The Handmaids Tale
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Mayday, Gileads resistance, has kept June at a distance for two straight seasons now.
This left viewers peering in from the outside, too.
What do we know about them?
Theyre shadow-dwellers out of necessity, but theyre effective.
Theyre composed of Marthas, handmaids (like Ofrobert), Guardians, and possibly even higher-ranking Gileadeans.
Oh, and June is essentially now one of them.
As the product of a marching, yelling, organizing feminist, June has always been a fighter.
She was once reluctant to attract the attention of the execution-happy Commanders (and who can blame her?
Ofrobert makes this clear in their whispered conversation among the canned tomatoes.
So when an opportunity lands in Junes lap to ingratiate herself with the Marthas, she jumps at it.
Hes been swayed into freeing Emily, sure.
But why does he allow June and the Marthas to essentially operate an Underground Railroad out of his basement?
Junes hug is a small touch of solidarity.)
Meanwhile, up in Canada, Luke and Emilys story lines both simmer.
For both, normalcy feels out of reach, even if theyre safely ensconced in Little America.
And neither has (understandably) dealt with the emotional trauma that plagues them.
For Luke, this manifests in his refusal to bond with Junes baby.
I mean, could you?
His snap at Emily, then, is rude but understandable.
Her family is just waiting to be reunited.
His is still a war or an escape away.
The banality of Emilys high cholesterol is a perfectly drawn detail.
But the reality of trauma is more complicated.
How will Emily explain the intervening years?
How will she stand to hear about Sylvias relatively carefree life?
Will her son even recognize her?
We dont hear their conversation, and we dont need to.
The ripple effect of Sylvias stopped car how it sends horns honking in every direction is enough.
