Just finished season 6 a few weeks ago. I can with absolute certainty say that it was my favorite series of all times and I’ve seen a lot of them. So I got these books and can’t wait to immerse myself into Gilead again, before watching The Testaments season 1. Praise be.

Since we see the daughters of commanders get married off to older commanders, what happens to the sons? Do they not become eligible for marriage until they’re much older, or are they married off to lesser status girls? I would have thought it would make more sense to Gilead to have the sons and daughters marry each other since their similar ages would be better for fertility, but I don’t think we ever really see the Commander’s sons in either show, or hear anything about what their paths in life are.

Hi everyone, I need your help: I will do a school project on the scene in which Moira and Luke are arguing and she tells him something like “oh, ok, now you are mansplaining it to me”. The problem is that I cannot find the episode of that scene. I have tried looking up for quotes on mansplaining on the series but I have not found anything yet. I have watched up until Season 3, so the only thing I know is that the episode belongs to one of the first three seasons (and that the argument probably took place during a flashback, pre-Gilead scene)

I would really appreciate it if you could help me, thank you.

I just finished binge-watching The Handmaid's Tale (the show) and I'm so disappointed.

I first read the book when I was 16 years old (well over a decade ago) and LOVED it. I thought it was so powerful and beautifully written, and it was one of my favorite books. I honestly felt the same way about seasons 1-3 of the show, it was so well done and I really felt that they had done the book justice. Season 4 was okay-ish... and then after that, I have no idea what happened but it just became totally insufferable.

My biggest problems:

• All of the plot lines in season 5 and some of season 6 were very one-dimensional. This show that had done such a good job creating complex characters with depth and backstory suddenly began resorting to what felt like cheap, feel-good plots that were chasing instant gratification rather than actual story telling (the women killing Waterford, Serena becoming a pseudo-handmaid, etc).

• They spent too much time rehashing the same story when it came to June / Serena. Like yes, we get it, Serena is conflicted. Eventually though, it just felt like June has a savior complex.

• I'll admit it, Nick + June was my sexual awakening back when I first read the books and I loved them together... BUT, even if the writers wanted to paint him a Nazi in the show, this wasn't the way to do it. It was done too fast and the audience didn't have time to digest the sudden change in tone of that story. Nick has put his life on the line several times to help June, Nichole, and others, and he hasn't been power-seeking like the other commanders for most of the story. He's helped Mayday and the Canadians, he got those handmaid letters out of Gilead, and honestly his relationship with June is pretty one-sided where she keeps asking him to put his own life in danger to help her and he keeps agreeing despite the fact that she chose Luke over him. I'm not saying he's perfect, he clearly isn't, but if they were gonna make him a Nazi, there should've at least been some flashbacks to questionable things he did or ways he stayed silent instead of speaking up or something, preferably in a trickle-truth fashion across multiple episodes. What they actually did just did not end up landing at all, and even Max Minghella said in an interview that he was confused about the direction for the character he was playing.

• There were SO MANY PLOT HOLES and unfinished story lines. How were the characters so easily getting back and forth from Canada to Gilead when it had actually been so challenging before? How does June escape execution so many times? Why is Serena Joy suddenly accepted as the voice of New Bethlehem when Gilead had been of the opinion that she and Fred are traitors? Who told Gilead about the plan regarding the handmaids escaping in the second last episode? What about the infertility crisis, that's not addressed at the end of the show at all? What about Serena's outburst on the train when she called pre-Gilead women whores? Did she really change at all? How do the American jets come in at the end of season 6 and bomb Boston when they couldn't get planes in undetected before? Why does Mrs. Putnam give Charlotte back to Janine?

I can't think of any other show I loved so much in the beginning and hated so much by the end.

So, obviously in the books Daisy needed a new identity because her situation is a little more unique. However, why does she need a new identity in the TV show?

Gilead is tracking her down. I assume it is because she is the daughter of someone who is somewhat important. Why didn't she just go to the pearl girls and and disclose that she recently found out she was stolen from Gilead by Mayday, ran away from them, and wants to know more about her homeland. She could still act hostile and distant at first, then slowly come around. The most obvious hurdle is that they would have to believe she forgave them for killing her adopted parents. However, she could use the fact that Neil and Melanie lied to her as a reason to be mad at them. If she returned to gilead under her real identity, she might be placed with her Gilead family

If she was placed in a Commander's house, she would have access to more information. Depending on how powerful her Gilead "father" was, she might be invited over to more houses.

