Who watched The Handmaid's Tale? Thoughts?

[mominatrix]

I'm sure there will be **spoilers**, especially if you haven't read the book.

[taratru]

I did. I almost didn't make it through the opening scene. I like it so far. I think they've done a good job capturing some of the nuances of the society. DH wants to watch too, but I told him he had to read it first. #englishteacher4lyfe

[Tacocat]

I watched all 3 episodes last night. I haven't read the book, but I plan to now. I think they have done a very good job of laying out the story so far.

[mominatrix]

I was up until almost 2 a.m. because I just.kept.watching.


I thought it was excellently done.



There's so much I don't remember from the book, and I don't know if that's because it's been forever since I read it or if it's new material.

IMHO, it's kind of great, because I remember the book enough to remember the broad strokes of it (and a few scenes that stuck out in my mind) but I don't remember everything that happened to everybody.

[heyjude]

Apr 27, 2017 10:46:30 GMT -5 taratru said:

I did. I almost didn't make it through the opening scene. I like it so far. I think they've done a good job capturing some of the nuances of the society. DH wants to watch too, but I told him he had to read it first. #englishteacher4lyfe

What?! Men should be encouraged to watch this!!

[taratru]

Apr 27, 2017 10:52:05 GMT -5 heyjude said:

Apr 27, 2017 10:46:30 GMT -5 taratru said:

I did. I almost didn't make it through the opening scene. I like it so far. I think they've done a good job capturing some of the nuances of the society. DH wants to watch too, but I told him he had to read it first. #englishteacher4lyfe

What?! Men should be encouraged to watch this!!

I meant it as a joke.  

[redheadbaker]

H and I watched the first episode last night. I knew it would be disturbing, but I thought it was very well done.

[berrysweet]

I'm only through episode one, but so far I think they've done a really good job capturing the spirit of the books. I'm with mominatrix though--it's been a few years since my last read through, so the show is not competing with the specifics of the book for me.

[sushi]

Read it multiple times but had forgotten details so I don't know what's new and what I just forgot.

I'm really enjoying it so far. Like the little modern updates. Things like just mentioning gay marriage or tinder. I don't know if gays were mentioned in 1985 but I'm damn sure tinder wasn't. Minor lines but they keep it current.

I love offred's portrayal with the voice-over cursing. "Fuck" is deployed daily with regularity. (In my life)

The music makes it eerier than the book, in a good way.

I rarely think film adaptations are good let alone better (hp was a rare exception). I think this one might work.

[mominatrix]

I have to say there's only one thing I wish they didn't do.


I don't want her to have a name. IMHO, it was so powerful in the book that she didn't; everybody around her did, but she was nameless. She could, therefore, be anybody, or everybody.





And one thing I wish they did: when is she going to start looking in her room and find the message in the closet? If I remember correctly, it was kind of a thing in the book that she explored her room in great detail, painstakingly slowly, to keep herself from going nuts. So far, all she does is sit there.

[sushi]

Apr 27, 2017 11:28:23 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

the only minor thing i didnt like was they gave offred a name. i am fairly certain in the book, that was never the case so they could never confirm her existence or that of luke and hannah.

I wondered if I just forgot those details. But June sounded familiar. Am I going to have to finally unpack the last of my boxes of book and read simultaneously?

[taratru]

She doesn't have a name in the book.

eta:  She *has* a name, she never reveals it. 

[mominatrix]

Apr 27, 2017 11:28:23 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

the only minor thing i didnt like was they gave offred a name. i am fairly certain in the book, that was never the case so they could never confirm her existence or that of luke and hannah.

Jinx!



Although, I love that they made Luke AA.  

[taratru]

Apr 27, 2017 11:32:40 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

Apr 27, 2017 11:30:01 GMT -5 mominatrix said:

I have to say there's only one thing I wish they didn't do.


I don't want her to have a name. IMHO, it was so powerful in the book that she didn't; everybody around her did, but she was nameless. She could, therefore, be anybody, or everybody.





