[DevdogAZ]

When Nick gave June that doll, I thought for sure we were going to find out it was bugged with some kind of tracking device so Nick could send someone to kidnap Nichole. But I guess Nick probably prefers Nichole to be with June vs. with the Waterfords or with some other Gilead commander.

So Nick slipped on a wedding ring after June drove away. I guess that means he's married now but didn't want June to know. Why? She would understand that as a commander in Gilead, he's got to fulfill his duties.

I thought the whole thing with Janine talking the other handmaid (the former commander's wife who harbored them when they were fugitives) was kind of dumb. She tells the super stubborn girl that she's got to cooperate or they'll punish her more, and suddenly the super stubborn girl decides to cooperate? That seems wildly out of character for her, unless I missed something and Janine convinced her to cooperate as part of some kind of scheme.

That ending was pretty intense. I wonder what the blowback against June will be for threatening to kill a Canadian official.

 

[wedgecon]

It seems weird that the Canadians would not understand how traumatized June is.

 

[Steveknj]

I'm confused by Nick's motivation. Does he really love June? It seems that way. But he's married. Is that a marriage of convenience? And he's also ambitious and a Commander. Does he jeopardize that?

I'm also not sure (in fact I know) about them releasing Fred for the info he can provide. Who's to say he feeds them a bunch of BS and then goes home?

It just feels to me they could have done this season better. June just seems angry about everything, rather than driven, which is something she always has been. I'd have thought she's try and organize some sort of underground railroad in Canada, to try and get more kids out, including Hannah. Maybe that's for next season.

 

[Rob Helmerichs]

I'm confused by Nick's motivation. Does he really love June? It seems that way. But he's married. Is that a marriage of convenience? And he's also ambitious and a Commander. Does he jeopardize that?

We've met his wife (that cute little kid from a season or two ago).

I think he's genuinely torn, between love (obsseission) for June and...something else. But I'm not sure what the something else is supposed to be. His heart doesn't seem to be in Gilead, so I doubt it's patriotism. And he often seems like a relatively decent person, so I doubt his ambition would lead him to be a critical part of an evil system. But otherwise his actions don't make sense. I suspect the writers think he's just complicated, without fully working out how those complications actually work. He does what he has to do to move the story along (and protect June).

I'm also not sure (in fact I know) about them releasing Fred for the info he can provide. Who's to say he feeds them a bunch of BS and then goes home?

I can see them letting him off in terms of not going to prison for the rest of his life, but I doubt they'd ever let him go home. Well, I guess I can see it because again, the show's writers are willing to let people do things that are completely insane in order to move the story along (and protect June). But...it would be completely insane to let him go home.

 

[Steveknj]

I can see them letting him off in terms of not going to prison for the rest of his life, but I doubt they'd ever let him go home. Well, I guess I can see it because again, the show's writers are willing to let people do things that are completely insane in order to move the story along (and protect June). But...it would be completely insane to let him go home.

I thought they said, he's be free. They didn't specify whether he'd be allowed to go home or not, By being set free, I assumed, he'd be allowed to go home. But of course going home sets his own set of dangers, which he spoke about with his wife. They may not want him here. What I suspect is that he saw the pro-Gilead protesters and he's going to try and lead a movement in Canada, which would explain why that protest existed in the first place.

 

[Rob Helmerichs]

I thought they said, he's be free. They didn't specify whether he'd be allowed to go home or not, By being set free, I assumed, he'd be allowed to go home. But of course going home sets his own set of dangers, which he spoke about with his wife. They may not want him here. What I suspect is that he saw the pro-Gilead protesters and he's going to try and lead a movement in Canada, which would explain why that protest existed in the first place.

I interpreted that as meaning free from prosecution and prison, but not free to leave Canada...which, as I said, would be insane (he was a war criminal on perhaps the largest scale in human history, and his only role in Gilead would be to continue in that capacity).

 

[Craigbob]

Not sure how I feel about this episode. One the one hand, The Jeanine/Esther storyline was a bit out there, and too me I get the feeling the writers don't know what to do with Jeanine, she comes across a bit of a ping-pong ball with her attitude towards Gilead. We also get confirmation that it's Nick that June is in love with (no real surprise there), but I was surprised that Luke was the one who suggested the meeting.

This show always has some great cinematography. The shot that really caught my eye was the Last Supper staging for the aunts dinner. I have to wonder what the foreshadowing is there since we know from The Testaments that

Spoiler

Lydia survives and helps bring down Gilead.

Knowing the story of the sequel is frustrating to me since I know that certain things can't happen in the show and have to wait 15 years in universe time to come to fruition. in a certain aspect it makes watching this pointless, but yet I want to see how they flesh out the inbetween story.

 

[zalusky]

Not sure how I feel about this episode. One the one hand, The Jeanine/Esther storyline was a bit out there, and too me I get the feeling the writers don't know what to do with Jeanine, she comes across a bit of a ping-pong ball with her attitude towards Gilead. We also get confirmation that it's Nick that June is in love with (no real surprise there), but I was surprised that Luke was the one who suggested the meeting.

