I love the show but the depiction of the colonies doesn't make sense. Ok, they dig and dig in the hope that at some point they would reach clean soil. But in a world that has cars, how about excavators? That would make much more sense. They use cars, they could as well use heavy machinery. Of course, then the scenes in the colonies would not be so grim and would not resemble a concentration camp but they would make more sense. Also, how convincing is that you intend to use a few women, all with a very short life span, for digging until you reach clean soil? Where are the men? Have no men broken the laws in a manner that would lead to sending them to the colonies? That part is so absurd.
16 Reviews
Unwomen
bobcobb30129 April 2018
Warning: Spoilers
It's not the storytelling which is bad, it's just that the stretching out of points and issues that can be accomplished in minutes is getting a bit annoying.
This did not need an entire episode devoted to it. Emily was a minor character in Season 2 and even if she will be featured more prominently here, we need to learn more about the rest of the universe.
I get what they were doing, June was having over the top graphic sex to compensate for the restricted form she was a victim of as a handmaid, but it was still completely unnecessary to watch.
This did not need an entire episode devoted to it. Emily was a minor character in Season 2 and even if she will be featured more prominently here, we need to learn more about the rest of the universe.
I get what they were doing, June was having over the top graphic sex to compensate for the restricted form she was a victim of as a handmaid, but it was still completely unnecessary to watch.
Emily
constanza-nm29 April 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I love Emily, she's been my favorite character since season 1. She's powerful, thriving, a true fighter and I'm so excited to see what's next for her. This episode allowed us to know a little bit more about her background story and I'm thankful for that. She proves once more her worth and relevance to the story and it's always a pleasure to see Alexis Bledel on screen, she does a marvelous job portraying her. Probably we'll get to see Janine's story next, another amazing character. My only problem with this episode is June and Nick interaction. I guess there's an entertaining factor in showing them having sex. I personally couldn't care less about it, every time things get romantic between them, I lose interest on the scene. But in this case, particularly seemed kind of unnecessary. I can't help to think that Nick is the worst character of this show. Everyone else has motives and layers. I can't find a reason for him to be on the show more than to be June's love interested. He's there to have sex with her. Besides that, he's pretty boring and blank. I hope we don't get to see anymore of that. Just a waste of screen time.
Alexis Bledel - heartbreaking, can't shake it off
Critic_For_Life26 April 2018
Heartbreaking performance by Bledel and flashback to her life before Gilead just sad. Combine that story with the drab music and bleak, depressing images just stays with you. Glad to have only two episodes to watch - I would not recommend binge-watching.
Wonderful
hritik-5836226 April 2018
Heart wrenchingly great
terriblewatercolours28 April 2018
This show is consistently wonderful and leaves me feeling emotionally exhausted.
This particular episode was especially powerful. I was sobbing and just felt like I needed to be held.
This show feels very much like a cautionary tale and i don't find it totally implausible in the current state of the world.
Just Brilliant!
shanie-0360727 April 2018
Jarring look at the colonies
vfl32623 July 2018
Warning: Spoilers
This episode features Alexis Bledel as Emily/Ofglen and follows her in the present, at the Colonies, and has her flashback to her life as a professor at a college.
The Colonies, as shown here, is basically a remote, dirty, toxic farmland, where the women are housed in a barn, with access to water full of e. coli. Everyone is overworked and filthy. The air must be bad, there's coughing, and Emily has a first aid kit. She's trying to help the women as much as she can. A bus arrives, drops off new women, and one of them is a Wife - played by an nearly unrecognizable Marisa Tomei. I'll say no more about this plot line.
The flashback scenes depicting Emily at college, then trying to leave the country for Canada with her family, were emotionally disturbing for me, it's hitting a little too close to home to watch ICE agents lock down an airport and seperste her from her family.
I have 4 more episodes to watch in season two, this one, has been my favorite ep so far.
The Colonies, as shown here, is basically a remote, dirty, toxic farmland, where the women are housed in a barn, with access to water full of e. coli. Everyone is overworked and filthy. The air must be bad, there's coughing, and Emily has a first aid kit. She's trying to help the women as much as she can. A bus arrives, drops off new women, and one of them is a Wife - played by an nearly unrecognizable Marisa Tomei. I'll say no more about this plot line.