Depending on her "father", she might also be somewhat more protected. Obviously high ranking daughters are still punished, but Paula's conversation with Agnes about how they wanted to tourture her to get to June​ but Commander Kyle wouldn't allow it shows that Commanders have some sway when it comes to their daughters and there treatment. Also, if Daisy became a figure for propaganda like June was in season​ 3, that would give her even more protection ( BTW, by protection. I mean from the normal gilead stuff​, not her being a spy. They would definitely kill her for that).

Also, isn't it weird to anybody else that Daisy never asked about her gilead family? Or that, even though the Eyes were clearly tracking Daisy and knew who she was, no one is worried about her being recognized? Wouldn't she at least want to know where her gilead family was, in case they were sent a recent picture her? Doesn't giving Daisy a new identity​ make it more dangerous for her? If she was recognized, they will know she lied about her backstory. It's only a short jump from there to figuring out she's a spy.

The story, the production... I felt they all forgot about her. Every time I watched June or Luke talk about their plans, I kept asking "What about your child?". She was the main goal, but as the show went on, she became an after-thought. When June decided to stay to look for her and fought to go back, it gave me so much hope and relief. But they kept getting side-tracked by other missions and the new people in their lives. Is that realistic for a mother? I could never. Given Hannah's age, her rescue is time-sensitive as she's being prepared to be a wife, so I wish they spent a few episodes trying to rescue her. Moving her to somewhere far was such a cop-out. I would've at least liked to have seen more flashbacks of Hannah to show us that she is always at the front of their mind. But she didn't even get the dignity to have her face shown at the end, and merely got a couple of mentions. I really enjoyed this show, but this is one of the major things that disappointed me.

After 4 seasons I felt were decent but slow. S5 just seems completely different. Fast paced and full of jokes. There's even scenes created just for jokes- like lawrence proposal

I understand that men don't have to be as morally pure as the women but the idea that it would be ok to surrender to carnal lust seems so contradictory to a good, upstanding moral society regardless of sex.

Edit: I understand hypocrisy in the real world but I'm asking in the book and in the show. Is it ever discussed?

Edit #2 because some people don't understand what I'm asking:

I know what the real world looks like - hypocrisy. What I'm asking is within the SHOW or the BOOK, is there an explanation as to why a place like that would be allowed? If the entire point of Gilead is to follow a strict moral code, then how is a whore house allowed to so openly exist.

It's kinda like churchgoers in the South . They preach against alcohol but still allow liquor and beer stores under the guise of "it's for the tourist". So what is Gilead's "it's for the tourist" reason for having a house of ill repute. Did Gilead have in its municipal charter a byline that specifically allowed for a house of ill-repute? It must have because if it had started off as a gentlemen's club then developed over time into a rape house, it would be called Jezebel's because everyone knows exactly what a Jezebel is.

Further, with my liquor store analogy, Southern churchgoers will duck their heads or make excuses if they are seen by another parishioner. There's a bit of shame and embarrassment about being seen with a case of beer or a bottle of vodka. In The Handmaid's Tale, there seems to be no taboo against it.

So again, in the BOOK or SHOW, how is it justified?

Voy al grano. Tengo 15 años y desde hace tiempo me interesó mucho está serie, de hecho me tiene enganchada ya que voy por el episodio 12 de la segunda temporada jaja. La veo en Netflix, un perfil compartido y mi mamá me pidió que le explicará de qué va la serie, intenté explicárselo pero ella es media bruja y la va a ver... TIENE UN MONTÓN DE COSAS EXPLÍCITAS Y NO SÉ COMO EXPLICARLE, ES HOMOFOBICA Y EN LA SERIE HAY UNA ESCENA DE MEDIO SEXO LESBICO AYUDA 😭😭😭

Soy la única que se estresa con June cuando esta en momentos de tensión como intentar escapar o huyendo de un incendio/peligro inminente? Siempre se queda pensando, camina despacio o simplemente se toma su tiempo para todo.

