Book Reader Missing Character Watch: so at this point it seems like we are definitely not getting her mother, no? that's too bad - i think she introduced a unique voice to the proceedings.

Not that I want a disfigured EMoss or anything but isn't running away a harsher offense than giving some lip? I'd take a foot whipping over a missing eye. Maybe they chose the feet as a symbol of her specific transgression? But didn't want to hobble her?

Book Reader Question:

The part with the Japanese tourists was really jarring for me in the book. For some reason I was under the impression that either this new regime was more widespread than just in America or other parts of the world were unaware. The tourists gawking at them made my stomach turn.

If they are drawing it out, I am not sure I support that from a storytelling perspective. If the inability to read is treated as a "revelation" post- episode three I don't think it will hold as much weight in comparison to what we have already witnessed. Obviously, it is terrible but viewers won't have the same…

We don't really know if the show is going to keep that characterization, though. It hasn't been hinted at all that I have seen and the casting of Strahovski suggests they may take Serena in a different direction.

And Atwood provided the perfect vehicle for it with the pillow but they decline to use it - So far I have been a big fan of a lot of the page to screen changes but I think the de-emphasization of this detail was a mistake. Perhaps it will be made more explicit once the Commander starts to give Offred magazines

Agreed, they have definitely done a good job of integrating it into the world like through that conversation you mentioned and the fact that the "tokens" are just visual and have no words but I don't think anyone has actually mentioned anything about reading?

The show has depicted some tough stuff so far, to be sure, but a trigger warning for the third episode is DEFINITELY warranted. I am actually surprised Hulu didn't run something in front of it tbh.

I wonder if, for non-book readers, the show has been clear enough that the women are not allowed to read. I don't think this is a spoiler because it has been shown on screen but not explicitly spelled out. The missing detail of the needlepoint pillow may have made this point less clear.

Also had pretty big roles on Dexter, 24

Especially after the third episode! I don't know if you've seen that one yet but it is a real showcase.

Interesting that they are spending so little time in the red center in the first few episodes…I wonder how much of Moira's rebellion we are going to get. The choice to have Moira arrive in the red center before June definitely changes that dynamic but I will be severely disappointed if we don't see Ann Dowd tied up…

I may slightly agree re: the scoring. I have now also seen the next two and … wow.

Did June confirm the death of her husband on the show?? This was definitely left a mystery in the book, no? Putting in spoiler tags because i can't remember if this happened in episode 1 or 2.

And where did I say it was a pan? I said it deserved an A.

Hulu has put a ton of muscle behind promoting this. This is by far their most high profile original series as of yet. I think it would have to BOMB hard in order to not get a second season order.

I mean I would LOVE to see what played out after she gets in the van but in my mind that's a pretty major deviation from the ending of the book! The post-script where they tease a potential underground railroad of resistance fighters and escapees definitely sounded like the underpinnings of a great story.

I would recommend still checking it out. They have made enough changes from the novel (at least within the first two episodes I have seen) to make it a fresh experience while still retaining many of the aspects that made the story great in the first place.

I mean, if they keep the ending of the book then I don't see how this could be a continuing series, which I am pretty sure they are billing this as.