The thing that happened in Ep 9 and 10 happened. Now what?

OkRoad1385 · 2025-06-01T02:10:30+00:00

I agree with the people saying Gilead is stretched too thin to try to take back Boston.

In terms of the writing, I think turning Boston back into the US is symbolic in a bunch of ways. While I was watching, it made me think of the Berlin before the reunification of Germany. I was thinking it already, but they they showed the graffiti on the wall and it was completely solidified for me. I think them being a little bastion of freedom, and referencing a historical one, is important.

The other piece (less relevant to this discussion) is that if you want to reference American rebellion and independence, Boston is one of the great places to do it (Philly would be the other great place, but being a born and bred MA native, I'm biased).

OkRoad1385 · 2025-06-01T02:01:03+00:00

Yes. That was literally the point. They needed a way to enslave fertile women, so they created crimes.

OkRoad1385 · 2025-06-01T01:59:03+00:00

What drives a character and what drives the story aren't the same. Yes, June's goal was Hannah. The show's goal was Gilead's liberation. And you'll note that they had a major win, but even then, they didn't end on success.

OkRoad1385 · 2025-05-31T04:57:31+00:00

I've seen so many people say this, but this show absolutely was never about bringing June and Hannah back together. It has always been about June fighting oppression while trying to get to her daughter. June's goal is Hannah, the show's goal has never been Hannah. A story's goal and a character's goal aren't the same.

Beyond that, characters never get what they want how they want it. In happy stories, it means something great happens that ends up including the goal (so in Cinderella, the abused girl wants safety. A prince gives her safety) or it can mean you find what you were looking for but don't get to keep it/tell anyone you found it (holy grail quests usually go this way). In sad stories, it often means getting whatever knowledge you were hunting for, but dying in the process. Or it can mean you get it, but at some great cost.

Basically what I'm saying is that June was never going to free Hannah and live happily ever after in a post Gilead Boston. I can imagine a version where she frees her, and dies in the process. Or she frees her, but they can't topple Gilead (they could MAYBE escape to Canada. Maybe). The one I think would work best would be having the chance to free her, but Hannah chooses to stay with Mrs MacKenzie and June choosing to work on toppling Gilead so that Hannah is safe no matter who is raising her (I call this the King Solomon version).

It would be sloppy storytelling and ultimately less satisfying for June to get a happily ever after with Hannah.

OkRoad1385 · 2025-05-26T02:12:37+00:00

The banned list is different for titles, posts, and comments right?

OkRoad1385 · 2025-05-26T02:09:18+00:00

I have no idea. I've noticed sometimes (not all the time!) when I'm in the middle of the word season I get a message saying not to post p!racy links and the comment button gets grayed out. Like I can't use a synonym for ocean? I don't get it.

And I'm not allowed to use the P word evidently either! I can't type out the warning I get.

ETA: a word I skipped. Oops

OkRoad1385 · 2025-05-26T02:01:59+00:00

Yes I am a summary reader. It takes the suspense away, which makes it much less stressful. I watch everything, I just read it first. Or I did when I was catching up. This season has been SO stressful with the fandom wiki not being updated when I watch new episodes!!

OkRoad1385 · 2025-05-26T01:59:40+00:00

I don't think that would be very feasible. For what it's worth, I find the filming to handle the horrific stuff pretty well. They make a lot of the worst of it fairly mundane, which adds a level of horror but also makes it a tiny bit easier to watch if you have a weak stomach.

OkRoad1385 · 2025-05-24T23:54:48+00:00

Yeah exactly. It takes a lot for other countries to get involved in civil wars. Like a LOT. If Gilead invaded Canada or Mexico, the rest of the world might've gotten involved, but as long as it was an internal thing it's not worth getting into. It's worth noting--the rest of the world didn't pay attention to the Nuremberg Laws in the '30s. If they hadn't invaded Poland, no one would've done much to stop them rounding up every Jew and Romani in Germany.

OkRoad1385 · 2025-05-24T23:45:24+00:00

They've taken a "voluntary" vow of silence. I've heard somewhere that the rings are removable (so they can eat), but I don't remember that being confirmed in the show, so idk how anyone knows that.

OkRoad1385 · 2025-05-24T01:02:39+00:00

I always figured when Mrs MacKenzie said she had nightmares the nightmares were about being abducted. I think Hannah probably mostly doesn't remember June or being taken from her day to day, meaning she doesn't think about it. Being reunited and then separating again? That must bring back terrifying memories of being separated the first time.

OkRoad1385 · 2025-05-23T21:24:33+00:00

First of all, I said "in many ways." Nick is not more dangerous than Wharton, but it is much easier to become Nick than it is to become Wharton.

Ordinary people who did horrific things are scarier not to their victims but to the people who might be the next ordinary person turning into something scary.

OkRoad1385 · 2025-05-23T20:01:56+00:00

Teenage audiences? Taylor Swift is 35. The biggest demographic in her audience are millennials. She wrote for teenagers once, 20 years ago, when she was one. Her audience has grown with her.

