They're never clear about that in the book, but my guess is that having a shredder does not save you from the Colonies.

It's 9 or safe forever - if she successfully has a kid, she'll never be sent to the Colonies. (Officially; who knows if they actually follow their rules.)

Or at least dig up a copy of The Economist or whatever the New Yorker is called now that's moved publication to Canada. (Torontoer?)

Ah ha! Yes, absolutely.

You're correct, she is not gay in the book. In fact, IIRC they don't discuss their lives before at all, and in fact talk very little. And Book!Ofglen commits suicide to avoid being taken by the Eyes.

I am super annoyed by the lack of Offred's mother, and honestly even a little annoyed that Atwood presumably signed off on that. Her mom is such an important character. Boooooo.

I've always taken that to me he is one of the higher ups as compared to
the rest of the neighborhood, which could very well correlate with
kindness.

In the book a wife is hanged for some unspecified crime during one of the Salvagings. So they are definitely at similar risk.

Handmaids at the dog park! They can make awkward chit chat about what the dogs are doing instead of the weather.

Interesting, I read that totally differently - trying to show a pretty depressed Emily that there are still positive things in this horrible world, like a dog to play with. Probably projecting from my own feelings about my dog, I suppose.

This is apparently her last appearance this season per the interview they ran today. It's not clear to me if the show has concrete plans to bring her back, or if they're just keeping their options open.

Ugh, if it was a suicide attempt she should have kept driving until they either shot her or she found a cliff she could run the car off of. After her last experience, if I were her I would not want to be taken prisoner again. I'd rather be shot multiple times than slowly hanged.

So you *can* have pets in Gilead. I wonder if they are limited to the common guard dog breeds.

I have a hard time believing Serena Joy knows Offred and the Commander are hanging out. She might believe Offred has a crush on him or something, but if she had any suspicion they were actually spending time together she wouldn't keep it to herself or act in such a passive way, IMO.

Maybe both? If the Wife has always been uncomfortable with it, Emily's (presumably obvious) mutilation and PTSD would just make that feeling worse.

Right, I'm aware that the men are probably sterile, but in the official rules of Gilead they aren't. So after 3 households, that Handmaid clearly "can't" get pregnant so they can dispense with her.

No, the wives are definitely blue according to the costumer. And she describes the Martha's costume as being inspired by moss which is green-gray: http://www.vulture.com/2017…

Does she also knit? I have a vague recollection of Offred snarking (in her mind) that they probably unravel the socks all the Wives make and respool the yarn, but that might be a different book.

That is so interesting - the Wives read as blue to me, but some of that must be just from "knowing" their color is blue. My brain is leaning towards the blue side of blue-green.

This is so great, thank you for outlining all of this. You've really put your finger on what feels whitewashed here, and IMO would probably be just as whitewashed if the show had stayed true to the racial separatism of the book. Book!Offred never really thinks about or comments on the Children of Ham, after all -…