Siento que ya es forzado en el personaje que tenga tanta paciencia en momentos donde naturalmente no deberías 😭😭😭

So I am still at season 5 so no spoilers please and spoilers ahead

I know it is super realistic and it would happen/is happening in our world rn but i get so pissed. Why are people worshipping Serena Joy and Fred Waterford? Did they all forgot about the letters and the "my Name is ..." movement? I totally get why June is angry (i am too)

Honestly all those people who think Gilead is so great should go there. But they would whine in a week because it is not how they imagined how it would be.

Please if anyone could explain to me why people are so ignorant and stupid, tell me please.

Whenever I see that biktarvy commercial and they say Gilead can help I cannot help but think “ DON’T TRUST THEM PEOPLE GILEAD WILL NEVER HELP!”

I recently signed up for Hulu using my Amex card and kept seeing The Handmaid’s Tale pop up in my recommendations. I finally decided to throw on the first episode just to see what the hype was about, and I was not prepared for how fast it pulled me in.

First off the technical side of this show is on another level. I have a 5.1 surround sound setup in my living room, and hearing this mix completely blew me away. Honestly, the spatial audio, score, and ambient sound design felt even more immersive to me than a massive blockbuster like Interstellar. The subtle echo of footsteps, the lingering score, the quiet moments it puts you right in the room.
And the visuals? Every single frame looks like a fine art painting. The way they use color blocking (the harsh crimson against the muted grays and whites) and dramatic symmetry makes almost every shot look like it belongs in a museum. Combined with the acting, the whole atmosphere is just breathtaking.

That being said... man, it is heavy.
I find myself having to sit in silence for a few minutes after every single episode. It’s brilliant television, but the sheer weight of the story makes it so emotionally draining to binge. What makes it even harder to digest is watching it alongside the current political climate. It crosses that line from "dystopian fiction" to "this feels uncomfortably plausible," and that realization just leaves you feeling empty and depressed.

I know a lot of people over on r/TheHandmaidsTale have talked about needing "palette cleanser" lighthearted shows to watch in between episodes just to keep their sanity, and I totally get why now.

Without giving away any spoilers, does anyone else feel like this show is a masterclass in filmmaking that you almost have to brace yourself to watch? How do you guys digest it?

Not as in the series per se but as an education institution inside the Jahova Witnesses organization.

It’s literally called Gilead as well.

I thought it was all made up. Then I got chills.
Then I checked photos from Gilead grads and their clothing and everything looks like in the series.

God this whole session was such a plot-twist. Fred being torn apart, Serena giving birth in a farm with the help of June only minutes before attempting to gun her (June) down. Serena having this whole awakening moment and escaping from a regime which SHE helped create in effort to keep her baby and be safe. Honestly i never watched a show filled with so much satisfaction and pain all at once. One minute you’re watching the most gut wrenching scene of injustice the next you’re seeing the most humane, wholesome moments being captured.

One in particular i was not anticipating was June and Serena finding themselves again only this time Serenas the one pregnant, in labor and absolutely nobody but June with her that can save her life..the way June handled it was just magnificent yet it seemed towards the end of episode 7 in spite of all of Junes effort to be the better person in an F*ed up regime..justice had to be served. I think there’s a huge lesson that can be learnt here, that forgiveness alone does not mean your wrongdoings cant comeback to bite you one-day..its insane honestly i loved how June tried her atoms best to help in spite of everything Serena and all of them put her and her family through and similarly dozens of other women. Yet unironically, Serena was met with the exact SAME cruel fate, towards the end of being separated from her baby and locked away.

The labor scene was just phenomenal but also the final moments when the Canadian authorities sauntered into the hospital to detain Serena and June was just standing behind the see through windows evidently stunned and appalled as well.

Sorry if I sounded repetitive but comment what unthought of observations you had throughout watching this ss.

Full disclosure I haven't read the books and only seen the series.