This show always has some great cinematography. The shot that really caught my eye was the Last Supper staging for the aunts dinner. I have to wonder what the foreshadowing is there since we know from The Testaments that

Spoiler

Lydia survives and helps bring down Gilead.

Knowing the story of the sequel is frustrating to me since I know that certain things can't happen in the show and have to wait 15 years in universe time to come to fruition. in a certain aspect it makes watching this pointless, but yet I want to see how they flesh out the inbetween story.

It's kind of like Better Call Saul. Just enjoy the ride and let's hope the creators are as good as Vince Gilligan.

 

[zordude]

I have to wonder what the foreshadowing is there since we know from The Testaments that [...]

Knowing the story of the sequel is frustrating to me since I know that certain things can't happen in the show and have to wait 15 years in universe time to come to fruition. in a certain aspect it makes watching this pointless, but yet I want to see how they flesh out the inbetween story.

If years of watching television has taught me anything it's that knowing the source material in no way guarantees you know how the TV show will work out

 

[Craigbob]

If years of watching television has taught me anything it's that knowing the source material in no way guarantees you know how the TV show will work out

True, but Margaret Atwood and the producers talked extensively about how the show and the book will affect each other. Yeah, I expect there to be changes when The Testaments come to the screen, but there's certain things can't happen such as

Spoiler

June getting Hannah out of Gilead

without tossing the whole sequel book out the window.

Considering how close to the original novel the 1st season was I don't see that changing.

 

[Steveknj]

True, but Margaret Atwood and the producers talked extensively about how the show and the book will affect each other. Yeah, I expect there to be changes when The Testaments come to the screen, but there's certain things can't happen such as

Spoiler

June getting Hannah out of Gilead

without tossing the whole sequel book out the window.

Considering how close to the original novel the 1st season was I don't see that changing.

I guess this scenario is similar to Game of Thrones (though in this case, that sequel book was already written). GRRM spoke extensively with the production team about his vision for how the books would end, but in the end there will most likely be a lot of differences.

 

[Robin]

Man, they've been jerking us all over the place with Luke.

He wants June to trade Nichole for Hannah. I don't think he's ever coming back from that.

I think there's a tracking device in the doll. The way he said "she can keep it with her always" (or something to that effect.)

 

[DevdogAZ]

Man, they've been jerking us all over the place with Luke.

He wants June to trade Nichole for Hannah. I don't think he's ever coming back from that.

I think there's a tracking device in the doll. The way he said "she can keep it with her always" (or something to that effect.)

I don't remember Luke saying anything about trading Nichole for Hannah. I think there would have been a lot more discussion here about it if he had.

Commander Lawrence asked June to send back some of the children taken during the Angel's Flight, but it was never mentioned that Nichole should be one of those, or that Hannah would be available in return.

 

[Robin]

It was the vibe I got off of Luke when he suggested June meet Nick in person, and that she should take Nichole with her. He -said- it was because Nick would be more receptive if he got to see his child but I thought there was an unspoken notion that it could be a trade.

 

[DevdogAZ]

It was the vibe I got off of Luke when he suggested June meet Nick in person, and that she should take Nichole with her. He -said- it was because Nick would be more receptive if he got to see his child but I thought there was an unspoken notion that it could be a trade.

I don't think so, because Nick has no way to get Hannah, so I'm not sure how Luke could even think that was a viable suggestion. I think you may have just been picking up on something that wasn't there.

 

[Robin]

But I don't think Luke would know that.

You may be right though.

 

[David Platt]

I don't think so, because Nick has no way to get Hannah, so I'm not sure how Luke could even think that was a viable suggestion. I think you may have just been picking up on something that wasn't there.

That was the vibe I got too, that Luke wanted her to use Nicole as a bargaining chip to get Hannah back.

 

[DevdogAZ]

That was the vibe I got too, that Luke wanted her to use Nicole as a bargaining chip to get Hannah back.

To the extent he wanted June to take Nichole so Nick could see her, I agree. But I didn't get any vibe that Luke was willing to let Nichole go back and be raised in Gilead, knowing how horrible it is for women there. Plus, as far as anyone on the Canada side knows, Nick is literally serving on the front lines of a bloody war. Why would any responsible parent think it was a good idea to let him have custody of a baby? Even if he left baby Nichole with his wife, why is that random strange woman a more appropriate place for Nichole than with her mother in Toronto?

 

[Robin]

To the extent he wanted June to take Nichole so Nick could see her, I agree. But I didn't get any vibe that Luke was willing to let Nichole go back and be raised in Gilead, knowing how horrible it is for women there. Plus, as far as anyone on the Canada side knows, Nick is literally serving on the front lines of a bloody war. Why would any responsible parent think it was a good idea to let him have custody of a baby? Even if he left baby Nichole with his wife, why is that random strange woman a more appropriate place for Nichole than with her mother in Toronto?

Because Nichole isn't his biological kid and Hannah is, and he's willing to sacrifice her.

Just a theory. I'm not married to it.

 

[Rob Helmerichs]

Because Nichole isn't his biological kid and Hannah is, and he's willing to sacrifice her.

Just a theory. I'm not married to it.

I agree with those who see no evidence whatsoever for this theory...