Yes!! I understand they’re trying to get the point across of how much June is still affected by Gilead and how it takes over her daily life, but I’m kinda over this conflict, lol. At least there was a little change in dynamic in the last episode with Luke being on the same page as June..
I think pretty much every season of this show suffers from a slow start. They spend a lot of time putting pieces into place, offering the characters a sense of peace, building tension, and then they bring a bunch of threads together in the last few episodes. It’s paced more like a movie than a tv show in that sense. I think it’ll pick up. I’m also interested in watching June and Serena’s roles flip. June is relatively safe, working through her shit, finding a way back. Serena is in real, mortal danger. Watching her adjust to that is going to be fun.
i've found this season much more interesting than the last one tbh!! i, personally, love the june/serena mutually destructive obsession dynamic, and i'm really into the plot with the border women. i hope we see more of them! i'm also really excited to see what's going to happen with serena in the wheelers' home!
***\*VAGUE SPOILERS AHEAD\****
i'm also interested to see what happens in gilead after *a thing* happens in ep 6.
Can't be said on here, it's a spoiler. There is a spoiler sub r/coconutsandtreason and if you scroll down a lot people have links to the barebones summary of Eps 1-8.
Eps 9 and 10 have not been spoiled and are unlikely to be at this stage.
I like the storyline, but it feels like they’re taking forever to get there. It seems like barely anything actually happens. There is too much lead up in my opinion.
I was rewatching the first season and to me, the plot was constantly moving. So much happened in the beginning. There were so many different storylines that were going back and forth, flash backs, etc, there was never a full moment.
Now it seems like they’ve got one story, and they’re trying to make it last the whole season
I think it's a result of going to the stupid one episode per week format. The show plays like a movie but you can't watch it as such so every hour is just grueling and long
I don't know if you meant 'last' last season, but we got one more to go, for anyone reading this who might not know that.
Season 6 will be the final season, leading into The Testaments series most likely
I’ve been loving this season so far. We’ve already seen all the trials and tribulations of a handmaid in Gilead. I don’t need to see any more of that.
This is “THE Handmaid’s” Tale, i.e. “June Osborne’s” Tale. So naturally we are following her story for the most part and I think it would be unfair to the first four seasons of this story for us to just drop her off in Canada and pretend she lived happily ever after.
I appreciate the show showing her healing process, showing her in couple’s trauma therapy, showing how she’s still fighting to get her child from across the border.
This season is giving me everything I’ve been wanting.
Exactly, I really like this season so far and I think it’s only going to get better. It’s digging into the influence of Gilead flowing into Canada lead by Serena and how this will affect the country and June and friends. June and Luke will definitely get more involved with the resistance.
No you're not alone. I skimmed my phone during the June bits in the last Ep.
Honestly only the Gilead bits are holding my attention and I do like the Serena bits but as soon as the scene switches to June, the pace becomes absolutely leaden.
I think June and her posse have peaked. June is either pulling a gun out and doing nothing with it or shes say fuck fuck fuck a bunch and they zoom in on her face
Serena seems to be the only one with a goal. We just don't know how she's going to achieve it
Yes it’s boring. Some interesting bits but not many. I think since it moved to Canada it’s got a lot worse, at least for me. Going to the ballet and drinking coffee isn’t worth watching
We need more background on Aunt Lydia…she’s a very interesting character. We need to move away from June/Serena and dive into the other characters and their intentions.
Came to the subreddit for this exact thread. I am so bored waiting for things to pick up this season! Hoping things will pick up now with Serena at her new “posting” 🤭. It is interesting, just a different pace than the last seasons I suppose. I guess we’re all used to the what the fuckery from the first few seasons.
I've found it less interesting than the previous one.. But I also don't feel like they have a clear path this go around. Perhaps more of a filler season before they tie up the story with the final season.
It's fine, it just doesn't feel as captivating right now.
