But was she really? They clearly had a friendship and the boyfriend was sort of a third wheel - which many guys and girls who are dating other people do, right? I haven't seen ahead, but I really don't find Francesca culpable. You're *supposed* to miss the heck out of a friend if you haven't seen them in forever and…

That was beautifully put, thank you.

That's a very valid point, but Syria is a complicated situation, because:
1. It has never been a democracy, or, indeed, a proper 'nation' of its own volition
2. It is surrounded by autocratic theocracies
3. More than one state government is attempting to covertly support either ISIS or Assad's regime

They couldn't have been unaware. We aren't unaware of what's going on in North Korea, no matter how much they attempt to brainwash tourists. Perhaps these other countries, while still retaining a modicum of democracy, are nonetheless no longer as secular or intent on upholding human rights as they once were. Maybe…

Thank you for your answer. That does seem very surprising. I suppose the US' muscle combined with their own environmental and fertility crises might deter a lot of nations, and countries like China would probably smirk and go back to their business, but still!

I wonder what the situation is internationally. In the book Japanese tourists take photographs and attempt to make conversation with the handmaidens. Heck, even on the show, there is a Canada, a free Canada. Does no one think to intervene? Have international human rights measures completely evaporated? I don't…

Yes, and even the people praying outside hospitals. Didn't the nurse tell June 'Praise be' when her baby was born? Religious fundamentalism was on the rise for many years, apparently.

You, sir, will be responsible for all the tossing and turning I'll do tonight.

Indeed. The show seems almost prophetic given the state of the world.

Gaah. Taliban came close to seizing those nukes a few years ago, didn't they? And the US saved our butts last minute by sending in special troops? Promise me you'll start a Change.org petition to get Trump to do the same next time. Fucking pinky swear!

It's important to remember that when Islam came about, it was meant to *reform* women's rights. Because that is how terrible women's conditions were under the theocratic regimes based on older religions, including Christianity. You don't have to go too far back. Look at The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Read up on custody,…

Oh no, there's no need for Tor; I live in New Delhi and merrily criticize my government fifty times a day on Facebook. The crazy people exist in a few pockets, ordering rapes, honour killings and sometimes, yes, stonings, in the name of religion, custom and tradition. But they do exist. In one of the top-30…

Thank you for bringing that scene up. It was a nightmare. We already know the women would face awful consequences if they hadn't participated in the brutal murder of that man, but there seemed to be more to it - that one dude seemed to represent an unwilling stand in for the entire patriarchy, a convenient punching…

Ah, of course! Well, happy working, and happy watching. :-)

Absolutely! And let's be honest, if the heroine were too rebellious in Gilead from the beginning, she'd probably have died already. They still managed to do a decent job here, though. Her inner voice is unbroken, but on the outside, she is still very meek.

The comments in this thread are incredibly thoughtful. I hope future episodes continue to have discussions based on the book as well as the show. Fingers crossed that the meninists don't get here!

I did not look at it that way, but you're right. There's something oddly relieving about knowing that even average people eventually rise to the occasion and lead a revolution against tyranny .

That is very true! I suppose I shall go order a copy immediately. Thank you. :-)

On an unrelated note, does Minghella ever intend to age or is he secretly a vampire?

Yeah, I noticed that too. This version of Offred has a very spunky inner voice from the beginning. I think they sort of made the right choice, though. I really struggled through the first 50 or so pages of the book because she was just so cowed and accepting of the nightmare she was living in. It became extremely…