I missed that - had I caught that comment at the red centre, I would have thought if stupid. Four years isn't temporary. If my liberty, bodily autonomy and my life were being infringed upon like that, I'd have chosen life as a refugee than subjugation. Plus, Canada is so much better.

Didn't the handmaid with one eye say that she was shipped off to that garbage land or whatever it is?

Got you. That it's one country didn't come across clearly to me. Idk if they'll show it in later episodes, but I hope they show Offred/June's process of realisation, as she seems incredibly passive but for her internal monologue.

Okay, that makes things clearer. It came across as though there's some kind of war and I figured it's like the War of Independence with southern states vs northern sort of divide.

I found it really odd and can't understand why she'd be giggling about getting away with it or the fact that she was able to do something like speak as she wants or play a game when there's a real chance of getting caught next time. That's just me, though.

Canada? Outside Gilead? Europe? It's evident that Gilead doesn't encompass the entire United States, so I don't think it's explained. Four years of an autocracy under a state of emergency and that's meant to be temporary?

What I mean is, the actual state with its guns and military. They don't show the overthrow and presumably, Gilead is in an enclave, so the rest of the country is under the previous administration?

She's a mediocre actress, but her non-verbal acting in the final scene of s3 was better than anything else she's performed combined.

Yeah, the prohibition on handmaid's reading is evident in the first episode. It became clear to me when the handmaid said she didn't watch the news/read it. It was also followed up by knowing Commander Fred has a library, and later by Offred's reaction to entering the library during the scrabble scene.

Lastly, on the episodes themselves, I feel like it's losing some of the sensuousness from the book, such as in the opening page (the only page I've read!).

I've been reading for months about the comparison with Trump and US politics & was intrigued as I haven't read the book. However, this also reminded me another aspect of modern life/culture/society, which is to say the merging of privilege, surrogacy/fertility/reproduction, & and tourism, specifically reproductive…

I sincerely hope she dumps Rose, especially as Yara has signed on as a main cast member now, which should hopefully bring some solid storylines to craft her into a fuller character. Hate Rose.

I actually prefer this. I'd be perfectly content with watching Olivia Pope build her lobbying business and gaining power.

I really dislike Rose Leslie as Maia. She has a constipation face on her ALL the time and the mid-sentence breaks is annoying. It's like she's discovered the wheel but doesn't quite get why and how it turns.

"That's not how that works" is absolutely contrary to how announcing a pregnancy before the first trimester just isn't done, let alone when first discovering the pregnancy. Sure, when the first scan is due, but otherwise, generally not. The idea that a couple may be trying and one may or both may have fertility issues…

Re: Cece and Schmidt's 'didn't feel earned' bit being jarring - it wasn't for me, because couples rarely ever do announce it. Whether inadvertently or otherwise, I like that New Girl kept true to that.

Agree - but I don't think another series means messing with their happiness etc. and I don't want them to. It would feel disingenuous now because it's clearly followed the 'everything works out amazing' trope.

I really enjoyed this. Really pleased too with the direction (female director & writer duo!), but I thought the writing was a bit clumsy in parts (the driver, the lift shenanigans) although it worked over all.

If TMP & New Girl are the bastion for rom-sitcom, you really need to broaden your viewing.

Watching ANY of Shonda Rimes' shows is like getting together with that shitty ex and then hating yourself for it afterwards, because everything about it was wrong and terrible.