen's lover is dragged away from her and hanged.  The scream that comes from Offglen, as she is driven away while her lovers dead body swings in the breeze is the most chilling thing I've seen on television. It's a moment not to be forgotten and a moment to be feared. This is what the religious fundamentalists mean when they scream, "kill the gays", and this is the pain they inflict.  The only measure of relief in watching this is the knowledge that this is a drama.

When Offglen awakes, she's in a hospital like setting and her genitals have been bandaged. Aunt Lydia enters and seems to take some perverse pleasure in telling Offglen that now she will no longer desire what she can no longer have and that the stitches will come out in a couple of days. Gilead is so awful that female circumcision is one of the weapons in their arsenal to punish and control women. It's so horrific that I don't even have the words for it.

Offwarren has been left with no idea of what happened to her friend but she must continue on with the daily rituals and hope to remain unnoticed and this means shopping with the new Offglen.  When Offred returns, Rita has a spread laid out for lunch is and is kind and accommodating. Rita even places a white rose on the table which Serena Joy apparently cut herself.  Given the cruelty of Gilead, this sudden bout of kindness is not something to celebrate or even accept, it's something to worry about.  It's Rita who explains that Offwarren hasn't asked for her monthly sanitary napkins yet and though she's only a few days late, everyone is hopeful that this means that she is pregnant.

Serena Joy's happiness at the possibility of Offred's pregnancy extends to inviting her to and visit with baby Angela.  Offred is forced to sit apart from the wives as they studiously ignore her and go on about how pretty the baby is. It's Serena who offers Offred the chance to hold the baby, assuring the other wives that since Offred has already had a child that she knows how to hold a baby.  Offred holds the baby for a NY minute before Angela is reclaimed by Mrs. Butler.  This is when the other wives notice that Mrs. Butler has been injured. It seems that Offwarren dared to bite Mrs. Butler when she attempted to take the baby away. Mrs. Butler cannot wait to get Offwarren out of her house and calls her an ungrateful girl.  Once again, the gap between wife and handmaiden has been made clear. What exactly has Mrs. Butler done for Offwarren but participate in her rape during the ceremony, perform a mock labour while Offwarren's body was wracked in pain giving birth and then steal Angela away from Offwarren, not even allowing Offwarren to hold her child for anything other than feeding. Why should Offwarren be thankful? Wives and Handmaiden's may both have to wear the yolk of patriarchy but Wives are extremely explicit and wield the only power they have to oppress Handmaidens.

The Handmaid's Tale, Season One, Episode One: Offred

Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale is an adaptation of the Margaret Atwood book by the same name.  The source material is now 32 years old but never has it felt so relevant.  With the shit stain occupying the oval office, plans to defund Planned Parenthood, the denial regarding global warming and Americans running across the Canadian border for safety and the chance at a better life, it's hard not to feel as though this is more than a simply dystopian story with elements of the world we now live in and instead a chilling foreshadowing of what could be. 

It's fitting that the first episode entitled Offred, is based on our protagonist.  We know that Offred's real name is June, though it's a name that she is forbidden to go by now.  Women take on the name of the commander of their household and therefore the name Offred quite literally means of Fred.  Offred is not a person and she does not have feelings. Offred has one job and that is to bare children for the new regime while being as modest and invisible as possible. 

June lives in what was once the U.S. which has now, over run by Christian fanaticism, is called Gilead. We follow June as she, her husband Luke and their daughter Hannah, try to escape into Canada, only to be caught.  Luke is murdered and June and her daughter are seperated. Thus begins Offred and the end of June. We follow as Offred goes about her daily tasks of getting the shopping done for the household, accompanied by Ofglen, whom Offred believes to be a pious spy. Offred is all to aware that she, as a handmaiden is always being watched.  They (read: the government) look for subversiveness and they look for any attempt to escape. Offred already knows that with so much already stacked against her, the only real escape is death and the powers that be, know that as well. 

Offred's downcast eyes are always obsequious because she has learned through her time in a re-education camp that punishment is swift and merciless.  She's learned that if a woman is raped, she's responsible for it.  Offred has learned from the Aunts, women dressed in brown who responsible for the indoctrination of the handmaids, that in the old society (read: U.S.A.), pollution was poisoning everything.  When the birthrate started to decline, the women were so stubborn and unfeminine that they kept taking birth control and having abortions. Women like Offred are supposedly blessed because they have a chance to redeem themselves and erase their former slutty ways through strict dedication to God and fulfilling a woman's true purpose in life - giving birth to children for their commanders. Though the Aunts have power over the soon to be Handmaids, they speak in envy of their lot in life. 

The Registry by Shannon Stoker

The Registry is set in a dystopian America.  The internet is filled with American propaganda.  The boys are largely thrown out by their parents and forced to fend on their own.  Girls are raised by their parents and are little more than commodities.  On their 18th birthday, girls are placed on something called the registry and they are sold to the highest bidder. Boys and girls are raised to believe that this system is for their own benefit and will lead to the best versions of themselves.  Girls in particular are raised to be obedient and to believe that their soul job in life is to please their husbands and in return, their husbands will cherish them and lavish them with attention.

Mia Morrissey believes this until her older sister escapes from her abusive husband and tells her that the registry and the marriages that result are a sham. Corinna tells her about a magazine article that she has hidden in her former room, before she is dragged away by her husband as their parents stand idly by.  When they get news the following week that Corinna is dead, Mia determines that she will lead a different life.  With the help of her friend Whitney who's price is so low she will probably end up being married to the government, and a young boy named Andrew who she blackmails into helping them, Mia makes her bid for freedom.  What she does not count on is that Grant, the man her parents sold her to, will do anything to get his hands on her and harm anyone who comes to her aid.

From the very beginning of the book, it really felt like a sort of like a modernized version of The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Attwood.  The Registry was justified by a war that the U.S. had engaged in and supposedly won.  Though at this point it has only be 100 years since this system was instigated, society has largely accepted the reduction of women to property. Once a girl marries she never sees her family again.  Even if parents decide not to put their daughters on the registry, government agents drag them out of the house by force. 

For me The Registry got off to a very slow start.  Part of the problem was that I didn't like Mia the protagonist at first.  Her naivete was irritating but as I came to realise just how isolated her lived experience had been prior to her escape, it made perfect sense.  Once I accepted this fact, I found it easier to settle into the world Stoker had created. I was however not happy with the super special protagonist that Mia represented. Was it necessary to turn her into an absolute beauty, who all straight men universally desired to make her story interesting?  The horror that the registry exists at all would have been more than compelling enough to make this story work.  I think it detracted from the story to have it all be about the special Mia and her bride price.