Interesting, I think the scene as written was way worse. I couldn't actually watch it, whereas a fast axe amputation wouldn't have affected me as much. YMMV

I guess they shouldn't have hung all the body piercers. Could have done that much faster & cleaner with a proper needle.

They want him to live, though. An axe in the backyard carries a much greater risk of death.

Your statement was that Offred was "written as quite the looker"; that's what I'm referring to by an enormous stretch.

Hmmm, probably. But maybe there are portions that freeze enough to cross?

The guy does say they get refugees in waves - maybe they wait until the lake it frozen to cross. IIRC rum runners used to do that during Prohibition.

Considering she isn't a plain woman (regardless of appearance), and isn't operating in a normal society, I think you're making an enormous stretch here. Both the Commander and Nick are living in enforced celibacy, other than the ceremony. Nor do I think their fascination is erotic, per se. The Commander seems to be…

In the book, Offred's bedroom door doesn't even close all the way. She has zero privacy.

Offred, who was written as quite the looker.

Eh, plenty of doctors have been perfectly willing to mutilate people, historically and present. I don't know why they would be more immune to fanaticism than anyone else working in this regime.

Oh, disqus probably ate it or I accidentally deleted it or something. Disqus + phone is such a terrible mix.

As far as I recall, yes - if they successfully have a baby, they won't be shipped off to the colonies.

Taking the pictures in album form certainly was dumb and unnecessary. They'll have albums in Canada, Luke, just buy another one!

Even stranger, recall that the nurse says 2 of the babies that should have been in the nursery are in the NICU, and "the rest" have died. Which suggests that Gilead's problem is more birth defects or some kind of health crisis. And doesn't track well with the Mexican city's complete lack of pregnancies/births.

They do some really lovely things with their cinematography, don't they?

Indeed. They'd be "post-racial" in the way a lot of white Americans are - they might not kill or exile the black people, but they're definitely going to still treat them as Other.

Interesting, I kind of liked the bit with the photo album. It's one of the only pieces of characterization we get about him - he's sentimental.

That sounds interesting. Is it good?

Oh, you might be right about Jezebel's; I can't remember if there are actually foreigners there or the Commander just mentions them.

Never read it. Is it about bagels? I love everything bagels enough to write short stories about them.