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Didn't see a thread for this, thought I'd start one. The Handmaid's Tale is an award-winning dystopian/speculative fiction show, based on the novel by Margaret Atwood. It takes place in the present or near future (with flashbacks for context), where human fertility is dangerously low, the environment is in terrible shape, and an authoritarian, Old Testament regime has recently taken control of America and turned it into a terrible, oppressive theocracy called Gilead. This society is very strictly ordered, with the Commanders (powerful rich men) in charge of everything, and just about everyone else is in strictly defined and enforced roles. Handmaids are fertile women who basically serve as sex slaves/incubators for the Commanders and their wives, with a ritualized rape ceremony once a month. They are very strictly trained, watched, and controlled, treated little better than livestock, with even their names taken from them. Once they bear and wean a child, they're shuffled off to make babies for another couple, and this presumably repeats until they can't anymore, then get sent off to the colonies to clean up nuclear waste until they die. It's a miserable loving existence. Our heroine, Offred/June Osborne, played by Elisabeth Moss, is one of these Handmaids.  Before Gilead happened, she was a normal woman with a husband and a young daughter, working as an editor at a publishing company. She tried to escape to Canada with her family when poo poo was hitting the fan, but got caught and sent to a Red Center, where Handmaids are trained and indoctrinated. Throughout season one, she was in the service of the Waterfords, a wealthy couple who had been instrumental in the forming of the new regime. She is now pregnant and on the run, though how far she gets remains to be seen. Others: Ofglen/Emily, played by Alexis Bledel:  A former cellular biology professor, she was separated from her wife and son and forced to be a Handmaid. In season one, she is part of Mayday, a resistance movement, and gets Offred involved. Caught having a relationship with a Martha (the domestic servant class of women), she is quickly put on trial, forced to watch her lover die, given a clitoridectomy, and transferred to another couple. The last we saw of her in season one, she briefly stole a car and ran over a couple soldiers, for which, as we learn in season two, she was sent to the colonies to clean up nuclear waste. Looks like she'll be playing a larger role this season, which is exciting, as she's great in the part. Moira, played by Samira Wiley:  June's best friend from college, a rebellious, outspoken lesbian. She was also sent to the Red Center in season one, but escaped, only to be caught and forced to work at Jezebels, a brothel for high-ranking men. Last season, she stabbed her way out and managed to make it to Canada, because she's awesome. Hasn't yet popped up in season two, though I hope we see a lot more of her. Ofwarren/Janine, played by Madeline Brewer:  Sweet, unbalanced young girl, whose eye was removed for disobedience at the Red Center. In season one, she gave birth to her commander's baby, and believed that he was in love with her. When she was then given to another family, she kidnapped the baby and attempted suicide by jumping off a bridge. She survived, and as of S2E2, is sent to the colonies. Serena Joy Waterford, played by Yvonne Strahovski:  Offred's mistress. Before Gilead, she was a Phyllis Schlafly-like "domestic feminist", and one of the chief architects of the regime. She is controlling, tightly wound, and generally awful. Aunt Lydia, played by Ann Dowd:  One of, maybe the chief, Aunt, a true believer older woman in charge of training and keeping tracks on the Handmaids. She's a terrifying and sadistic, but oddly maternal, authority figure, who honestly seems to believe that she's doing what's right for her "girls". Dowd is fantastic in the part. And the men: Commander Fred Waterford, played by Joseph Fiennes:  Offred's commander, and a high-ranking official in Gilead. Dickhead. Luke, husband of June/Offred, played by O-T Fagbenle:  Decent, regular guy, who unfortunately didn't try to escape with his family until it was too late. He is now a refugee living in Canada, and at the end of last season had been reunited with Moira. Nick, played by Max Minghella:  Commander Waterford's driver, and also an Eye (spies/secret police, more or less) and possibly a member of Mayday. In season one, at the behest of Serena Joy, he and June began an affair, and he is almost certainly the father of her current child. Seems a bit dim, but he helped June escape the Waterfords, so there's that. I think that's the main bits, if I've missed anyone or anything let me know and I'll edit. The first two episodes of season two are now out on Hulu, with a new one being added at 1200 est on Wednesdays. Let's enjoy the misery together, shall we?
