THE HANDMAID’S TALE (S3E8) “Unfit”: All The Sinners

This is an episode that’s somehow both explosive and internalized all at once. Unfit is mostly relocated to the Handmaid’s and Aunt Lydia, showing us glimpses of her past, as well as delivering scenes as the Handmaid’s get together for a birth.

It is brutal, it is infuriating at times, but it’s just what The Handmaid’s Tale often orders: drama and pain. And just like season three has been, it’s relatively splotchy, with strong elements worked within.

The Tale Of Aunt Lydia

I’ve long wanted the show to let us into the history of Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd). How did she become this woman? She’s dedicated to Gilead, to farming women out for childbirth like animals. What kind of person, let alone a woman, can do that? There’s surely lots of answers that the writers could have come up with, as she’s still very much a slave to this government too. I’m not sure how I fully feel about what they decided on, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

It’s an episode that is really about the relationship between Aunt Lydia and the handmaids. We get a flashback to when she was a school teacher (who previously practiced family law) and her relationship with a student and his mother. The mother isn’t perfect, single and struggling, and at first Lydia seems earnest in her desire to help.

However, there’s a rage hidden there – one that we’ve been privy to many times. All it takes is a bad experience with a fellow teacher (John Ortiz) who she’s romantically interested in, and suddenly she’s ripping the child away from her, saying she’s unfit. Hence the episode title.

Ann Dowd is always amazing. In The Leftovers she teetered in and out of the show over the course of three seasons, and was always riveting. She is here, too, and her talent works in such a way that you don’t how to fully feel about her. One thing is for certain… you feel something. When the episode first jumped back in time, I kept telling myself “You will not feel bad for Aunt Lydia” like some kind of mantra to remind me of her current state of heinousness.

It isn’t that simple, though, is it? This dystopian world has stripped people of identities, made them into colors, nameless vessels, and most certainly without freedom. In this episode we may have learned that Aunt Lydia was troubled before, but Gilead gave her the opportunity to indulge in that, to fully become the worst parts of herself. She’s a product of her environment.

In the present, she’s also had her fill of June. I’ve mentioned this before, but June is becoming increasingly pushy to the point where people are dying because of her. This isn’t deterring her, but instead it’s fueling her. There’s a part of this episode where the other girls are all being horrible to Ofmatthew (Ashleigh LaThrop) who last week ratted June out to Aunt Lydia, and June is watching, smiling wickedly. Has she earned her ability to incur pain and torment? Perhaps, but one wrong doesn’t warrant another. It doesn’t get any better either, as the episode concludes with a literal bang she looks downright menacing. In a narration she mentions understanding some of the other sisters and their desire for violence. Well, plenty ensues.

Something’s Gotta Give

Aunt Lydia wishes to take her out of Commander Lawrence’s (Bradley Whitford) house, which will really mess up her rebellious plans, especially after he asks her to spend more time with his wife. June doesn’t seem to have any qualms about speaking her mind, taunting those in power that have given her some leeway – like Aunt Lydia and Commander Lawrence – but eventually, her luck is going to run out. Yes, she’s gone through horrible things, but she is also lucky in the sense that others would have been killed for what she’s done, three times over.

I think the writers, Lynn Renee Maxcy, Bruce Miller and Kira Snyder could have done more with Lydia’s backstory, and hey, maybe there will be. Fingers crossed. There was a lot to consider this week and some interesting takes on the handmaids’ dynamic, illustrating how cruel people can be to one another, and just how much some can take. These girls band together through shared circumstances, but at the end of the day- can execute the same vicious bullying many of us know. I’m not saying Ofmatthew didn’t insert herself into a precarious situation, but it’s never easy to see someone go through what she does in this episode.

I’m disappointed that she is gone. I thought the scene was powerful, even if June seemed like she was enjoying the chaos too much, but I wish it had gone differently. Despite some regrets with the storytelling, “Unfit” has enough value to appreciate. Mike Barker should be commended as he directed the episode in a way that flows incredibly well.

The Handmaid’s Tale’s “Unfit”

We’re headed into the final section of season three and I’m really hoping that things begin a change for the better. I don’t necessarily mean for all our characters (because, well, that ship has basically sailed), but as viewers. We’ve invested a lot into June and company, and there needs to be some decisions made, soon, to solidify this show’s position. Who is June going to be? What’s the endgame?

Either way, as much fun as it to see Moss play this darker role, I hope June snaps out of her current downward spiral and things start to fall into place.

What do you think? How has the season ranked so far? Is there anything you’d change? Let us know in the comments below!

New episodes of The Handmaids Tale premiere Wednesdays on Hulu.