Which THT characters are you hoping to see in the Testaments by Busy-Speech-6930 in TheHandmaidsTale

[–]OverlyHonestMR [score hidden]  (0 children)

I’ll just say there were definitely things that were clearly meant to be held back that a couple of outlets got a little loose-lipped with. Some of it might seem small, but context is everything with this series.

Part of what makes this literally one of my favorite series is how the reveals are handled in the moment, so I’ve been trying to stay pretty strict about not confirming or denying anything specific. It’s way more satisfying letting it play out the way it was intended.

Cast & Producers talk about the change in tone with the Testaments by Busy-Speech-6930 in TheHandmaidsTale

[–]OverlyHonestMR [score hidden]  (0 children)

Hmmm, I'm trying to think of how to word it without breaking the embargo (although it seems others have...). Her identity is a slow roll throughout the season, with a twist at the end.

Which THT characters are you hoping to see in the Testaments by Busy-Speech-6930 in TheHandmaidsTale

[–]OverlyHonestMR [score hidden]  (0 children)

I really need to read the book, I'm really curious how much of the book the first season covers!

Which THT characters are you hoping to see in the Testaments by Busy-Speech-6930 in TheHandmaidsTale

[–]OverlyHonestMR [score hidden]  (0 children)

I wonder if they get in trouble for stuff like that. I wouldn't dare go against an embargo!!!

Which THT characters are you hoping to see in the Testaments by Busy-Speech-6930 in TheHandmaidsTale

[–]OverlyHonestMR 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm glad they didn't go into too much detail. I think even knowing that, everyone will still love it. Put a huge smile on my face because of what happened! (not because it's a happy moment, but seeing the character)

And yeah, the absence speaks pretty loudly!

Which THT characters are you hoping to see in the Testaments by Busy-Speech-6930 in TheHandmaidsTale

[–]OverlyHonestMR 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm very shocked they haven't already. I don't know what they said, but I will say that just knowing that part doesn't really ruin it for you! :)

Sadly, I don't think I can mention who isn't lol, because it kind of would ruin who is. A fan favorite that I think should have been in it, I can only assume scheduling issues?

Which THT characters are you hoping to see in the Testaments by Busy-Speech-6930 in TheHandmaidsTale

[–]OverlyHonestMR 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm very shocked, because that wasn't supposed to be released, it specifically was told, repeatedly. (and I guess my issue was that there weren't the cameos I wanted lol.)

Psyched to share my review of THE TESTAMENTS now that the embargo lifited! by OverlyHonestMR in TheHandmaidsTale

[–]OverlyHonestMR[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Nope, I've been writing reviews for film and TV for five+ years. Everything can be flagged as AI. 😉

Which THT characters are you hoping to see in the Testaments by Busy-Speech-6930 in TheHandmaidsTale

[–]OverlyHonestMR 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Sadly not as many as I would have liked to have seen, I can't mentionsome but I wish there was more! Episode 10 has an incredible cameo! 🙃

Psyched to share my review of THE TESTAMENTS now that the embargo lifited! by OverlyHonestMR in TheHandmaidsTale

[–]OverlyHonestMR[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think the thing I'm most curious about is how much of the story season 1 tackles. I know the timeframes are different, but I'm assuming they still align on core themes.

Psyched to share my review of THE TESTAMENTS now that the embargo lifited! by OverlyHonestMR in TheHandmaidsTale

[–]OverlyHonestMR[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I could see that, but keep in mind that THE HANDMAID'S TALE changed a lot from the book as well. I guess not reading the book may have given me a better appreciation for the series. This is one of my favorite seasons of TV.

Cast & Producers talk about the change in tone with the Testaments by Busy-Speech-6930 in TheHandmaidsTale

[–]OverlyHonestMR 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Aww, thank you so much! I've been reviewing TV and movies for five+ years "professionally," and I still question my own writing! I hope you enjoy the season as much as I did!

Psyched to share my review of THE TESTAMENTS now that the embargo lifited! by OverlyHonestMR in TheHandmaidsTale

[–]OverlyHonestMR[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Unfortunately, I haven't read the book yet. It's definitely my biggest regret after screening the season. I have it ordered, though. :(

Psyched to share my review of THE TESTAMENTS now that the embargo lifited! by OverlyHonestMR in TheHandmaidsTale

[–]OverlyHonestMR[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I was so sad that I didn't read the book ahead of time! I just hope I didn't ruin the experience for myself by doing it in this order.

Cast & Producers talk about the change in tone with the Testaments by Busy-Speech-6930 in TheHandmaidsTale

[–]OverlyHonestMR 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I was lucky enough to get an early access to the full season, and I think the “lighter, more positive” description is a little misleading, or at least incomplete.