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Apr 28, 2018 17:32
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Yeah, I watched the first few episodes of the new season starting at around six am last Wednesday, and it pretty much hosed up the rest of my day. I'm not usually squeamish, but this show is loving brutal.
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Apr 28, 2018 18:27
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resting mitch face posted:Kate Bush singing This Woman's Work as the girls are led to the gallows was really loving hard to watch and when that scene concluded I literally yelled WHAT KIND OF hosed UP poo poo IS THIS?! Yeah, that scene definitely had me questioning if I wanted to put myself through more of this. I thought the second episode was a little easier to stomach, though of course that's extremely relative as far as this show goes. Shame to see Marisa Tomei come and go so quickly, but I'm really liking Emily a lot. Lord Cyrahzax posted:I've never wanted to see a face caved in with a rock more than Aunt Lydia's, Jesus Ann Dowd is so loving good, though.
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Apr 28, 2018 20:49
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clown shoes posted:Aunt Lydia is terrible, no doubt, but Ann Dowd's performance is so powerful that it's hard to look away. I can't think of a better actress working today. I really hope we get some flashbacks into what made her... her.
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Apr 28, 2018 21:28
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Blind Rasputin posted:In the first episode when the teacher calls to tell her she sent her kid to the ER I swear to god that was Lydia’s voice on the phone being a hardass. I'd have to listen again, but I can see it. I wasn't quite sure whether to read the scene of her tearing up before ringing the bell as her being glad June's pregnant, or as a small moment of regret for the hell she's putting the girls through. Either would be totally her, of course. esperterra posted:Anyone have a link to the S1 thread? Finally getting around to watching it. Requires archives
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Apr 28, 2018 22:34
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I thought they were just going to let a few spots on the gallows drop, killing (or yeah, paralyzing or turning them into vegetables) a few random Handmaids to teach the others a lesson seems like it'd be right out of the Gilead playbook.
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Apr 29, 2018 13:41
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veni veni veni posted:I hate to say it but I think she hams it up too much. Feels like a cartoon more than a believable person to me. Although, a lot of that falls on the writing. To some extent I think the persona she puts on in front of the girls is meant to be exaggerated, sort of in the same way a drill sergeant or dominatrix is. Doesn't make her any less horrible or terrifying, of course, and I've no doubt she's a true believer, but in a way it's no different than the Handmaids acting meek or the wives acting aloof. Plus she was apoplectic with rage at the time because they refused to stone Janine, makes sense she'd ramp it up a few dozen notches to really put the fear of god in them. etalian posted:Aunt Lydia got referenced in the White House Press Dinner roast of Sarah Sanders. Shucks wishes she was half the actress Ann Dowd is, maybe then people would actually believe her lies. Anyway, what do y'all think of the Colonies so far? Crow Jane fucked around with this message at 20:34 on Apr 29, 2018 |
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Apr 29, 2018 20:26
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esperterra posted:This is good poo poo and I look forward to season two. Does the first season wrap up more or less where the book ends, with two moving past those events or is there some overlap? Yeah, from my memory (haven't read the book since high school, should probably remedy that) the first season lines up really neatly with the book, minus some of the extra stuff the show adds. Margaret Atwood helped write the new stuff iirc, or at least served as a consultant. veni veni veni posted:God I hate Hulu’s weekly release schedule God,  . I'd rather just rip the Band-aid off all at once like I did with the first season and a very depressing weekend.Also yeah, I want an Aunt Lydia origin story really badly. Crow Jane fucked around with this message at 23:41 on Apr 29, 2018 |
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Apr 29, 2018 23:34
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Fragmented posted:Thank you for making this thread. I was staring at gifs and source codes two nights ago trying to get my posting mojo on but i....didn't do anything. Unlike our hero! Cutting my ear off to own the chuds! No probs! Let me know if there's anything you'd like me to add to the op, I kinda slapped it together.