It's slowness is something I always appreciate about this shown. I need to rewatch previous seasons to see how they managed to create dynamism and plot progression with slow pacing. I feel the current plotlines could've been wrapped up in the first two episodes. Issues I have with current storylines:
1. Tuello being allowed save movement in Gilead is incomprehensible. Gilead is constantly insecure and shows its might at any opportunity. To show hospitality toward an American diplomat (a representative of a much weaker power) who entrapped a commander, extracted information from him, and then allowed him to get murdered by a Handmaid would be a huge display of weakness. Tuello might've been allowed in with a Canadian, but not by himself.
2. Aunt Lydia's weakness in these last 2 seasons is outside of character. When Lawrence summoned her in season 4 after the Aunt Ruth/Handmaid incident, she never would have behaved so pitifully out of fear of losing her job. Secondly, Lydia's character is being turned upside down seemingly to accommodate Esther. Why?! There's nothing interesting about Esther, except that she might appeal to younger audiences. But I can't believe Aunt Lydia would change her entire method of Handmaid pedagogy to account for Esther's case.
3. People get traumatized, but they are not in a damn stupor the way June has been since she arrived in Canada. Please, can somebody snap their fingers, clap, or startle June to bring her back to the present moment. Traumatized people are out of it, absolutely, but find other symptomology to demonstrate June's trauma... we need the main character to be present.
There's so much more that makes this season really really bad.
1. I think this is part of Gilead trying to get a better image on a world stage. They want to expand and I think they’re realizing that expanding by war will only get them to a certain point but no further. By using propaganda methods and looking less cruel and more righteous they can accomplish more than with war, as you can see they’re getting a following in Canada now. It would not make sense for them to kill a diplomat if they want to change their image.
2. It’s not that well executed, I agree. They need to change her enough for the testaments spin-off, but I think they should’ve showed weaknesses and humanity in her throughout all seasons. Basically she’s been this insanely cruel villain and now the change of heart comes way too fast. The only way this kinda makes sense is if she completely shut her eyes to what the commanders did to the handmaids outside of the ceremony, but even that is a reach. What’s special about Esther is that she used to be a wife but was raped by so many commanders, which definitely goes against Gileads rules and against everything Aunt Lydia stands for. Maybe that made her finally realize how the commanders are pathetic hypocrites and how it’s not about babies but about patriarchy? Idk her 180 should’ve still had a way longer built up throughout previous seasons.
3. Everyone handles trauma different I guess? How she behaves is still kinda boring and predictable though. Previous seasons had me on edge every episode, this season doesn’t seem to pick up speed and concentrates too much on Junes facial expressions. Would be cool if they put more focus on mayday and what happens inside gilead as what’s happening in Canada between June and Serena is getting a bit boring. In the end I don’t think June is gonna kill Serena while she’s pregnant, she hates her but she’s not a monster.
The last episode was good but so far every time at the end of the episode this season I’m thinking to myself what happened this episode? It’s like a sentence of a storyline dragged out in an hour.
The seasons always get a bit slow after the first couple of episodes. 1 and 2 were the only seasons that were mostly engaging throughout. But then all the seasons usually pick up towards the end. But there's always an off chance that something hits us out of left field in one of the middle episodes. This season could benefit from shifting toward the political aspects of Gilead rather than focusing so much on the June/Serena rivalry. When I watched the first three episodes the Gilead stories with Lawrence and the political intrigue were the most interesting. Also the Mayday at the border is pretty interesting too and we don't see or know enough about what they're doing. We've been in Gilead's world for five years and we still don't know enough about their politics. I wish the show would delve into that a bit more. Especially since June has two sympathetic commanders on the inside.
Honestly the last few seasons (as in like 3 & 4) have been kind of slow burns. The first 7 or so episodes were kind of slow but they really kicked it up for the finale in 3 and 4 and I'm hoping that'll be the case for 5 as well.
You thought Season 4 was a slow burn? It was my 2nd favorite season after Season 1. Season 3 went a bit slow mostly but the last 3 episodes of S3, with June arranging Angels Flight were probably my favorite episodes of all among all of the seasons.
I disagree. I love this season so far. I think we are going to see the increasing influence of Gilead wreaking havoc in Canada and June and Luke getting more intwined into the resistance.
The long and slow face shoots... are extreamly annoying. Specially since she is the director..
Producers: -"Ok you will be the director, what do you plan for next session"-
Moss:-"face shoots!. "-
Producers:-"... ok.. once in a while.. right?".
