3x13 "MayDay" - Season 3 FINALE

[DawnFae]

The Handmaid's Tale 3x13 Promo and inside episode 3x12 "Sacrifice"

[DawnFae]

he Handmaid's Tale 3x13 Inside "Mayday" Season Finale
Spoilers ahead!

[DawnFae]

This was a very interesting and somehow satisfying finale with all the things that don't make sense or are very hard to believe but in the end the finale brought about some success to June's plan to help > 50 children to escape Gilead.

June had to put herself in the line of fire to make the escape happen. In doing so, she got shot by a guardian whom she ended up killing. Her team of involved handmaids found her in the woods in the aftermath and carried her away in a very symbolic, haunting scene.
I can't help but ask how could all this happen without the escape party being seen by the guardians?
Why were Moira, Luke and Emily specifically waiting for the plane with the precious cargo when it landed in Canada? They did not explain any of that to us. Are we supposed to fill in the gaps and link dots that aren't there?

What will the handmaids do with an injured June? Will they try and save her life by themselves or will her "new commander" be Nick? (How convenient for the rest if the story and season 4).
That would imo make sense and will keep June protected after all she'd done.

Fred denounced Serena's crimes to the American Government and Mark arrested her towards the end of the episode. Hmmm...

Why did the children go along without saying a word or asking to go back to the only homes they knew. I mean many of them were born and raised in Gilead so why would they follow their Marthas and a bunch of Handmaids without any resistance?
Did the Marthas prepare them somehow for the escape? Then why weren't we shown any of that, not even a single example?
Some things are simply hard to believe but other than that the episode represented a certain triumph for June and the people fighting against Gilead.
The showrunner mentioned that June survived because according to the book, she lived through it all to actually tell the story and she's been navigating everything "wisely" or something like that.
They could explain or show more to make these June survivals more plausible.
I wonder whether Gilead will declare war on Canada for the escaped children?
I wish season 4 would make the "unbelievable" parts more plausible.

I can't wait to read your comments ladies !

[Lori]

This was a very interesting and somehow satisfying finale with all the things that don't make sense or are very hard to believe but in the end the finale brought about some success to June's plan to help > 50 children to escape Gilead.

It was a very fun episode (if you can call any episode of THT 'fun') almost like a long exhale finally after all the trauma and heartache this season. Yet, "very hard to believe" is an incredibly apt description.

June had to put herself in the line of fire to make the escape happen. In doing so, she got shot by a guardian whom she ended up killing. Her team of involved handmaids found her in the woods in the aftermath and carried her away in a very symbolic, haunting scene.
I can't help but ask how could all this happen without the escape party being seen by the guardians?

Oh yes indeed. First, a gunshot ringing through the night after an "all clear - it was a false alarm" statement on a radio would not cut it. That, combined with the fact this guardian did not show back up to the group following their raid on the Resistance. I recall playing a game called "ditch" with the throngs of neighborhood children where we would divide into two large teams at night and play massive hide-n-seek over a two-block radius. Of course, even in a game we all congregated and did a headcount at the end. Really? No massive search for this guy, particularly when they knew the general direction he'd covered to find June?

It was a defining scene for June in this literal war - where she has now made active decisions to end life, either by omission (*see Mrs. Lawrence and also OfMatthew, the pregnant handmaid who made a bad decision and paid heavily for it) or active self-defense with the guardian. We see June rattled when she nearly shoots a child while trying to prevent a Martha from fleeing and ruining their plans. This is really so multi-layered. Hence so many holes, I suppose.

Why were Moira, Luke and Emily specifically waiting for the plane with the precious cargo when it landed in Canada? They did not explain any of that to us. Are we supposed to fill in the gaps and link dots that aren't there?

Right. Ostensibly, they had information that June may be among the cargo. Perhaps they were hoping Hannah would also have gotten out.

What will the handmaids do with an injured June? Will they try and save her life by themselves or will her "new commander" be Nick? (How convenient for the rest if the story and season 4).
That would imo make sense and will keep June protected after all she'd done.

It would make sense, but be another gaping hole - particularly with the cat being formally out of the bag that Nick is Nicole's father. That union would not stand in Gilead, unless Nick is truly that powerful. Nick having that kind of status (or status under cover) would in and of itself be another question mark in the story that we would have to go back and look at his actions to support. OR, perhaps the fact Nick and June have proven they can produce children together would trump all barriers and allow this arrangement. Who knows?


Fred denounced Serena's crimes to the American Government and Mark arrested her towards the end of the episode. Hmmm...

Yes, hmmm... I need further clarification on this. Was the American/Canadian government so naive as to think the "Wives" were completely puppets and didn't engage in nefarious activities of their own, beyond the scope of what was imposed upon them by the very nature of their position? That seems untenable with so many escapees from Gilead to interview ~ surely they would be aware of the nuances of the situation and particularly that of a woman who was an architect of this sick society. Now, one possibility is they had planned this from the beginning. Make Serena feel comfortable so she spills all the information they can get from her, then proceed with her arrest based on seemingly separate charges. Mark had fostered her trust over a long period of time.

Why did the children go along without saying a word or asking to go back to the only homes they knew. I mean many of them were born and raised in Gilead so why would they follow their Marthas and a bunch of Handmaids without any resistance?
Did the Marthas prepare them somehow for the escape? Then why weren't we shown any of that, not even a single example?