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Apr 30, 2018 00:26
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I think the Colonies vary; the one we saw was all women, but it stands to reason there might be some for men out there as well. I'm actually mildly curious about what exactly happened to all the regular/non-rear end in a top hat men in Gilead, though not enough to want the show to devote much time to it. Vvv Rita seems alright, and the Martha that Emily slept with was probably okay. Also that second Wife Emily was assigned to tried to delay the monthly rape, which I guess counts as being a good person in Gilead Crow Jane fucked around with this message at 19:17 on Apr 30, 2018 |
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Apr 30, 2018 19:02
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Do we know why the environment is the way it is? Like was there a nuclear event (seems like someone would've mentioned it by now if so) or is it more a pollution/climate change thing?
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May 1, 2018 00:07
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I could definitely see her as a Kim Davis type bureaucrat
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May 1, 2018 02:46
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CelestialScribe posted:I was thinking the south. I still don't believe Gilead controls the west coast. When we see Luke in Canada, we get a glimpse of the US flag with 48 hollow stars and two solid ones (presumably Alaska and Hawaii). I took that to mean the lower 48 are all either Gilead or it's colonies by now.
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May 1, 2018 13:09
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Ubiquitous_ posted:Aren't new episodes on Wednesdays? Midnight tonight. Dunno whether to watch it before bed and maybe have nightmares or watch it before work tomorrow and be in a weird paranoid mood all day 
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May 1, 2018 21:57
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Just watched episode 3. Well, poo poo.
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May 2, 2018 06:02
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Elisabeth Moss' pregnancy prosthetics in this are better than her Mad Men ones
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May 2, 2018 20:41
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Kanine posted:gently caress precision posted:I had to check and make sure she wasn't actually pregnant. It looks extremely real.
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May 2, 2018 22:36
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Even if she does go back to the Waterford house, it'll only be until the baby's weaned. The show skips months at a time, it could only be an episode or two before she's off to some new misery. Stick around for the "fun"! I suppose she could lie her rear end off and claim that she'd been kidnapped or something, but I don't see anyone buying it.
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May 2, 2018 23:37
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My issue with episode three is that it seemed kind of like a clip show at times. Which, yeah, flashbacks are a huge part of the show, but I don't know if it's ever relied so heavily on clips we've already seen before. I'm glad we got a brief glimpse of what Gilead is like for average folks, though. Do the pink outfits we see June's daughter and other little girls wearing indicate that they're Handmaids in training? One review I read said they were, but I don't remember it being confirmed on the show one way or another
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May 3, 2018 14:37
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I *think* in the book, Moira mentions to June that she saw her in footage of the Colonies when she was being given a choice between there and Jezebels.
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May 3, 2018 15:46
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Yeah, that was depressing as hell, I felt like I was watching Elisabeth Moss getting punched in the face for an hour. And god, as much as Aunt Lydia is terrifying and contemptible she's doling out punishments, she's even more so when she's being maternal and caring, but I can't look away. I'm assuming the supporting actress Emmy for this year already has Dowd's name on it. That ceremony at the baby shower was kinda oddly beautiful. The visuals on this show are so drat good.
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May 9, 2018 14:26
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The difference, I think, is that they (the proles) are legally married, which gives them a (very conditional) exemption. June's marriage wasn't valid because Luke had been married before, and obviously Emily being gay meant her's wasn't either. And I think Janine was a single mom? I can buy that they wouldn't break up traditional families (at least until someone in that family was caught reading or acting insufficiently meek, of course) but would treat everyone else as fair game.
Crow Jane fucked around with this message at 19:57 on May 10, 2018 |
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May 10, 2018 19:54
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Ubiquitous_ posted:This episode had so many allusions to "The Yellow Wallpaper" short story. I loved it. The AVClub reviewer got into that pretty heavily, it's worth a read:https://tv.avclub.com/the-handmaids-tale-pits-offred-against-june-in-an-unsur-1825883435
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May 10, 2018 20:27
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BattyKiara posted:Why does Waterford want to go to Canada? Is he planning to defect? I think it'd be more of a diplomatic trip, I really don't see him defecting. Gilead has been pretty drat good to him.
