The Handmaid's Tale: First Blood (2x06)

This show. Oh my God.

Cons:

I'm starting to think that I'm supposed to root for June and Nick as a couple, within the context of the narrative, and... I don't. I feel great sympathy for them both and their terrible situation, but I don't see them as particularly romantically compatible. I'm still waiting for June and Luke to be able to reunite, honestly.

Pros:

Let's start with Eden and Nick. The girl is FIFTEEN YEARS OLD. This is beyond disturbing. The sex scene between them was one of the most painful things I've ever had to watch. Thankfully it was brief. Think about how twisted this situation is. Nick has been given a wife against his will, and this wife is a literal child. She insists that they have sex, as it is their duty to God to conceive children. And Eden confides to June that she's worried Nick might be a "gender traitor," so June has to tell Nick that he needs to do his "duty" as her husband, or Eden will start making trouble. This is so sick, so twisted, so revolting. I love how this show can twist everything up so you feel as trapped as the characters themselves. What other option do they have, honestly?

The flashbacks gave us further insight into the messed up power and gender dynamics going on between Fred and Serena Waterford. Let me tell ya. This is some twisted stuff. Serena is out promoting her political views about a woman's place, and their biological destiny. Let's just say, the reception is not great. She gets yelled at and called a Nazi at a college campus, and as she continues to try and speak, a shooter attacks her and her entourage, injuring her badly. The irony in these scenes is so strong and so twisty. You've got Fred insisting that Serena has the right to speak - "this is America!" and you've got college kids screaming for her to "go home." Serena Joy is this incredibly privileged, educated, beautiful white woman, trying to explain that women need to remain in the home and bear children for the good of humanity. But it gets twisted when you think about the fact that we know Gilead has the best rate of successful childbirth left. Serena's views are repugnant, and we're seeing the world play out the way she asked for it. But there are results.

Flash forward to the present, and we see Serena and June continue their strange, convoluted relationship. Serena spends much of the episode being kind to June, after June's pregnancy scare. She lets her get away with skipping her smoothie, lets her sleep downstairs so she doesn't have to handle the stairs, and even invites over some other Handmaids to keep June company as she convalesces. Her kindness seems oddly genuine. Throughout the episode, June takes little liberties, seemingly testing the water. Serena doesn't protest as June reminisces about the past, makes her own decisions about food, etc. But then, June pushes her luck, asking to see Hannah, and Serena shuts her out again. The power dynamic between them is so messed up. Serena wanted... what? A friendship with June? True companionship? She has to know that would be impossible. There's a moment where the Handmaids reminisce about life before Gilead, trying to remember the name of a specific restaurant. Serena remembers the name, and remarks that maybe they were there at the same time and didn't know it. Right there, the absurdity of this situation is highlighted. The arbitrary stratification of the castes, the truly horrific civility of Serena trying to be nice to June, as if she's not effectively her slave-owner. Yikes.

We haven't seen a ton of the Commander this season, but in this episode we see him opening up a new center for processing Handmaids. We also see him attempt to re-start his dalliance with June. Again, the power dynamic fascinates me. As long as June is pregnant, she gets certain privileges and allowances. But she can never forget that her safety is tied inextricably to the life within her. The moment that protection is gone... yikes. You've got Nick on one hand, saying that he loves June and thinks about "the three of them" being together. And then Fred is trying to sleep with June, and June is only able to stall him by claiming she's worried about the baby. There's also the fact that we're all pretty sure Nick is the father. Does Fred know that? Probably.

Of course, we should end with the ending. Suicide bomber Handmaid blows up a building with a bunch of old white guys inside! I read that when Margaret Atwood wrote The Handmaid's Tale, her one rule for herself was that she wasn't going to include any element that humans hadn't already done to each other throughout history. And in making the TV-show, the same rules apply. Of course I don't condone violence, but within the structure of this narrative, it was incredibly satisfying to see Ofglen (the new one) decide to take out her oppressors in one final act of defiance. We'll have to see how effective she was. She certainly ruined their brand new expensive building - is Commander Waterford okay? Would I care if he wasn't? The answer to that question is no.

Damn, this show has got me good. It's pretty much just brilliant in every way.

9.5/10