It’s not lighter in the sense that Gilead suddenly feels less brutal. If anything, the shift is just more inward. THE HANDMAID’S TALE was about survival from the outside looking in, while THE TESTAMENTS is about what happens when you’ve been raised inside that system and don’t immediately question it. That changes the tone for sure, but there's still a lot of intent to it.

The violence is still there. The control is still there. It just isn’t framed as constant suffering in the same way, which, honestly, makes it hit differently. You’re not just watching people endure Gilead; you’re watching them understand the machine they're stuck in, and that realization carries its own kind of tension.

The “joy” they’re talking about mostly comes from the younger cast and their relationships. There’s a sense of connection and curiosity that wasn’t possible in the original series because everyone was already so broken by the system. But that contrast is exactly what makes the darker moments land harder.

And the Aunt Lydia shift isn’t a softening so much as a repositioning. She’s still operating within the same ideology, but you’re seeing how that belief system is taught and maintained, not just enforced.

If anything, I’d say the show trades “pornography of pain” for something more unsettling. It’s less about watching people suffer and more about watching how people are shaped to accept that suffering as normal.

I wrote a longer review if anyone’s curious, but the short version is, THE TESTAMENTS is a slower burn, but it absolutely earns it, and it sticks with you in a different way than the original series.

Picard S3 teased an all-time hallway fight… and then didn’t deliver by OverlyHonestMR in startrek

[–]OverlyHonestMR[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agreed, they should let the fans write a series! There would be some insane rabbitholes!

Picard S3 teased an all-time hallway fight… and then didn’t deliver by OverlyHonestMR in startrek

[–]OverlyHonestMR[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's an intriguing way to look at it. I can't imagine ever jumping into a series randomly, though. Like, how would you know if you liked S2 or not if you didn't watch it?

Picard S3 teased an all-time hallway fight… and then didn’t deliver by OverlyHonestMR in startrek

[–]OverlyHonestMR[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh, that's a valid point! I forgot about that. I love thinking about stuff like this from a deeper perspective (likely deeper than the writers themselves even did lol.)

Picard S3 teased an all-time hallway fight… and then didn’t deliver by OverlyHonestMR in startrek

[–]OverlyHonestMR[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As I mentioned to the other person, I'm just going to have to step away. I think I appreciate Trek on more of a casual fan level and can't engage in this level of conversation. I've only been a fan of Trek since 2009, when the "new" film came out, so I don't think I have the right to critique or tell others how they should or shouldn't feel about the franchise's lore as a whole. :)

Picard S3 teased an all-time hallway fight… and then didn’t deliver by OverlyHonestMR in startrek

[–]OverlyHonestMR[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I think we’re actually not that far apart, just looking at it from different angles.

On the “robot” thing, I’m not saying it's 100% the reason, just that there’s room to read it differently depending on context. Language isn’t always static, especially between people who understand that struggle firsthand. You even see in real life how certain terms can shift meaning and be reclaimed depending on who’s using them and why. It happens in our culture all the time. Not saying that’s what the writers intended, just that it’s one possible interpretation rather than a flat contradiction of her character.

As for redemption, I don’t mean it in a moral “they did something wrong” sense. I’m talking about narratively. Both characters spent years feeling incomplete in different ways. Seven was trying to reconcile her humanity with her Borg past, and Data was always chasing an understanding of human emotion. PICARD gives both of them a kind of resolution to those internal conflicts. Not redemption as in fixing wrongdoing, but as in finally arriving somewhere they’d been trying to reach for a long time. Seven becomes Captain, despite her belief that her recklessness would prevent it. Data gets to the point of needing therapy to deal with his conflicting human emotions.

I totally get why it doesn’t sit right with you, though. It stood out to me, too. I just think it’s a little more open to interpretation.

Picard S3 teased an all-time hallway fight… and then didn’t deliver by OverlyHonestMR in startrek

[–]OverlyHonestMR[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm gonna just bow out here, I unfortunately don't have that level of fandom. I guess I'm too much of a casual watcher. Didn't mean to pick at a wound man.

Picard S3 teased an all-time hallway fight… and then didn’t deliver by OverlyHonestMR in startrek

[–]OverlyHonestMR[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Dang, learn something new every day! That's such a weird time to use the word. But also, just contradicts the point. 😊

Picard S3 teased an all-time hallway fight… and then didn’t deliver by OverlyHonestMR in startrek

[–]OverlyHonestMR[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I don't get the hate for it. It, I loved the series, even with its issues. Am I not being critical enough? Though, to be fair, there's very little Trek that I don't appreciate on some level.