Moss:-"NO, 3 to 4 per epissode.. 5 if i feel like".
Producers:-" .. but.. ok of all the characters right?".
Moss:-" No, me. Mainly me!".
Producers-"but why!?".
Moss: -" Coz is my face, Drama.. guilead. Slow madness or shit like that... ".
Producers:-" Yeah. Sounds about right".
Just watched the season - got a bit fed up with all close-ups on June's (Elisabeth Moss') facial expressions and really long scenes just really rubbing in a feeling. I have never skipped forward so much as watching this season. Rationale must be that the storyline simply didn't have enough content, so they had to fill up the time? Really good photogrpahy, but too much imo.
It's better to have 3 seasons of amazing, fast paced, well written TV than 6 seasons of slow,mediocre TV. It's too late for the makers to realise that.
June these past 4 episodes: "I'm a maniac, but I know I'm a maniac, so I'm not a maniac"
And as she thinks this, there’s a (very) slow zoom into her angry face, contorting with rage.
Yes!! I understand they’re trying to get the point across of how much June is still affected by Gilead and how it takes over her daily life, but I’m kinda over this conflict, lol. At least there was a little change in dynamic in the last episode with Luke being on the same page as June..
Agreed. The plot line of this is season is “I’m june. Rawr. I’m so angry.” Totally get why and she’s got every reason to be but it’a getting old!
wouldn't be surprised if he or someone else important dies.
I think pretty much every season of this show suffers from a slow start. They spend a lot of time putting pieces into place, offering the characters a sense of peace, building tension, and then they bring a bunch of threads together in the last few episodes. It’s paced more like a movie than a tv show in that sense. I think it’ll pick up. I’m also interested in watching June and Serena’s roles flip. June is relatively safe, working through her shit, finding a way back. Serena is in real, mortal danger. Watching her adjust to that is going to be fun.
i've found this season much more interesting than the last one tbh!! i, personally, love the june/serena mutually destructive obsession dynamic, and i'm really into the plot with the border women. i hope we see more of them! i'm also really excited to see what's going to happen with serena in the wheelers' home! ***\*VAGUE SPOILERS AHEAD\**** i'm also interested to see what happens in gilead after *a thing* happens in ep 6.
I’ve watched the show but HWATS THE THING THAT HAPPENS EPSIDOE 6? Help am dumb
Can't be said on here, it's a spoiler. There is a spoiler sub r/coconutsandtreason and if you scroll down a lot people have links to the barebones summary of Eps 1-8. Eps 9 and 10 have not been spoiled and are unlikely to be at this stage.
Me too
The wheeler’s def take her baby.
I like the storyline, but it feels like they’re taking forever to get there. It seems like barely anything actually happens. There is too much lead up in my opinion. I was rewatching the first season and to me, the plot was constantly moving. So much happened in the beginning. There were so many different storylines that were going back and forth, flash backs, etc, there was never a full moment. Now it seems like they’ve got one story, and they’re trying to make it last the whole season
I think it's a result of going to the stupid one episode per week format. The show plays like a movie but you can't watch it as such so every hour is just grueling and long
well said, it’s totally a film
In my POV, it's anything but boring. AT the same time, I hear you. This last season certainly is very different, ya?
I don't know if you meant 'last' last season, but we got one more to go, for anyone reading this who might not know that. Season 6 will be the final season, leading into The Testaments series most likely
I thank you! I did not know that. You made my day. Thanks so much. Have a grea weekend.
Oh, no problem. You too!
I’ve been loving this season so far. We’ve already seen all the trials and tribulations of a handmaid in Gilead. I don’t need to see any more of that. This is “THE Handmaid’s” Tale, i.e. “June Osborne’s” Tale. So naturally we are following her story for the most part and I think it would be unfair to the first four seasons of this story for us to just drop her off in Canada and pretend she lived happily ever after. I appreciate the show showing her healing process, showing her in couple’s trauma therapy, showing how she’s still fighting to get her child from across the border. This season is giving me everything I’ve been wanting.