And one thing I wish they did: when is she going to start looking in her room and find the message in the closet? If I remember correctly, it was kind of a thing in the book that she explored her room in great detail, painstakingly slowly, to keep herself from going nuts. So far, all she does is sit there.

she hasnt talked about staring at the ceiling where the chandelier used to be, knowing the girl before her hung herself from there.

she has to find the message. that was a huge plot point. i saw the scene where she passes out in the closet and rita finds her and drops the tray. that was in the season preview.

eta: so i can see it showing her finding it then and not so much in the start

She does mention hanging from chandeliers in the opening voice over though, which I thought was clever. 

[mominatrix]

Apr 27, 2017 11:35:05 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

Apr 27, 2017 11:33:03 GMT -5 mominatrix said:

Jinx!



Although, I love that they made Luke AA.  

i do like the diversity but i feel like the power structure of gilead might be a little white supremacy


has anyone else finished episode 3? i want to talk about what they did to ofglen 

::shivers::

That's one of the parts that I don't clearly remember from the book, but that TOTALLY fits in.



Is there any doubt or confusion about what they did to her?

[taratru]

Apr 27, 2017 11:35:05 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

Apr 27, 2017 11:33:03 GMT -5 mominatrix said:

Jinx!



Although, I love that they made Luke AA.  

i do like the diversity but i feel like the power structure of gilead might be a little white supremacy


has anyone else finished episode 3? i want to talk about what they did to ofglen 

No.  I made myself stop so that a) I could get up today and b) I don't get too far ahead of DH, who was watching his show last night. 

[smock]

In the book, it hints at Offred's name when she exchanges names with the other Handmaids-in-training during their indoctrination.

"She and the other Handmaids-to-be 'exchanged names from bed to bed: Alma. Janine. Dolores. Moira. June.' All of the other names show up as characters in the book, leading to the speculation that June is Offred’s true identity."

For more "what did they change," this rundown is really useful (and spoiler-y): www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2017/04/27/the_handmaid_s_tale_the_biggest_changes_from_book_to_tv.html

[StrawberryBlondie]

Apr 27, 2017 11:28:23 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

i watched it all. i cried more than i thought i would.

i like it so far. i like showing the collapse in more detail in the book. the scene in the hospital after offred gave birth to hannah was creepy as fuck.

i loved the line about one eye, batshit crazy ofwarren. and i like the realness of the nursing scene with her baby. that made me teary.

i liked the music choices as well.

i really wish they would have dropped the entire series b/c i would just run through all of it but i am happy.

the only minor thing i didnt like was they gave offred a name. i am fairly certain in the book, that was never the case so they could never confirm her existence or that of luke and hannah.

She had a name in the book.

It wasn't explicitly said, but you can infer that it's June.

[mominatrix]

Apr 27, 2017 11:35:05 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

Apr 27, 2017 11:33:03 GMT -5 mominatrix said:

Jinx!



Although, I love that they made Luke AA.  

i do like the diversity but i feel like the power structure of gilead might be a little white supremacy


has anyone else finished episode 3? i want to talk about what they did to ofglen 

In the book, the power structure of Gilead is TOTALLY white supremacy; there's an implication that all the Black and Brown people were just- removed.  Except maybe the Marthas, who may well have been predominantly Latina.

I totally get why they did it differently; the diversity of the casting is inspired. And if the birth issues are as bad as they make them out to be, they'd get over their racism and take on Black handmaids right quick.

[sushi]

Apr 27, 2017 11:35:05 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

Apr 27, 2017 11:33:03 GMT -5 mominatrix said:

Jinx!



Although, I love that they made Luke AA.  

i do like the diversity but i feel like the power structure of gilead might be a little white supremacy


has anyone else finished episode 3? i want to talk about what they did to ofglen 

I have. I've also read that they intentionally, with input from the author, slightly altered her story. I don't know if any spoilers belong here so I'll leave it at that

[mominatrix]

Apr 27, 2017 11:39:18 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

Apr 27, 2017 11:36:19 GMT -5 mominatrix said:

::shivers::

That's one of the parts that I don't clearly remember from the book, but that TOTALLY fits in.