The flashback scenes depicting Emily at college, then trying to leave the country for Canada with her family, were emotionally disturbing for me, it's hitting a little too close to home to watch ICE agents lock down an airport and seperste her from her family.
I have 4 more episodes to watch in season two, this one, has been my favorite ep so far.
Bittersweet taste of ephemeral freedom
christinashaikh13 May 2018
I'm obsessed with the series, even if it becomes increasingly uncomfortable to watch due to the amount of physical, emotional & mental torture the characters must go through. Season 2 is even gloomier and bleaker than Season 1 (and the mood is reflected in darker imagery), but it is also richer, larger in scale, more cinematic. It's also as brilliantly acted, directed & photographed as previous season and June gets the first taste of (limited & transient) freedom in "Unwoman". And there is a lot of really passionate sex in this episode and good erotic scenes are something I really appreciate in films.
I'm a big fan of the romance between June & Nick and think that it brings a bit of joy & warmth without which "The Handmaid's Tale" would become unbearable. I know that some viewers think that there is no place in such a grim and politically charged show for love triangles, steamy sex scenes & swooning over a hot actor (MM), but I'm one of those who love that. I actually think that the series would do better with a bit less of gruesomeness and a bit more of lighter themes.
I'm already beginning to get jaded when I read in reviews about the show as a metaphor for present time America, commentary on a situation of women and minorities and so on. I mean - there is some truth in these comparisons but all this stuff have been repeated too often and taken too far.
Bogged down
Leofwine_draca10 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Not a bad episode, but the bad elements almost outweigh the good. This one opens up the scope a little by introducing the much talked-about Colonies, which looks like a suitably hellish locale, but then adds in flashbacks for yet more characters so that most of this is told via the past. You can see the show's doing well for its second series because there are no less than three Hollywood stars cameoing (John Carroll Lynch, Clea Duvall and Marisa Tomei), although they're not around much. June's characterisation is badly handled and she comes across as extremely spoilt given her poor attitude here considering what she's gone through the last series.
A little bit boring
edenruiz11 August 2018
Lengthy episode with limited new content
seulberg7 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
What we got:
Why this had to fill an entire episode... I am not sure.
Several scenes seemed unnecessary:
By now we know how brutal Gilead is, we don't need another hung person or execution site to be reminded and surely not for it to become a major revelation of an episode. They could have developed the story more consequently. A lot of waiting for something to happen in my opinion.
- Background on Emily, much appreciated
- Glimpse of the life in the colonies
- June freeing herself from being a handmaid with wild sex
Why this had to fill an entire episode... I am not sure.
Several scenes seemed unnecessary:
- The "I-want-to-break-out-of-the.factory-give-me-your-keys"
- The discovery of the murder site and the shrine
- The killing of a previous misstress in the colonies
By now we know how brutal Gilead is, we don't need another hung person or execution site to be reminded and surely not for it to become a major revelation of an episode. They could have developed the story more consequently. A lot of waiting for something to happen in my opinion.
First episode with poor writing
djac1311 January 2019
Unveiling the Shadows
badeclerck18 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
In the second episode of Season 2 of The Handmaid's Tale, the pace takes a deliberate shift, offering a less heart-pounding but equally impactful exploration of the show's multifaceted universe. This installment delves into previously veiled dimensions, notably the elusive and ominous colonies, a term that has lingered in the narrative since the series began.
One of the central focuses of the episode is the unveiling of the colonies, providing viewers with a glimpse into the harsh and desolate landscapes that were previously shrouded in mystery. The visual narrative is stark, depicting the brutal realities faced by those condemned to toil in this bleak environment. The colonies, while only briefly touched upon, emerge as a symbol of the regime's relentless cruelty, a place where individuals are sent to waste away, their humanity stripped away amidst the toxic remnants of a world destroyed.
The episode also weaves through the past of Emily, shedding light on her life in academia before Gilead's ascent to power. This backstory not only adds depth to Emily's character but also unveils the suffocation and repression that accompanied the regime's rise. Understanding the reasons behind Emily's inability to escape further humanizes her struggles and reinforces the oppressive nature of Gilead.
Simultaneously, we follow June in her desperate bid for survival during her escape from Gilead. The tension in these scenes lies not in the fast-paced action but in the calculated and meticulous maneuvers June employs to navigate the treacherous path to freedom. Every step is fraught with risk, emphasizing the pervasive threat that looms over any attempt to defy Gilead's grip.
