ok whatever I'm ignoring all the unbelievable stuff because the airport scene OOOOOOOOMG. When that dad said "Rebecca?!"
I REALLY don't know where they go from here though, at least in Gilead. All those Marthas that helped throw rocks were left behind...I assume they are dead women walking at this point.
and June....I mean can Commander Lawrence actually protect her any more? Obviously they left from his house and can he really claim he had no knowledge?
ok whatever I'm ignoring all the unbelievable stuff because the airport scene OOOOOOOOMG. When that dad said "Rebecca?!"
I was sniffly when June was looking up and saw the plane fly overhead. But that scene in the airport started me sobbing and I didn't stop until the episode was over.
I REALLY don't know where they go from here though, at least in Gilead. All those Marthas that helped throw rocks were left behind...I assume they are dead women walking at this point.
I assumed they were dead from the shooting.
and June....I mean can Commander Lawrence actually protect her any more? Obviously they left from his house and can he really claim he had no knowledge?
Well, WE know that they left from the Lawrence house. Do the Guardians, though? I didn't get any sense that they knew.
The thing (one of others mentioned here) that didn’t make sense to me was that they ripped up all of those sheets into strips way before they knew they were going to have to mark off a trail through the woods.
Didn't they say earlier in the day that they'd need a way to mark the trail? I thought the original plan was to walk back and forth with small groups, but the search for the missing child pushed them all to leave earlier and together, making the markers less useful.
I cried in the hangar scene. Poor Luke. But it was nice to see him and Moira and Emily again, even if just for a few minutes.
I am not the least bit surprised that Fred turned on Serena. It's been a long time since he cared about her as anything other than an extension of himself, if he ever did. I still hope he rots.
Very glad to see Rita got out.
I was wondering how many of the children have parents still living that they can be reunited with. I assume some died in the early days of Gilead.
Was that Jeanine who threatened to sue the men caging them at the start of the episode?
What I couldn’t figure out is why they didn’t have a plan to get everyone to the airport in advance of the actual day of Mayday. She didn’t even know how far away the airport was until after everyone was already scheduled to show up at her house! She sure is lucky that there was a walkable path through the woods from her house directly to the airport. And how did they walk the entire way there to mark the path, and then back again, and then back to the airport one more time all within the span of one early evening? I had to suspend a lot of disbelief with this episode.
She had a plan. Commander Lawrence had arranged a van and a meeting to move security away. Then when the Martha showed up early it triggered alarm bells and Lawrence reneged on his part of the plan.
They said it was 5 miles by road, way shorter on foot, to the airport. So that didn’t seem far fetched to me. Average walking pace is 3.5-4 miles per hour, so if it’s knly like 2.5-3 miles the timeline actually does make sense.
There's no way a bunch of scared kids in the woods in the dark can walk 3.5 mph, but still they'd have had a couple of miles from dark until midnight for the plane to take off. (I can barely walk 4 mph sustained on pavement; anything faster I have to break into a slow jog.)
Post by karinothing on Aug 15, 2019 5:19:39 GMT -5
I want to know how they picked the kids. They all seemed fine with escaping but most of those kids dont rememeber another life or world. And surely all of them do not have parents in Canada. They were mostly girls right?
I want to know how they picked the kids. They all seemed fine with escaping but most of those kids dont rememeber another life or world. And surely all of them do not have parents in Canada. They were mostly girls right?
I don’t think they so much picked the kids as the Martha’s were part of the resistance and their charges are the ones who went.
But here’s my theory on this, because this was another area where you had to suspend belief: the majority were girls and slightly older ones at that, which means they were probably mostly from before. Girls are taught to be subservient to their parents and Marthas, right? They can’t be independent, they can’t think for themselves because they ultimately have to submit to a husband. So it’s somewhat believable to me that they just followed direction and did what they were supposed to because that’s what they’ve been taught.
As with Rebecca, it’s clear they still have their own ideas and personalities. She knew enough about before to recognize that it was a totally different place. And so while I’m sure she and the others were scared, maybe there was enough of that in the background for them to trust their Marthas.
leeba25 - I wonder if they drew the line there because Serena ordered Nick to impregnate June on her own accord, without Fred's knowledge? They could say she wasn't under duress at that time, because Fred wasn't present, possibly?
TR - I thought the same thing! They had planned to take a truck (or trucks?) to the plane, so why would they need markers?? Maybe the markers were originally going to line the trail to Lawrence's house, so the Martha's could find their way safely in the dark?
ETA - I need to learn to refresh before I respond lol. I agree with TR and @onegirlinalltheworld about why Serena was arrested.
So... basically she was arrested, technically, for raping Nick. JFC. When it was going down, I thought it had to be the inducing pregnancy rape ... I’m sure a lot of viewers were thinking of that one - it was so brutal and unnecessary and absolutely awful. And 100% Serena’s idea ...not to mention, not even a little bit a “religious ritual,” by the way. But of course, Fred wouldn’t bring that up to get Serena in trouble, of course it would be the thing that didn’t involve him.