Is there any doubt or confusion about what they did to her?

it's just too brutal to comprehend. 

and it was not in the book. i reread it a month back and it wasn't in it. neither was the part about her being engaged to a martha and that martha being killed.

also i cannot wait to see the toxic waste dump. the visual is horrific and they seemed to be highlighting it in all their PR

see, this is fascinating to me.

the way I saw it, the Martha wasn't the woman she was previously engaged to. She was just... a Martha. She and the Martha had a bit of a thing, a flirtation, a whatever... and that was enough to have them prosecuted.

[mominatrix]

Read this re: diverse casting!
thinkprogress.org/making-dystopia-diverse-how-hulus-the-handmaid-s-tale-updates-the-classic-3e3f9f23401

[sushi]

Apr 27, 2017 11:54:38 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

oh! i forgot.

i wanted to smack the everloving shit out of the wife when ofwarren was giving birth. all that fake ass shit. i dont remember that in the book. i remember her sitting on the birth chair with ofwarren but not all that fake labor shit. the wives just got drunk and ate all day. the handmaids got drunk too but didnt get to eat.

and as much as i hate ofwarren, the scene with the other handmaids comforting her really made me cry

I don't see it as totally fake. I've attended multiple births and it almost makes you feel in tune with the woman. So I can imagine much more if it's "your" by law child you'd feel it like that.

Horrible and insulting but quite possibly very realistic.

[barcelonagirl]

Apr 27, 2017 11:45:14 GMT -5 mominatrix said:

Apr 27, 2017 11:39:18 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

it's just too brutal to comprehend. 

and it was not in the book. i reread it a month back and it wasn't in it. neither was the part about her being engaged to a martha and that martha being killed.

also i cannot wait to see the toxic waste dump. the visual is horrific and they seemed to be highlighting it in all their PR

see, this is fascinating to me.

the way I saw it, the Martha wasn't the woman she was previously engaged to. She was just... a Martha. She and the Martha had a bit of a thing, a flirtation, a whatever... and that was enough to have them prosecuted.

No. I think I remember Rory saying they had a son together. Married maybe?

She'll always be Rory to me but she's kicking ass in this role.

[hopecounts]

Apr 27, 2017 11:32:32 GMT -5 taratru said:

She doesn't have a name in the book.

eta:  She *has* a name, she never reveals it. 

You can figure it out via elimination.
When the girls name themselves in the center only one name isn't eventually tied to a character, so it is assumed to be Offred

[sushi]

Oh she's always rory.

I read this as she had 2 different relationships. 1 in her former life and 1 with a Martha in current life

[mominatrix]

Apr 27, 2017 12:06:57 GMT -5 barcelonagirl said:

Apr 27, 2017 11:45:14 GMT -5 mominatrix said:

see, this is fascinating to me.

the way I saw it, the Martha wasn't the woman she was previously engaged to. She was just... a Martha. She and the Martha had a bit of a thing, a flirtation, a whatever... and that was enough to have them prosecuted.

No. I think I remember Rory saying they had a son together. Married maybe?

She'll always be Rory to me but she's kicking ass in this role.

her wife and son made it out to Canada, I thought, because they had Canadian passports.

no?

[Tacocat]

Apr 27, 2017 12:18:36 GMT -5 sushi said:

Oh she's always rory.

I read this as she had 2 different relationships. 1 in her former life and 1 with a Martha in current life

This is what I thought too.

[taratru]

Apr 27, 2017 12:15:31 GMT -5 hopecounts said:

Apr 27, 2017 11:32:32 GMT -5 taratru said:

She doesn't have a name in the book.

eta:  She *has* a name, she never reveals it. 

You can figure it out via elimination.
When the girls name themselves in the center only one name isn't eventually tied to a character, so it is assumed to be Offred

I know.  I just always found it significant that she never reveals it herself. 

[VillainV]

Apr 27, 2017 12:35:28 GMT -5 taratru said:

Apr 27, 2017 12:15:31 GMT -5 hopecounts said:

You can figure it out via elimination.
When the girls name themselves in the center only one name isn't eventually tied to a character, so it is assumed to be Offred

I know.  I just always found it significant that she never reveals it herself. 

This. And in the epilogue of the book they make a big deal about not knowing what her name is.