My thoughts exactly as I watched the escape. They tried to address this issue with the first little girl who came through early with her Martha, but it really did nothing to answer these questions. Additionally, with this type of risk I would think they would lightly sedate babies, etc., so their cries would not alert the guardians. Are we asked to assume that every child was more bonded with her Martha than her assigned mother? That is a lot to ask. Even telling a child her mother will join them later or some such thing doesn't work.

Some things are simply hard to believe but other than that the episode represented a certain triumph for June and the people fighting against Gilead.
The showrunner mentioned that June survived because according to the book, she lived through it all to actually tell the story and she's been navigating everything "wisely" or something like that.
They could explain or show more to make these June survivals more plausible.
I wonder whether Gilead will declare war on Canada for the escaped children?
I wish season 4 would make the "unbelievable" parts more plausible.

I can't wait to read your comments ladies !

So, I wonder if every Martha who helped a child escape also escaped herself. It doesn't seem like it. There will be major suffering as the escapes would have to be tracked back to the Marthas. I am trying to think of any circumstance that would prevent the lot of them from hanging. The fact that the highly publicized Luke (as father to Nicole) was waiting for the flight would implicate June. Surely, Gilead has released 'moles' into main society to be watchful eyes for how the Resistance works and is aided. Perhaps not, at this early stage.

This is extremely well-done, despite the plot holes. As par usual, the writers are now pitted against a super-involved fandom who remember details better than the writers themselves at this point and demand a level of excellence really, really hard to maintain in a series - particularly if they stretch it out beyond its shelf life due to the popularity. Actually, Hulu is a bit of a vast wasteland as far as interesting content so THT has to be its main lifeblood. I was on the edge of my seat for the finale and it did not disappoint in the entertainment aspect.

Slightly off topic, but I know you two understand: Remember when the writers deep in the series of TVD used Elena's blood in a tracking spell to find Jeremy? Speaking of Quality Assurance, the writers had simply forgotten that Elena was adopted for shits sake! How would her blood work? The bond between siblings? I don't think so. We will see more of this type of oversight in THT as the series stretches out perhaps longer than it should. The cinematography (as Dee pointed out) has also been relying on predictable tricks recently. However, compared to most productions it is still so far above the fray on so many levels, I forgive them and will await next season! Thanks for your insights, Ms. K!

[DawnFae]

The Handmaid's Tale Season 4! Cast and Crew Spill on What to Expect

[Dee]

I’ve finally managed to catch up with you, Ladies. You’ve mentioned most of my misgivings regarding the episode, such as the credibility issues. How this operation succeeded is pretty much unbelievable. Yet, it felt so good to see it succeed. Those little sprites arriving in the land of freedom. The reunion of Rebecca with her father.

Yet. Babies? When silence meant everything? How could the small children be persuaded to do this? All those questions you’ve raised... just clouding over the plot.

Also, if Lawrence stayed on, what will happen yo him? Will he commit suicide? His will he get out of this alive? And how will Billy be paid all the artwork he was promised from the Lawrence house?

It wasn’t clear at all who went on the helicopter, how many Marthas. Many seemed to go back to help June to distract the guardians. But then they disappeared. Presumably getting on the helicopter? I thought Janine was going with them too? But then it appears she didn’t. How on earth June then wasn’t discovered till the morning by anyone? Guardians or handmaids? None of this makes sense or seems plausible. Yet, finally, a huge victory for the resistance.

The Serena storyline was also weak on credibility. She says “June and Nick had a relationship” to which the American says “it was still rape” like how does that follow? (Actually, it is an interesting question what that was. Maybe more coercion than rape?) I wonder if the supposedly baby-inducing “ceremony” will ever come up, which was surely the worst act both of them committed and for which both should go to prison for a hundred years. There is really no excuse under the sun for what they did.

I thought the American was genuinely disappointed. I thought he did see Serena somewhat as a victim. But then, like you were pointing out, how could he be so stupid not to know or at least suspect what was going on. It seems like everyone in the world knows that Nichole was fathered by Nick.

But on the other side, I loved how Fred turned on Serena. Goodness these two foul creatures deserve one another.

I’m still a huge fan of these series, and appreciate all the artistry that goes into the production. But like you, girls, I can’t help raising an eyebrow at the plot holes. It’s the one thing that is not 100% perfection in the series.

[Dee]

Re:TVD plothole. I think they’ve argued that the blood worked because Elena and Jeremy were cousins, so they were still blood related.

[Lori]

Ha! Thanks, Mz. K! That makes a little sense and never once occurred to me. I know I was basically hearing white noise from hormone overload about that time, but still - I should have made the connection then...or now!

[Lori]

Glad you were able to watch the finale, Dee. It really was satiating and, as you said, felt so good seeing the Resistance succeed with those precious little ones being freed. I was so grateful Rebecca remembered her father. Were you on the edge of your seat like me? (I know you were.)

It wasn’t clear at all who went on the helicopter, how many Marthas. Many seemed to go back to help June to distract the guardians. But then they disappeared. Presumably getting on the helicopter? I thought Janine was going with them too? But then it appears she didn’t. How on earth June then wasn’t discovered till the morning by anyone? Guardians or handmaids? None of this makes sense or seems plausible. Yet, finally, a huge victory for the resistance.

I suppose regarding June being discovered in the morning it could be explained that everyone was frozen with fear after the shooting happened and June did not return and that is why they reappeared miraculously in the morning. Even stranger to me is that word of the rescue of the children had to be in full bloom and how did these handmaids, etc., even leave the house? Surely everyone would be under close scrutiny with lock and key. Or, perhaps I am wrong and that news had not spread throughout the land.

Regardless, I am with you all that this series remains so very good. It is a pleasure to experience it with you all. xoxo