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http://www.metacritic.com/feature/the-handmaids-tale-season-2-finale-hulu
ReplyCopy URL"I don't even believe in god, but I'm going to thank her tonight."
Anonymous
Another bullshit ep. I never liked June, because they’ve always written her as this super-heroine, snowflake protagonistic figure that I completely despise seeing in a show. Apart from that, she’s been so insolent. I literally can’t. I’m so done with this show. I’ll barf if it wins anything other than Lead Actress, which is expected.
Well, prepare to barf a lot.
ReplyCopy URLThe episode was great until the last 2 minutes, which are really frustrating, but that part was meant to be divisive. You are all jumping and judging like little children, the third season it’s going to be really different, it’s going to be about the revolution in Gilead. Also, it may be frustrating, but it may sense for June to stay for Hannah, that does not make her insolent or selfish, a lot of people here have troubles understanding the show. THT is meant to make you feel angry, sad, frustrated, powerless, helpless, that is what makes it special. The season has been truly exceptional, it is going to win tons of Emmys very deservedly.
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This reply was modified 4 months, 1 week ago by
Ivo Stoyanov.
In terms of tempered viewer/critic responses, I appreciated Todd VanDerWerff’s and Contance Grady’s discussion on Vox. In general, I really like Todd’s style of TV reviews and have followed him since he was at the AV Club. To hear him echo a lot of the viewer sentiments but also interrogate a lot of those knee-jerk reactions makes for a good read and brings up good points about what might be expected in Season 3. On the other hand, I just love Alison Shoemaker of the AV club’s comparison of June to a Jedi.
ReplyCopy URLa lot of people here have troubles understanding the show
And why exactly do you think that you understand it so much better than the others?
Because it is pretty obvious from some of the responses here… Like why Emily stubbed Lydia now and not before… This is perfectly explained in the episode. So are the motives behind every move made by Serena or June.
ReplyCopy URLIt was premature to cry wolf after episode 3 after June was brought back to the Waterfords, but I digress. Still feels good to be validated.
On the bright side, the show can now be added into the Fall From Grace Hall of Infamy, given to seasons of critically acclaimed shows that went off the rails:
Homeland Season 3
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Friday Night Lights Season 2
Empire Season 2
Lost Season 2
How I Met Your Mother Season 5
The Office Seasons 8 + 9
the Good Wife Season 7
Roseanne Season 9
Arrested Development Season 4
*The Handmaid’s Tale Season 2*I think people have been pouncing on this show hoping to see it fail for some questionable reasons, and I think season 2 is better than season 1 in many aspects except for one important thing…DIRECTION of PLOT and PACING. Some of the things that happened in the finale should have been established in previous episodes and there was plenty of time to do so. They could have cut a few scenes of June and someone else just staring into space. Listen I love those types of scenes, I love shows and movies that’s more about establishing atmosphere, trying to make the audience feel what the characters are feeling, and focusing more of characters and the setting. But this one did not have the advantage of following the book’s plot path so it all added up and made sense in the end. This one felt more meandering.
I took some people to task in the past for not understanding character motivations when I felt it was pretty obvious and established. With this finale though, I think the writers really did not pace the development in the way they should. I gave it a lot of thought and I still think Serena having an epiphany about wanting girls to read came out of nowhere. I mean sure if I want to really think about it, I can say the seed was planted with the President of Mexico asked her about women not being able to read the book she wrote and then her trip to Canada and seeing other women…but then Serena’s actions after her trip to Canada was more of the same.
I also don’t get why June was so horrified that Serena got her finger chopped off. What did she expect? June saw tons of horrors from people hung, getting beaten to death, drowned in a pool, whipped, eyeballs taken out, genitally mutilated, etc. If anything, I thought June would have been thinking inside that at least now Serena experienced a bit of what everyone who isn’t privileged enough to be a Commander’s wife is experiencing.
I do think the whole escape plan was a bit nonsensical. First off, it just so happened no guardians were around that giant ass tunnel area? I am not sure how the Marthas were able to pull off that plan and when they planned and why Rita finally decided to help. I mean I know she saw Nick and June together with Holly (her name is effing Holly…eff that Nichole BS) and finally put the pieces together, but there was nothing about Rita that told us she’d be a person who would help June escape especially with such a risky plan. Plus, I get in S1 why June had help escaping since Nick was pulling all kinds of strings, but since that failed in S2, why would anyone help a random Handmaiden now? That’s what I don’t get.
I hope Season 3 follows this finale in a way that redeems this finale because this finale was nothing but extending the show. Aunt Lydia isn’t going to die but she really should. Serena and Commander Waterford will still be in the show even though they really shouldn’t be. I still don’t get Bradley Whitford’s character at all and why he’d help Emily who attempted to murder an Aunt in his home escape…there’s no way he would be able to explain that. I really don’t get his character, and I’ve been seriously trying. I mean I get he was probably the Economics guy who got caught up in the revolution and then became disenfranchised and took on a Martha with one eye (meaning she was punished for insubordination or something) and was willing to take a Handmaiden (and not rape her) that nobody else wanted as a way to redeem himself for his role in creating the colonies but there was very little to establish him as a fully-fleshed character.
That said, unlike a lot of people, I get why she decided to stay for Hannah. The first time she just wanted to escape and was so desperate to flee and it had been so long since she’s seen Hannah. Then this season she actually got to see and talk to Hannah again. She may be foolish and selfish and put people at risk, but she just could not leave without Hannah this time. The conversation between June and Hannah really brought it home that June and Hannah really should not be separated.
ReplyCopy URLI admit I do like the casts’ thoughts about the finale here (there’s a spoiler about season 3 in the article):
Strahovski on Serena sudden taking a stand for women (though she took a stand before):
“Look, I think it’s a beautiful story line,” Strahovski shares. “She’s learning so much as she goes, and I think it’s just, it’s a little too late, though. It’s almost a pathetic move to go stand before the council and do what she does, and it’s, it’s beautiful, but it’s pathetic at the same time.”
I like that quote from Strahovski as it shows she really gets what it’s like watching Serena.
Also Moss’s thoughts:
“I thought it was the only way to go,” Moss tells ET of June’s choice. “You know, it’s surprising. It’s definitely shocking. I think that people are gonna have a hard time with it, for sure, but I think that if you know her, and you know the fight that she sort of has before her, it’ll make sense.”
It seems like she knew ahead of time that the finale will be divisive.
ReplyCopy URLOne little thing I noticed in regards to Bradley Whitford’s character: after Emily is taken out of the house through what seems like the cellar you can hear Bradley’s wife say “Wait, I didn’t get to say goodbye.”
I thought that was an odd thing to say about someone who just tried to kill Lydia in your house assuming she was their friend BUT after the ending I think that little line was to show that Bradley and his wife were always planning to help Emily.
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