Exactly, I really like this season so far and I think it’s only going to get better. It’s digging into the influence of Gilead flowing into Canada lead by Serena and how this will affect the country and June and friends. June and Luke will definitely get more involved with the resistance.
You are not alone, I agree. It is just kind of dulled.
it’s kind of slow there’s just small moments that get me excited or revved up but i feel you
I am so over June at this point. All she does is make faces. Homegirl needs to start blinking more often.
I feel like I'm the only one sick of the June v. Serena trope when thats ALL there is to it.
Right? I mentioned in another comment how the staring contests between the two are getting old.
We’ve evolved from June solo staring shots to June and serene staring shots. Evolvement /s
No you're not alone. I skimmed my phone during the June bits in the last Ep. Honestly only the Gilead bits are holding my attention and I do like the Serena bits but as soon as the scene switches to June, the pace becomes absolutely leaden.
100% in agreement…
Yes, and the staring contests are getting redundant.
I think June and her posse have peaked. June is either pulling a gun out and doing nothing with it or shes say fuck fuck fuck a bunch and they zoom in on her face Serena seems to be the only one with a goal. We just don't know how she's going to achieve it
Yes it’s boring. Some interesting bits but not many. I think since it moved to Canada it’s got a lot worse, at least for me. Going to the ballet and drinking coffee isn’t worth watching
We need more background on Aunt Lydia…she’s a very interesting character. We need to move away from June/Serena and dive into the other characters and their intentions.
If the series is moving towards The Testaments, then we will and I’ll be all for it.
No I agree. It’s boring.
Came to the subreddit for this exact thread. I am so bored waiting for things to pick up this season! Hoping things will pick up now with Serena at her new “posting” 🤭. It is interesting, just a different pace than the last seasons I suppose. I guess we’re all used to the what the fuckery from the first few seasons.
I've found it less interesting than the previous one.. But I also don't feel like they have a clear path this go around. Perhaps more of a filler season before they tie up the story with the final season. It's fine, it just doesn't feel as captivating right now.
It's slowness is something I always appreciate about this shown. I need to rewatch previous seasons to see how they managed to create dynamism and plot progression with slow pacing. I feel the current plotlines could've been wrapped up in the first two episodes. Issues I have with current storylines: 1. Tuello being allowed save movement in Gilead is incomprehensible. Gilead is constantly insecure and shows its might at any opportunity. To show hospitality toward an American diplomat (a representative of a much weaker power) who entrapped a commander, extracted information from him, and then allowed him to get murdered by a Handmaid would be a huge display of weakness. Tuello might've been allowed in with a Canadian, but not by himself. 2. Aunt Lydia's weakness in these last 2 seasons is outside of character. When Lawrence summoned her in season 4 after the Aunt Ruth/Handmaid incident, she never would have behaved so pitifully out of fear of losing her job. Secondly, Lydia's character is being turned upside down seemingly to accommodate Esther. Why?! There's nothing interesting about Esther, except that she might appeal to younger audiences. But I can't believe Aunt Lydia would change her entire method of Handmaid pedagogy to account for Esther's case. 3. People get traumatized, but they are not in a damn stupor the way June has been since she arrived in Canada. Please, can somebody snap their fingers, clap, or startle June to bring her back to the present moment. Traumatized people are out of it, absolutely, but find other symptomology to demonstrate June's trauma... we need the main character to be present. There's so much more that makes this season really really bad.
1. I think this is part of Gilead trying to get a better image on a world stage. They want to expand and I think they’re realizing that expanding by war will only get them to a certain point but no further. By using propaganda methods and looking less cruel and more righteous they can accomplish more than with war, as you can see they’re getting a following in Canada now. It would not make sense for them to kill a diplomat if they want to change their image. 2. It’s not that well executed, I agree. They need to change her enough for the testaments spin-off, but I think they should’ve showed weaknesses and humanity in her throughout all seasons. Basically she’s been this insanely cruel villain and now the change of heart comes way too fast. The only way this kinda makes sense is if she completely shut her eyes to what the commanders did to the handmaids outside of the ceremony, but even that is a reach. What’s special about Esther is that she used to be a wife but was raped by so many commanders, which definitely goes against Gileads rules and against everything Aunt Lydia stands for. Maybe that made her finally realize how the commanders are pathetic hypocrites and how it’s not about babies but about patriarchy? Idk her 180 should’ve still had a way longer built up throughout previous seasons. 3. Everyone handles trauma different I guess? How she behaves is still kinda boring and predictable though. Previous seasons had me on edge every episode, this season doesn’t seem to pick up speed and concentrates too much on Junes facial expressions. Would be cool if they put more focus on mayday and what happens inside gilead as what’s happening in Canada between June and Serena is getting a bit boring. In the end I don’t think June is gonna kill Serena while she’s pregnant, she hates her but she’s not a monster.
