I agree with you. Thus far, The Handmaid's Tale has not sensationalized sexual assault or violence, over over-saturated the screen. It follows Atwood's style to hint at horror but not cheapen the horror with overindulgence. As Allison Shoemaker notes in her review, Atwood's style allows US to fill in the blanks. Great…

A preemptive worry about desensitizing viewers:

I perked up at the June's mother mention, too. It's vital she appears in this series, imho. Where's the inter-generaltional conversations about feminism and activism and protest,. which would add so many layers to this series?

"There is really nothing more to say —-except why. But since why is difficult to handle one must take refuge in how" — Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye , Prologue

Didn't work for me either. Even the note was paint-by-numbers generic: "I love you. Save Hannah". The note didn't even include a coded word which confirms only June wrote it. No endearing nickname for Hannah or June that only Luke knows? No references to a special place in their relationship? eta: June's unique…

Sofia's straight white teeth gleamed through her wide smile and held my attention in throughout this awkward 'meet the "FBI parents' scene.

I vote Jennings on the run. The Americans' makeup and wardrobe wig chest must run deep, the Jennings have to pull out all the stops. Plus, we still haven't seen Paige don a disguise yet.

I'm not one to diagnose or dismiss Elizabeth as emotionless or incapable of empathy. I do struggle often to decipher between when Elizabeth acts humanely because she empathizes, and when Elizabeth acts humanely because this approach achieves her goals faster or more smoothly.

This week, I've considered inserting an episode of Unbreakable Kimmie Schimdt S3 as a palate cleanser between the two shows, because UKS has themes that overlap with the Handmaid's Tale. The shifts in tone are too jarring, however, so I watch UKS and decompress but don't laugh all that hard.

My mind, too, went to hanging, even though Paige didn't appear suicidal this episode, but instead relieved. I blame the my nerves on the weighted given to penultimate and final episodes. Every action in Ep11 evoked associations to previous episodes, or even seasons. Who knows when a dropped storyline or character…

I hope so. I still wait for the forensic sketches of Elizabeth's and Philip's faces taken WAAAAAAYYYY back in S3 Ep1 — the Gaad beatdown — will reappear.

He IS charming. The rapport with his nephew was so gentle and warm, I'd swear charm was a genetic trait in Philip's family My soul hurt to consider that Philip could fit in at that dinner table, more easily than he believes possible. Oh Philip, you could have the familial sense of belonging like you crave.

Might Pasha's slit wrists set off an "out of the pot into the frying pan" scenario?

"You have to wear it until he's gone." 😲

The Today's Special show aired years after my Nickelodeon watching days; so, i was lost for a bit and unclear if Jill's pop culture reference was real, made up, or what.* My ignorance gave me space to wonder about the poignancy of this phrase itself —

Yes. The connection you make to Nora's quandary is most potent. of all.

If I throw out his story, that means I have to throw out mine, too — John Murphy

Should Kevin die and return to the Hotel Afterlife of "International Assassin", it's possible Meg reappears there. Liv Tyler is still credited for a reason.

May I add a shout-out to this episode's co-writers Patrick Somerville and Carla Wray, to your props to the writer and central actress. The review mis-names Somerville as Kevin, honest mistake sure, but I've heard The Leftovers writing room is into collaborating, bouncing ideas of each other, and w/o de-tracting from…

I listened to the lapping water as well, until the entire end credits rolled. The Leftovers does not insert teasers at the close of their credits, like Banshee, but Iistened anyway just in case there were *any* clues at all — a splash in the water, the storm started suddenly.