THE HANDMAID’S TALE (S3E1-3) “Night” “Mary and Martha” & “Useful”: Inching Towards A Revolution

Season three of The Handmaid’s Tale has started and Hulu released the first few episodes, giving us a nice sized bite of the season. As you might expect: things are as dire as ever.

While it may still look pretty bleak for June (Elizabeth Moss), things are definitely changing. When we left off last season she watched as a vehicle carrying Emily (Alexis Bledel) and her young infant daughter drove off, headed for the border of Canada. She was supposed to be with them, but decided she had to stay for the sake of her other daughter who remained in the clutches of Gilead.

New Beginnings

It’s a big cliffhanger, and we start off right there, seeing her immediate decisions as well as Emily’s journey to freedom. Both characters (along with all of the women in this terrifying world) have had their share of blows, but their resiliency has kept them fighting.

When Emily is found and offered sanctuary, you can’t help but let loose an exhale you’d been holding in, tethered to her survival and invested in her story, it is joyous that she’s finally able to stop running. The Handmaid’s Tale doesn’t offer many opportunities for positivity, but when it comes it feels earned.

June, however, is starting over. Of course, we know she’s not going to grab her other child and run off into the sunset, so when things don’t go as she had hoped, the best we can strive for is that she won’t be killed. It’s heartbreaking, and (as always) Moss shines as she grapples with her failure to save her daughter Hannah.

Even more challenging? It doesn’t seem like her new mother – all things considered – is that bad. She’s quite patient with June, and even tells her about how well Hannah’s doing. If she’s being cared for and has a comfortable home, should she still be taken away? That question dances on June’s tongue, but when she walks out of the house, you know she’s still steadfast, just biding her time.

This is a harsh world and the discomforting dystopian narrative already leaves viewers unsettled but paired with the recent restrictions on women’s rights, we’ve now got additional layers of unease.

When she arrives back at the Waterford’s house no one is happy with her, and her choice to send their child away has clearly had an impact of Serena (Yvonne Strahovski) and Nick (Max Minghella). The home is broken, and Serena and the Commander’s (Joseph Fiennes) marriage is fractured. He’s starting to finally realize just how much his “family” has turned on him, and he’s struggling to figure out his next move.

Nick is also being shifted, headed to the front lines to fight. And Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd)? She’s not dead yet, and as one might imagine, still quite ferocious.

As episode one closes, there’s a cleansing fire, separating the group we’ve been watching since season 1. It’s a good time to shake things up, but I’ll miss the dynamic between Serena (who gets more fascinating by the minute) and June. In the end June still stands, like a phoenix from the ashes, and she’s as angry and focused as ever before.

What does this mean? It means we’re in for another tension-filled ride, one that I hope will benefit from its early slow burn, transforming these inventive embers into an impactful season.

How Do You Heal?

On the other side of things Emily isn’t having an easy time adjusting and doesn’t know how to reach out to her wife and child that she was separated from years before. We also see Moira (Samira Wiley) and Luke (O. T. Fagbenle) as they come to have a new child to care for with Nichole, but are sorely missing June.

I love seeing those in Canada, as it gives an insightful look into what comes next, and these dual narratives are as compelling as ever. Episode one manages to deliver a close to season two’s staggering finale, re-purposing us with a fiery introduction that reminds us that there’s a lot of work to be done. By the end of episode two we’re given a deeper understanding of June’s new household, and a fresh sense of danger.

When June is given a new place to stay, we gain a further look into the enigmatic Joseph Lawrence (Bradley Whitford). Whitford is excellent in the role, he’s able to marry deadpan humor with cold indifference. He’s a very analytical man, and it appears that he doesn’t do anything without purpose. At first, after he helped Emily and June last season, it seemed like he was on the “good side” of things, but his motives entire? We’ll have to wait and see.

There’s also a continued look at Serena and her interesting journey throughout the show. She’s another character who has her depths and has really been tested last season. Just because you’re the wife of a commander- doesn’t make your life easy or clean. What will happen between her and Fred? We see her go to live with her mother, resistant to accepting help or advice (understandably) and there’s a burning behind her eyes. While she may not join June at the end of episode three when she suggests her fighting back, she isn’t giving up either.

Any moments of a shared connection with her and June are delights to behold, not just because the sense of female camaraderie, but because it reminds us that in this misogynistic, messed-up world, no one is really winning. It is difficult to swallow, but that’s Handmaids. Hope is what really drives the series and by episode 3 there’s plenty of it.

What’s Next?

There’s a fascinating expansion on the resistance, giving some of the Martha’s screentime. The Martha’s in the house help the resistance and June injects herself in their dealings, finding a new purpose for herself. She had previously dealt with them in small doses, but now she seems as bold as ever, happy to jump headfirst into the fray. With Lawrence and his cruel ways coming through she’s walking a very dangerous and thin line, which makes this season pop with uncertainty and suspense.

I’m not sure how long this show intends to go, but I assume that things will eventually come to a head between Gilead and the rest of the world. They mention “losing” Chicago, which shows the revolution has started.

The writing is cutting, matching wit with emotion, and loss and hope admirably. Despite the dark subject matter the show is always bursting with color that makes it hard to take your eyes off every detail (much like the intended red for the Handmaid’s attire as June comments); easy to spot. This is a harsh and depressing world, but the camera finds ways to capture beauty in small, but penetrable ways.

One thing I have always adored about The Handmaid’s Tale is the exquisite use of cinematography. Zoe White and Colin Watkinson, in these first three episodes, give us arresting images yet again. Combined with a score that continuously works on you, clawing under your skin, these episodes are doing their work.

But how much longer will the Handmaids do theirs? I feel something coming to a head this season, and I can’t wait to find out.

All of the performances are astounding, with Elizabeth Moss and Alexis Bledel are especially powerful. It’s unfortunate that these two won’t be sharing scenes anymore (for now), but their diverging story lines allow each of them to exercise emotions in a different and exciting new way. I’m confident these women will take advantage and leave us inherently moved.

Conclusion: Episodes 1-3

I thought the first three episodes were a great start to season 3, aptly drawing me into the disturbing web of secrets, horrors and empowering female characters.

I know that some people I know have given up on this show because they say it moves too slow and remains too grim. Both of those things, to me, are intentional, and help to convey the material. It’s a horrible setting, and the experiences these characters go through are disheartening. These characters are inherently interesting, this hasn’t changed, and as their journey in season 3 is challenged, I’ll be here to cheer and commend them every step of the way. The Handmaids aren’t done yet, and I have a feeling they’re just truly getting started.

What did you think? How is the third season stacking up for you so far? Let us know in the comments below!

The Handmaid’s Tale episodes 1-3 are currently streaming on Hulu with new episodes every Wednesday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcTvQx1Wot0