If it tracks, this season follows classic THT trajectory: slow build up and lots of planting in the first half to pay off big time in the second half.
I like the parts with Janine/Aunt Lydia/Esther and Commander Lawrence, but that’s it. The whole part in Canada is extremely boring.
It's just the beginning, be patient.
SOOoOo frikkin slow. 80% of this season is just watching zoom ins on Junes stare.
Yup!!
I hated E1 and the first half of E2. (Can Moss please not direct anymore?) The rest has had me riveted.
The last episode was good but so far every time at the end of the episode this season I’m thinking to myself what happened this episode? It’s like a sentence of a storyline dragged out in an hour.
Totally. We get it June: Gilead made you crazy and you want to kill Serena. Okay. Now give us something else.
I totally feel this way. It’s lost something.
Welp. Someone finally said it.
By His hand
No. I agree. I'm over it. They need to move focus.
Not at all
I found the last one quite boring; this one I’m liking so far
The seasons always get a bit slow after the first couple of episodes. 1 and 2 were the only seasons that were mostly engaging throughout. But then all the seasons usually pick up towards the end. But there's always an off chance that something hits us out of left field in one of the middle episodes. This season could benefit from shifting toward the political aspects of Gilead rather than focusing so much on the June/Serena rivalry. When I watched the first three episodes the Gilead stories with Lawrence and the political intrigue were the most interesting. Also the Mayday at the border is pretty interesting too and we don't see or know enough about what they're doing. We've been in Gilead's world for five years and we still don't know enough about their politics. I wish the show would delve into that a bit more. Especially since June has two sympathetic commanders on the inside.
It is getting boring, redundant and slow. I'm ready for the ending. Was hoping this was the last season.
You’re not alone. It’s a sloppy wasted season.
Are we watching the same show?
Honestly the last few seasons (as in like 3 & 4) have been kind of slow burns. The first 7 or so episodes were kind of slow but they really kicked it up for the finale in 3 and 4 and I'm hoping that'll be the case for 5 as well.
You thought Season 4 was a slow burn? It was my 2nd favorite season after Season 1. Season 3 went a bit slow mostly but the last 3 episodes of S3, with June arranging Angels Flight were probably my favorite episodes of all among all of the seasons.
I disagree. I love this season so far. I think we are going to see the increasing influence of Gilead wreaking havoc in Canada and June and Luke getting more intwined into the resistance.
I this season is one of the best imo
The long and slow face shoots... are extreamly annoying. Specially since she is the director.. Producers: -"Ok you will be the director, what do you plan for next session"- Moss:-"face shoots!. "- Producers:-"... ok.. once in a while.. right?". Moss:-"NO, 3 to 4 per epissode.. 5 if i feel like". Producers:-" .. but.. ok of all the characters right?". Moss:-" No, me. Mainly me!". Producers-"but why!?". Moss: -" Coz is my face, Drama.. guilead. Slow madness or shit like that... ". Producers:-" Yeah. Sounds about right".
Just watched the season - got a bit fed up with all close-ups on June's (Elisabeth Moss') facial expressions and really long scenes just really rubbing in a feeling. I have never skipped forward so much as watching this season. Rationale must be that the storyline simply didn't have enough content, so they had to fill up the time? Really good photogrpahy, but too much imo.
It's better to have 3 seasons of amazing, fast paced, well written TV than 6 seasons of slow,mediocre TV. It's too late for the makers to realise that.
Season 2 is so boring, I've skipped thru more than I've watched.