While the episode may lack the breakneck speed of its predecessors, it compensates with a rich exploration of the broader world within The Handmaid's Tale. The deliberate pacing allows for a deeper understanding of the characters, the environments they inhabit, and the societal constructs that dictate their existence. It's a nuanced episode that invites contemplation on the larger implications of life under Gilead's regime.
In conclusion, this episode is a necessary and compelling chapter that widens the scope of The Handmaid's Tale, offering a nuanced exploration of the colonies and deepening our connection to the characters. As the series expands its narrative horizons, the audience is prompted to reflect on the broader implications of the oppressive world depicted in this dystopian masterpiece.
One of the central focuses of the episode is the unveiling of the colonies, providing viewers with a glimpse into the harsh and desolate landscapes that were previously shrouded in mystery. The visual narrative is stark, depicting the brutal realities faced by those condemned to toil in this bleak environment. The colonies, while only briefly touched upon, emerge as a symbol of the regime's relentless cruelty, a place where individuals are sent to waste away, their humanity stripped away amidst the toxic remnants of a world destroyed.
The episode also weaves through the past of Emily, shedding light on her life in academia before Gilead's ascent to power. This backstory not only adds depth to Emily's character but also unveils the suffocation and repression that accompanied the regime's rise. Understanding the reasons behind Emily's inability to escape further humanizes her struggles and reinforces the oppressive nature of Gilead.
Simultaneously, we follow June in her desperate bid for survival during her escape from Gilead. The tension in these scenes lies not in the fast-paced action but in the calculated and meticulous maneuvers June employs to navigate the treacherous path to freedom. Every step is fraught with risk, emphasizing the pervasive threat that looms over any attempt to defy Gilead's grip.
While the episode may lack the breakneck speed of its predecessors, it compensates with a rich exploration of the broader world within The Handmaid's Tale. The deliberate pacing allows for a deeper understanding of the characters, the environments they inhabit, and the societal constructs that dictate their existence. It's a nuanced episode that invites contemplation on the larger implications of life under Gilead's regime.
In conclusion, this episode is a necessary and compelling chapter that widens the scope of The Handmaid's Tale, offering a nuanced exploration of the colonies and deepening our connection to the characters. As the series expands its narrative horizons, the audience is prompted to reflect on the broader implications of the oppressive world depicted in this dystopian masterpiece.
Boring episode
halitgoe5 January 2021
Emily's Background and Nick Saves June
vivianla2 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Emily has been working on the toxic waste grounds as her punishment. She used to be a college professor in biology. She has a wife and a son.
June is taken to a Boston Globe office. She is told by the driver to stay inside. She turns on the electricity and explores. Suddenly she hears someone coming and has a hammer ready. Nick calls out June's name and June breathes a huge sigh in relief. She goes to Nick and they embrace. June desperately wants to get out. She wants to take Hannah and escape north. Nick knows that is impossible without June being killed. June asks for the car keys and he hands it over. Before she leaves he gives her his gun. She goes to the vehicle and turns it on but realizes how stupid this is. She turns off the car and gets out. Nick and her proceed to have a romantic moment. She knows how much Nick risked to protect her and their baby. They proceed to have sex in the "slaughterhouse".
Emily kills a former Wife by pretending certain pills were helpful. Emily says to her that she held down a woman as her husband raped her monthly. She deserves to rot.
June is taken to a Boston Globe office. She is told by the driver to stay inside. She turns on the electricity and explores. Suddenly she hears someone coming and has a hammer ready. Nick calls out June's name and June breathes a huge sigh in relief. She goes to Nick and they embrace. June desperately wants to get out. She wants to take Hannah and escape north. Nick knows that is impossible without June being killed. June asks for the car keys and he hands it over. Before she leaves he gives her his gun. She goes to the vehicle and turns it on but realizes how stupid this is. She turns off the car and gets out. Nick and her proceed to have a romantic moment. She knows how much Nick risked to protect her and their baby. They proceed to have sex in the "slaughterhouse".
Emily kills a former Wife by pretending certain pills were helpful. Emily says to her that she held down a woman as her husband raped her monthly. She deserves to rot.
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