June and her fellow
defiant Handmaid’s, having refused to stone Janine, are harrowingly led away to
their punishment. They’re muzzled and bound and hounded to a site of apparent
execution
It turns out to be
faked (they’re not going to murder fertile women) but it’s harrowing and deeply
horrifying psychological torture. And it doesn’t end there, hounded by the
hectoring and vileness of Lydia’s false love (and extolling their “freedom”
because they have “freedom from” the threats of the past - like the threats of
the past matched the horrors they endure now) and fervent belief
June continues to
watch Lydia with eyes that burn with hatred - there’s some excellent facial
acting here. Especially as it is revealed June is pregnant and apparently has
some protection against Lydia’s spite. But while June may be safe, her
companions are not - as they continue to be tortured and June watches. And even
pregnant Handmaids can be chained and confined in the dark
Through this as well
we’re reminded that not only is Lydia a sadist, but she is a fervent believer.
When she hears June is pregnant she is moved to tears ringing the bell
announcing it.
Similarly while
Serena is deeply invested in putting June back “in her place”; she’s also moved
to kissing June in gratitude when she sees a sonogram of the baby. Their
fervour only makes their sadism more powerful - because they’re not just evil
people doing evil things because evil; they’re fanatics who genuinely think
they’re doing good things despite the obvious vileness
But there is a way
out - when one of the workers at the hospital June visits calls her by name -
and sneaks her a key. She manages to get out to find that her escape has been
orchestrated by Nick
And can there be a clearer cleansing than her burning her old uniform and carving a tracking chip out of her ear?
This is all undercut
with the past - how Gilead became Gilead. The creeping lack of rights and
freedoms which have become almost normal - like June having to get written
permission from her husband to be prescribed birth control. Or a nurse
repeatedly calling June by husband’s surname despite her protests. And her
being shamed for working when she has a child.
We see this creeping
encroachment of freedom just before the news reports a devastating terrorist
attack against the leadership of the US. And we all know how fear of terrorism
is so often used to push back civil rights.
The sharp brutality
of Handmaid’s Tale is always hard to watch. There’s always a question
when we see this level of anguish and agony as to whether all these scenes
serve a purpose or if we’re delving into torture porn. But I think, unlike,
say, Game of Thrones we have a purpose for the brutality here - the
sheer unrelenting awfulness pounds home a constant stark message especially in
this opening episode of the new season
In particular I think
the sheer awful brutality of Gilead, alongside June’s flashbacks, are
especially powerful. Because if there’s one lesson all marginalised groups,
it’s that rights have to be fought for - not just to gain them but to preserve
them. And there’s also a lot we tend to… let slide. It’s easy for things to
become the new normal - or to have always been normal and to let things go
because you’re afraid or worried or you just don’t have the energy or the time
or the focus to deal with it right now: like June having to correct the nurse
about her name despite already having told her. The stomach turning violence is
juxtapositioned next to the road to that violence - we’re seeing not just the
destination but the road: and while that violence may seem unthinkable to many,
the road is all too believable.
