The Handmaid's Tale on Hulu

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

I still love this show. I do think there are plot holes but honestly season 1 had some as well (though not nearly as many and they were more questions that I personally am curious about). I think every celebrated TV show has holes in the writing, so compared to everything else I watched, The Handmaid's Tale is still my top drama. For all the criticisms, I think what it does well it does so well that it overpowers the negatives tenfold. I do think season 3 needs to take on a different tone or have much more plot only because three years of this pondering tone is a bit much. I love the tone in many films and in the first season and even this season, but people will stop watching if it's more of the same with false starts, June not being able to do much, etc. I mean I think that's honestly the most REALISTIC approach but it may not be the most television-friendly one.

[adamgreer]

I agree that we need to see more than just “June is in a bad place.” We’ve gotten two seasons of that, and it’s starting to feel a little stale.

SPOILERS AHEAD:

My issues with the current set up of the show is that they’ve sort of written themselves into a corner with that finale. There’s a LOT that will need to be addressed right from the get go in season 3. What’s going to happen when Serena’s role in the escape of Nicole is discovered? How will they explain away the missing baby, but June is still there? What consequences will Nick face? Will the Martha’s be discovered? What happens to Joseph, one of the architects of Gilead, who helped a Handmaid’s escape? How does the stabbing affect dear old Aunt Lydia?

The plotting in the finale, while intense, often comes from nowhere. Joseph is an interesting character that I wish had been introduced sooner. Why is one of the architects of Gilead now having doubts, to the extent that he aids in one’s escape?

Speaking of the escape, this little Underground Railroad that the Martha’s run also came out of nowhere. This was something that required some planning- why was this never addressed before? It surely wasn’t a spontaneous act.

My problems with the writing do not extend to the acting, however. It’s always top notch. Moss, of course, is wonderful. She’ll get the lions share of the acclaim, but her co-stars are equally wonderful. I would argue that Yvonne Strahovski deserves the Emmy more than Moss this season- her work, especially in the finale, where she communicated so much without saying a word, was simply brilliant. I’d love to see her win this year.

[SonofRobbieJ]

SPOILERS

I think what we have witnessed for the first time and what very likely may have been a factor in June staying in Gilead is that there is obviously a much larger resistance than we previously knew extending to all levels of power.  The Marthas are coordinated, Nick, as an Eye, obviously was a major part of putting this together, as was Finance Minister.  This has to be what they're setting up for season 3.  Why on earth would you cast Emmy-winner and Silver Daddy of 2018 Bradley Whitford for just two episodes.  

One thing that has me intrigued is the original epilogue of the book and, to a certain extent, the narration of the series.  The Handmaid's Tale is based on the audio recollections of an unknown handmaid.  The narration seems to hint that this plot point is being adhered to.  How will this play into the large storytelling moving forward?  How does the June of the series end up being nameless?  As Rita says, she's bad-ass.  

[Auggie27]

I'm in the minority, but I've been besotted with the 2nd season. To me, it's a ratcheted up, even high-stakes story and the expanded canvas has been stunningly realized.  Of course holes self-present. The dystopia Atwood created arrives with many questions (you could spend hours parsing how the economy works, i.e, the Fruit Loops make it to Canada, but did Kellogg's move there? Once you start...)  The show reminds me of "The Leftovers," in that a set of new sensibilities took a brilliant construct and while honoring it deepened and widened its canvas.  I forgive any of the lapses, because the moment to moment nuances are breathtakingly complex, and the society portrayed so brilliantly realized (Episode 3, with the Muslim econofamily forced to hide June just took my breath away). So much of it is thoughtfully worked out, so many scenes already have an iconic, culture-and era defining quality, it's just unmissable. Bruce Miller and team have created something that will forever be a marker of these times, but also a stunning piece of narrative storytelling. I'm in awe, and only hope they can sustain.  I suspect they can. 

"Support?" Ha! In high praise of Warhovksy, Bledel, and the simply heart-stopping work of Samira Wiley.