She had a plan. Commander Lawrence had arranged a van and a meeting to move security away. Then when the Martha showed up early it triggered alarm bells and Lawrence reneged on his part of the plan.
They said it was 5 miles by road, way shorter on foot, to the airport. So that didn’t seem far fetched to me. Average walking pace is 3.5-4 miles per hour, so if it’s knly like 2.5-3 miles the timeline actually does make sense.
There's no way a bunch of scared kids in the woods in the dark can walk 3.5 mph, but still they'd have had a couple of miles from dark until midnight for the plane to take off. (I can barely walk 4 mph sustained on pavement; anything faster I have to break into a slow jog.)
The kids can’t, but the adults could. I was referring to the way they managed to get the trail marked and get back. The walk with the kids likely took a few hours.
The thing (one of others mentioned here) that didn’t make sense to me was that they ripped up all of those sheets into strips way before they knew they were going to have to mark off a trail through the woods.
I figured it was for June. She was never going to get on the plane so she'd have to find her way back somehow.
Post by CallingAllAngels on Aug 15, 2019 7:53:48 GMT -5
Did Fred get the idea to use the Nick/June rape against Serena from Luke’s book? Obviously the Americans/Canadians need proof beyond Fred’s word and if Fred knows Luke knows and has June’s testimony via tape...
Did Fred get the idea to use the Nick/June rape against Serena from Luke’s book? Obviously the Americans/Canadians need proof beyond Fred’s word and if Fred knows Luke knows and has June’s testimony via tape...
June's tape says the baby was conceived out of love, and wouldn't support Fred's accusation against Serena.
I very rarely cry at TV or movies, but I shed some tears last night. When Rebecca was reunited with her dad - that was it for me.
I assumed that June's "how far away is the airport?" question was party for the sake of the viewers, lol. I can't imagine she would have no idea, but somehow they had to tell us
I also assume the handmaids/marthas didn't get on the plane because it's a cargo plane that only could carry limited weight. Adding all those adults might have made it hard for it to fly safely. I don't know enough about planes to know if this is true, though. I have no idea what comes next for anyone who remained there. I imagine they all go up on the wall? Although that would be tough for the sake of a TV show featuring those people. So I kind of doubt that will be the actual outcome. I mean, in reality, what would even happen to June? She will need medical care. Would they offer it to her?
Despite all that, I thought it was a great episode. The opening scene was confusing but heartbreaking. It's crazy that this show is being made at the same time our country is doing so many terrible things. I think the show was filmed before Trump was even elected, though I imagine much of the later stuff wasn't written yet so maybe they've made it more relevant to current events than they originally thought they would have to. It's such an unsettling show as a result.
Post by sparkythelawyer on Aug 15, 2019 9:23:17 GMT -5
Yeah, yeah, yeah. We have to suspend a bunch of logic.
BUT COME ON. BLESSED BE THE FREAKING MARTHAS.
The season was, yes, definitely the showrunners trying desperately to remind us that June is "The hero of the story." But it always was, and always is, the freaking Marthas that show up in a pinch to save the day. The Marthas who helped toss the rocks, get the kids there, etc. It is always the Marthas.
I think that the finale actually gave the show a meaningful chance for a re-boot BECAUSE of the questions left unanswered like, Does June survive, what happens to Lawrence, all the Marthas, etc. Those commander families who had the children taken from their homes also have culpability in Gilead. And Canada will (or should) blast the news of the "Freed Children of Gilead" to the universe, so Gilead may be somewhat limited in what they even CAN do, lest they lose what little international street cred they had.
I have half a hunch June DOES get out towards the end of 4, but is so far gone she can't adjust to it at all and plots to go back.
Late to the party - just watched the last episode last night.
most of my observations were already made in this thread except this:
I love June's comments at the end of the episode where she speaks of leading God's people into the land of milk and honey. Those not familiar with the Bible, this references the Israelites being led into Canaan after wandering the desert when they fled from Egypt.
You can't miss how close in spelling Canaan is to Canada. Only off by 1 letter and 1 placement... Too literal? I dunno - it made me smile to think of it last night.
I also ignored some of the obvious questions- why not just shoot him, why didn’t the Martha’s get on the plane, what’s the deal with the ripped sheets and they better take them off on their way through so no one follows them! Also why doesn’t Gilead have more cameras? The Handmaids and Martha’s get away with a lot of communication when they are out and about.
Anyway, IGNORED because I ugly cried tonight.
The group of children who were silent when they needed to be, the women reassuring them desperately, Rita carrying the baby, and the hangar? Oh god. Luke’s tears. Emily! Moira’s voice cracking when she greeted them.
One thing though did anyone catch that the man who cried out his daughters name and hugged her was also the guard at the beginning of the episode who told June to shhh when she asked him to help her find her daughter? There was something about that interaction that I picked up that was significant so it stayed with me.