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May 13, 2018 15:59
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"Cows don't get married." I love Janine so much, she's  personified
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May 17, 2018 00:23
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For some reason Lydia's "your baby is the size of a papaya" comment to Waterford stuck out in my head. It just seems like an odd comparison to make, especially to someone like him, who probably has no idea what a papaya looks like.
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May 17, 2018 20:57
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Well that was a  cliffhanger
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May 23, 2018 06:11
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So, so far both Ofglens have now: 1. had parts removed 2. killed some motherfuckers Gotta admit, I'm slightly curious about Glen, he seems to have a knack for inadvertently radicalizing Handmaids
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May 23, 2018 12:51
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What even happens to widows in Gilead? I assume the commanders' wives won't all be shipped off to the colonies, but I'm not sure they'll be allowed to keep living in their fancy houses and whatnot. Who's going to be in charge now that all the high ranking men are (hopefully) gone?
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May 23, 2018 16:32
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Personally, I'd describe it as misery porn more than torture porn. Misery is more all-encompassing
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May 25, 2018 22:35
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veni veni veni posted:I don't think you guys are wrong, but I've always felt like it's easier to demonize the other side when people act like that. I look at discourse right now and it just seems counter productive from both sides, and that might be a contributing factor into where we are at today. Maybe we are past the point where it even matters anymore, and the best option is to just jeer and punch people I dunno. It's pretty hard to have a reasonable debate with people who think you innately deserve less than they do because of your race/gender/sexual preference/religion/etc.
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May 27, 2018 18:04
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veni veni veni posted:It's less about having a debate about it, and more like, if they just let her speak, who would she have actually reached in that audience of 95% people that hate her? On the flipside, how much easier does it become to turn her into a Martyr/victim/hero in the public eye? Letting her speak at all gives her, and those irl with similar abhorrent views, legitimacy that really isn't deserved. Freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from getting mocked and shouted down for your disguising opinions.
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May 27, 2018 18:36
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blue squares posted:Or running a special police that exists solely to round up and abuse a specific minority And surely having constant self-fellating, dogwhistle-filled rallies in non-campaign years is something normal, totally-not-fascist presidents do
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May 28, 2018 02:16
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Yeah, it should be a fun, lighthearted romp about sexual servitude in a theocratic nightmare state, why drag politics into it?
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May 28, 2018 19:03
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Nick was personally recruited by the former lead commander, wasn't he?
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May 31, 2018 02:57
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datajugend posted:one thing that was kinda eh in this episode for me was moira had a fiance, why did it take her two seasons to be worried for her? i cant remember anything about her before it was suddenly a thing this episode, so maybe its on me. I feel like I vaguely remember a scene in season one when Moira and June are reunited (I think at the Red Center, though it may have been Jezebels?), June asks about someone, and Moira says she was "rounded up in the dyke purges" or something similar. But yeah, that came off a little bit clumsy. Samira Wiley is amazing, though.
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May 31, 2018 03:16
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Eden clearly heard all the Handmaids exchanging names at the market, and you know she's going to say something. As lovely as that scene was, her being there made me nervous.
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May 31, 2018 19:43
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I think Martha is a title, but they, unlike the Handmaids, are also permitted to use their actual names. Maybe just within the home or among each other, idk. I really need to read the book again.
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Jun 1, 2018 05:21
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Evernoob posted:If this show actually shared a universe with any other franchise, which would it be? My favorite thing like this is that 30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Mad Men all take place in the same universe.
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Jun 6, 2018 01:06
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precision posted:Gilead doesn't strike me as a place with a lot of qualified scientists hanging about. Depends on how you're using the word "hanging"
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Jun 6, 2018 02:35
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