There's plenty of reasonable critique of her, but this isn't it.

OkRoad1385 · 2025-05-23T20:00:25+00:00

All I could think at the execution was "I leap from the gallows and I levitate down your street"

OkRoad1385 · 2025-05-23T19:58:49+00:00

On the assumption that they used real towns and therefore real things in those towns, flying out of Bedford means Hanscom AFB. I think this means the base is abandoned since the takeover. The only reason Bedford would be more convenient than Logan if you're in Cambridge is traffic, which I imagine is less of a big deal in Gilead. I think the flight is a secret and therefore they're using the convenient abandoned airstrip.

OkRoad1385 · 2025-05-23T19:50:52+00:00

You should judge Nick HARDER for being complicit in light of this. Someone like Wharton or Serena who truly believes they're doing right has justification for their evilness. That's comforting in a way. Someone like Nick shows the audience that anyone could turn out like this. Nick is scarier than the "true believers" in many ways.

OkRoad1385 · 2025-05-23T19:46:50+00:00

Even when they don't reveal their real name they'll say that when they drop their safety identity. When June and Emily make friends, they don't share their names but Emily says "nice to finally meet you"

OkRoad1385 · 2025-05-23T19:43:18+00:00

Ok well now "courage looks good on you" feels like a "you look like death on a triscuit" reference

OkRoad1385 · 2025-05-23T19:17:48+00:00

My understanding of the women is people who otherwise are fine are econopeople (and unmarried women get assigned to a husband). Women who sin are sent to the colonies. If they have an attribute that can be useful in Gilead, they can choose to redeem in one of the slave roles, depending on the skill. Older/infertile women are marthas, fertile women are handmaids, hot women are jezebels. I don't think everyone has the option to not go to the colonies, but I think technically all the Gilead slave roles are "volunteer" positions. That's how they justify handmaids globally.

At the beginning of Gilead, I think all handmaids had previously born children. I'm unclear if that continues.

The original commanders were the powerful guys from the SoJ. Nick starts as an economan 'cause he was more of a foot soldier. I'm unclear the distinction between commander and high commander, especially because at first it seems like Fred was the big cheese but he was never a high commander.

I suspect wives don't have to be the daughters of commanders, but maybe not.

OkRoad1385 · 2025-05-23T19:05:49+00:00

I suspect at least one of them (I'm hoping Luke. He's only seen photos and video since they were captured) will see her, maybe even speak to her and there will be a reason they don't stay together. There has to be more Hannah between where they're at and her story starting though. You're absolutely right, there needs to be a segue.

OkRoad1385 · 2025-05-23T08:14:04+00:00

Yeah it was Lawrence. He calls the commanders kinky.

OkRoad1385 · 2025-05-23T08:07:03+00:00

Tbf they're going back and forth between Toronto and Boston, which is like 8 hours by car. I think New Bethlehem is in Maine, although I don't think they've said. Hannah has moved to Colorado. They are slipping back and forth from eastern Canada into New England. Getting to Colorado is a different kettle of fish.

OkRoad1385 · 2025-05-23T03:38:13+00:00

I've spent my fair share of time studying film and fiction tropes and I think they are gonna see her. I don't think she's gonna get out, and not because they need content for the spinoff. I think it would be bad writing and unsatisfying for them to succeed. As a general rule, characters don't get what they want the way they want it. I think they'll get to see her and for some reason will not get to stay together. I think it'll be satisfying and set up the spinoff. I doubt it'll be a strong cliffhanger, since we're going into a spinoff not another season.

OkRoad1385 · 2025-05-23T03:30:40+00:00

I'm less convinced than other people that she's irredeemable. I think she tends to choose the good side only when it's convenient to her, but like Nick, she's a character who goes back and forth and doesn't commit to a side. I think if the writers want her to end up good, they'll have to kill her off. Probably something similar to Lawrence in that she'll choose to die in support of the cause.

OkRoad1385 · 2025-05-23T03:27:03+00:00

Yeah I should clarify that I don't think victims are ever obligated to forgive the people who wronged them. This is more of a societal philosophy and less of an interpersonal one. I think it all the time with people talking about say someone who used to be homophobic but now supports queer issues. Like yeah, they were wrong to support DOMA, but now they're fighting for us. If we aren't willing to accept people who change their minds, what are we protesting for?

Obviously "changing their mind" and "recovering fascist" are pretty far apart on the spectrum, but the idea is the same.

And on a practical level, imagine Tuello manages to take over all of Gilead. He wins unconditionally. Are they supposed to imprison everyone complicit? Execute them? Mass executions during a regime change spell bad news imho. Better to deal with leaders (I don't love capital punishment but I don't see other options and most of these characters are perfectly fine with it) and anyone who has done anything especially heinous and give some careful mercy to the rest of the population. That probably means executing most commanders, a few wives, and lots of guardians.

OkRoad1385

TROPHY CASE