I wonder if he was forced to be a guard. I feel like maybe we will see more guard stories in the next season, to explain how Gilead pulled off this level of evil.
One thing though did anyone catch that the man who cried out his daughters name and hugged her was also the guard at the beginning of the episode who told June to shhh when she asked him to help her find her daughter? There was something about that interaction that I picked up that was significant so it stayed with me.
I wonder if he was forced to be a guard. I feel like maybe we will see more guard stories in the next season, to explain how Gilead pulled off this level of evil.
Good catch! I wonder if we'll get some backstory on that.
One thing though did anyone catch that the man who cried out his daughters name and hugged her was also the guard at the beginning of the episode who told June to shhh when she asked him to help her find her daughter? There was something about that interaction that I picked up that was significant so it stayed with me.
I wonder if he was forced to be a guard. I feel like maybe we will see more guard stories in the next season, to explain how Gilead pulled off this level of evil.
Good catch! I wonder if we'll get some backstory on that.
Ahhh when I watched again I was wondering if he was the guard that she shot at the end- but he was kind of faceless. I actually thought maybe that was the significance of the focus on the one guard in the beginning - kind of mirroring how anyone could become ruthless- it wasn’t even about who you were before anymore. That is an excellent catch- I stopped watching for the significance by the time the plane landed. I would also like to see more of that kind of story.
One thing though did anyone catch that the man who cried out his daughters name and hugged her was also the guard at the beginning of the episode who told June to shhh when she asked him to help her find her daughter? There was something about that interaction that I picked up that was significant so it stayed with me.
I wonder if he was forced to be a guard. I feel like maybe we will see more guard stories in the next season, to explain how Gilead pulled off this level of evil.
Good catch! I wonder if we'll get some backstory on that.
I was talking with a colleague about that - why did they show him? But i didn’t connect him to the dad at the end!
I also ignored some of the obvious questions- why not just shoot him, why didn’t the Martha’s get on the plane, what’s the deal with the ripped sheets and they better take them off on their way through so no one follows them! Also why doesn’t Gilead have more cameras? The Handmaids and Martha’s get away with a lot of communication when they are out and about.
Anyway, IGNORED because I ugly cried tonight.
The group of children who were silent when they needed to be, the women reassuring them desperately, Rita carrying the baby, and the hangar? Oh god. Luke’s tears. Emily! Moira’s voice cracking when she greeted them.
One thing though did anyone catch that the man who cried out his daughters name and hugged her was also the guard at the beginning of the episode who told June to shhh when she asked him to help her find her daughter? There was something about that interaction that I picked up that was significant so it stayed with me. I wonder if he was forced to be a guard. I feel like maybe we will see more guard stories in the next season, to explain how Gilead pulled off this level of evil.
I bet this is how we see more of Nick next season. Maybe Nick has a network of guards who were military and coerced into supporting Gillead in the beginning but who have built their own network of resistance on their own. Maybe he will come back from Chicago and be faced with living his safe existence or doing the right thing... could get interesting!
I cried in the hangar scene. Poor Luke. But it was nice to see him and Moira and Emily again, even if just for a few minutes.
I am not the least bit surprised that Fred turned on Serena. It's been a long time since he cared about her as anything other than an extension of himself, if he ever did. I still hope he rots.
Very glad to see Rita got out.
I was wondering how many of the children have parents still living that they can be reunited with. I assume some died in the early days of Gilead.
Was that Jeanine who threatened to sue the men caging them at the start of the episode?
I cried in the hangar scene. Poor Luke. But it was nice to see him and Moira and Emily again, even if just for a few minutes.
I am not the least bit surprised that Fred turned on Serena. It's been a long time since he cared about her as anything other than an extension of himself, if he ever did. I still hope he rots.
Very glad to see Rita got out.
I was wondering how many of the children have parents still living that they can be reunited with. I assume some died in the early days of Gilead.
Was that Jeanine who threatened to sue the men caging them at the start of the episode?
Brianna!
Brianna was on the far side of the corral before June talked to the guard, but aurora it was Jeanine in the cattle truck shouting about suing the guards, that June reached out to steady when the truck moved.
“With sorrow—for this Court, but more, for the many millions of American women who have today lost a fundamental constitutional protection—we dissent,”
I just assumed the Marthas didn’t get on the plane because they ran back to help June. And I’m assuming she didn’t try to shoot him because she’s not an expert shot and she had a hand gun vs. an automatic rifle. She also needed to cause a somewhat lengthy distraction to give the remaining Marthas and kids enough time to run around the fence and onto the plane.
I can definitely see a group of women sacrificing themselves for the greater good (kids) especially if those kids were in their care for an extended period of time. They mostly likely assumed they’d never themselves get out of Gilead but if they could do whatever was in their power to get their kids out then they would. I bet many didn’t actually plan on getting on the plane. Their goal was just to get their kid to the plane and to a better future.