The Handmaid’s Tale season 2 starts with the writers’ creations as the book ends with season 1. Season 2 begins with all the remaining handmaids going to the gallows for punishment because they refused to stone Janine at the end of season 1 and they went against Aunt Lydia’s orders. What a way to begin a show, by alluding to the death of multiple main characters. *SPOILER ALERT* They don’t die and it is just a threat, but this is just the beginning of tricks for the audience.
This season is much more about the unknown than the first season, which makes is more confusing. It is also centered around Offred’s pregnancy, which makes her safer to the violence. This makes one scene particularly surprising and that is of her rape when she is at least 8 months pregnant. Serena is upset that Offred goes into false labor and thinks the commander having sex with her will naturally allow the baby to arrive sooner. However, the scene is a tough one to watch, like most of the rape scenes are, but she’s pregnant this time. The fear is palpable. Offred is screaming for him to stop and Fred is not gentle. It makes you wonder if the baby will be alright afterward and if they plan on that being a regular occurrence until she gives birth.
My favorite episode was a tie between episode 5: Seeds and episode 6: First Blood. Offred/June was either pretending to be, or actually felt, broken down. She seems to play along with all the customs. She ignores Nick, and even gets on Serena’s nerves with her obedience and change in personality. However, in the end, we see that she’s not gone. With the bleeding, she likely thought she had lost the baby and felt like giving up because of that. Once she realizes the baby is still alive, she states that she refuses to allow the baby to be brought up there and we can see that she’s her old, defiant self again. These episodes were so powerful because we don’t know exactly what is going on. Well, that is the theme with all of season 2. Regarding these two episodes, however, we don’t know what is going on with June’s mind (which is rare) or the health of her baby. Nick continues to care for her and ultimately saves her and likely the baby too. Ending the episode with a defiant line is typical of the show and June’s character, but it is really fitting this time and strongly placed: “I will not let you grow up in this place.”
My least favorite part of the season is the last episode, episode 10: The Last Ceremony. I know I’m quite alone in this opinion, but I just adore happy endings! *SPOILER ALERT* It doesn’t end with the birth of the baby or June and Nick escaping in a romantic escapade. After seeing Hannah, her daughter, for the first time since they were both taken, she experiences another overwhelming scenario here. She is overjoyed to see her again but she cannot save her, once again. This scene made me question the Commander’s true motives behind planning this visit and if it was a good idea. Then we are immediately hit with another wammy of a twist, which I won’t give away but it leaves us totally lost and helpless. Don’t get me wrong, this is a wonderful episode and it follows the theme of leaving us on our seats with the unexpected, but it feels like I got KOed after being punched in the gut. I can’t handle all that DRAMA!
My favorite character this season was Moira. Although she wasn’t in many episodes this season, her character was still a strong one that resonated in my memory. There is an episode this season where she discovers the page about the death of her girlfriend. It is an intensely sad moment, but it is paired with her continued fight against Gilead’s regime. I really admire how strong her character is. She even walks up to the commander’s car and stares him right in the eyes. She is fearless.
I would give this season an 8 due to all the confusion of what is going to happen and what characters are thinking. This trope makes for a great show and a captivating position for the audience, but it felt like it occurred too often this season. I continued to thoroughly enjoy the cinematography of the series. The beauty of all the landscapes and how scenes are shot remains majestic. Even the rough scenes are beautifully planned. We continue to have close up shots on characters to illustrate the emotions they are feeling and to convey this without dialogue. This creates intimate and purely emotional scenes. There are no weak actors in this show and the writers even made Serena’s character a relatable one this season! Fantastic writing job.