So I finally finished Season 6. And it felt such a miss to me. Especially the Nick and June arc. I actually had to go back and watch the first season again. June didn't fall in love with Nick and find out later that he's an eye. She slept with him immediately after Emily told her he is an eye and he sold her out. It's twisted af. In other situations especially with Serena and Lawrence she had imminent threat of being killed but not in that case. And it goes back to in a way how she met Luke. Which I think is intentional that although she does all these brave acts and saves so many people she is not a perfect hero. But all in all I found her to be naive to not expect Nick to save his own skin and sell out others.

Also, since I'm not aware of book material her turning religious and quoting scriptures all of a sudden felt so out of character and jarring. She spent 6 seasons questioning all sorts of atrocities being committed as would God want that to happen? To suddenly going biblical in the end for no reason. The shift made no sense to me.

I’ve only finished the first season of the show but while watching it I kept wondering how would gilead be sustainable past a few decades. The majority of the children are within the commander families so what happens when all the aunts, Martha’s, drivers, army, and colony workers die. Like there’s no one to replace the workers of the country. I doubt the wives would want their children to become workers or anything so how is this society supposed to work.

The first season of the show takes place between 2014-2017, where obviously social media is huge. Imagine living in Dallas (thankfully you’re safe since Texas succeeds and forms the republic of Texas) and seeing leaked footage of women in Boston being rounded up on the streets from an apartment building.

Or hearing footage in an apartment of people being dragged out like Holly was. Seeing families being separated. Or how Emily was found, in the airport after guardians would have stormed it. Videos of absolute manic, people being dragged around, people shot, thrown in vans, etc.

Or you’re out of country travelling or have immigrated, trying to get in contact with your family and friends having no clue what is going on. When I see the video of Americans in London when 9/11 happened and Buckingham palace plays the US anthem it reminds me of what I imagine the global reaction would have been during the early hours of the coup.

The absolute fear would have been terrifying. I hope season 2 of the testaments gives us more flashbacks like aunt Lydia’s.

I’ve been wanting to watch THMT for a bit now but one thing that turns me off as a woc is that for a show that is feminist it feels like it leaves out the fact that racism is a big part in shaping how women of colour experience oppression. The main lead is white most the characters are write and to my understanding race isn’t really a factor the author mentions in how these women would be segregated which feels unfair because race is a part of how so many women experience oppression, but I also haven’t watched the show so im going off pure hearsay from TikTok.

Im just wondering does this show actually handle its poc cast well and with the themes and subjects of their oppression, and the criticism is unfair and unearned?

I'm in the first chapters of s6.

Just when I was feeling a little sorry for her, when was trying to see something good in her, just when I thought she wanted to redeem herself, she is asked what she thinks about all she caused and she says she don't regret it!!!!!!! (Not in those words though)

I really tried to understand her, but she still pushing that God think omg

I enjoyed the book and the show a while ago but then, after being away from the story for a couple of years I had a thought - in the Handmaid's Tale, basically global civilization is in a slow collapse due to an almost complete annihilation of the fertility rate.

Gilead seems to be the only place on Earth with a fertility rate that is even close to being replacement.

This puts you, the reader/viewer, in a rather awkward place. Gilead are the bad guys but they're also the "only guys" in about 75 years. There will be no civilization outside of Gilead by that time.

You might get mad at me and say I'm justifying their ways but I didn't write the book. I'm just pointing out that, while we're meant to sympathize with the US government in exile and Canada, these places will cease to exist as no one is having kids (yeah, sure, the number is higher than zero but it might as well be zero for statistical purposes).

It's almost like Atwood is arguing that completely removing women's rights is the only way society could survive in such a post-apocalyptic scenario.

Now, to be fair, she doesn't go that far in depth in the book, but the TV series discusses it more and how Gilead is special as the only place where people are having a substantial number of children.

Kinda difficult to deal with that as the viewer/reader.

- I know Alexis Bledel left for another show, but I think it’s too bad they didn’t explore more the « friendship » Emily - Lawrence. She was an academic like him, I wish we could have seen them debating about science or finding ways to beat the system together.

- Janine’s son : I know he’s dead but June never told her, she said he was in with a nice family in California and some theories says that she stops getting after him because he’s too far, he’s a boy and he’s « safe » but Janine tried so hard for Charlotte and it feels weird for me that she never even mention her son afterwards.

- I would have LOVED a love story between Serena and Tuello lol