I think I read Nick's warning to the commander differently. He could tell June was up to something and was worried for her, but had no way to talk to her alone. The only way he could warn her or tell her to be careful was to word it as if it was a warning to the commander. But the same would apply to June—she doesn't…

I tend to agree. We've seen so many awful things happen to women in this show, I'm not sure what going into detail about what happened to Moira would have added. And I'm not sure what it would say about her character, since what has happened to her says more about the people who are holding her prisoner than it does…

When I say trapped I mean that he doesn't have much power to change things. He can't leave (I don't imagine Gilead ever lets someone who disagrees with them just leave). He can't openly disagree with what Gilead's doing (I cannot fathom a regime like this allowing dissent). He can't do much to help June without…

It's hard to have any sympathy for her, and this press conference was a bad idea, but she's also dead right that the president shouldn't be wielding his influence against a private citizen like this.

I don't see Nick as being pious or loyal to anyone. He does what he does to get by. If it benefits him to be an Eye, he'll do it. If it benefits him to trade on the black market, he'll do it. Not mutually exclusive at all.

June doesn't know anything about Nick. She doesn't know the back story about his past decisions. He's a blank slate, who she can project anything on. She's lonely, and he's a warm body who hasn't been cruel to her.

I think he knows. I think that's why he hasn't told June anything about himself. Shame.

I don't think it became a 24/7 gig overnight.

In the beginning, he's just driving around some religious nuts, and they probably did give him some flexibility in the beginning to sweeten the deal. By the time they've thrown over the government and taken over, he's trapped and screwed (or probably well before then).

I don't see Nick as a hypocrite because I don't see him having much power in this world—after his choices led him here, he's pretty trapped, and all he would get for trying to change things would be a death sentence. It's dangerous for both of them to be in this relationship—he'd probably end up on the wall if caught…

Not to make excuses for Nick because there is culpability in being a nonbeliever who passively goes along, but it makes sense that they would target someone like him when they needed lower level minions in their organization. Uneducated, low skill, few options, desperate. And it makes sense that he'd take the easy…

I can see this. As much as I was curious about Nick, I felt like a lot of the tension in the novel came from not knowing much about him. We were in Offred's shoes, knowing what she knew, and at a complete disadvantage regarding him. (And Max Minghella was really well cast for that role, being completely compelling to…

I remember it being a lot more ambiguous than that. I don't think you can believe anything he says to June because he's trying to get her to go with them. He obviously knows these guys somehow and has some idea what he thinks or hopes will happen to her when she goes with them, but June doesn't ever seem to know for…

I wasn't sure if Nick was actually an Eye, or if he just said that because it was what he needed to say to get Offred to go back to her room (because he didn't want her to get in trouble or do anything more stupid). I was unclear on this in the book too.

I think if it had been about the wife instead of Emily, it would have been more a command and less a question. Or she wouldn't have said anything to Emily at all but just cancelled the ceremony.

FWIW, I don't think you can have a Mary Sue character when the premise is that the story is being told by an unreliable narrator, after this character's actions have resulted in some unknown but devastating and tragic consequences.

That really bothered me too. I think a huge amount of the (book) story's power is that if feels like it could happen. If they make the world so different from ours, it's less powerful of a warning. And it gives some level of possible credence to what Gilead has done—an opening for some people to look at this story and…

Some seriously dark flirting. Because he knows she shouldn't be doing anything for him, shouldn't be risking anything for him, but it's said with a lot of pain because he wants her.

I'm not sure I sympathize with her, or even empathize, but I find her … compelling. Yes, compelling.

I agree that the speech to the Mexican ambassador was over the top and unrealistic. I think it would have been a lot stronger played as a fantasy, with Offred in reality saying to her something short but powerful like, "You believe what you want to believe," and walking away, furious that this woman had let her down…