I feel like this is an episode where the characters, setting and direction of the story become more clearly defined.
Serena: Her desire for a baby turns out to be so extreme that she's perfectly willing to force June and Nick into bed together so it can happen. She is clearly capable of acting outside the law and knows very well that her husband is sterile, despite official doctrine.
June and Nick have been clearly attracted to each other and start a secret affair at nights after a very creepy session of Serena-supervised sex. Seriously, why did she do that (the being in the room with them part, I mean)? She's a very strange person.
June:
The decision to peruse a dangerous relationship with Nick is an interesting development. She doesn't know if she can trust him and still hopes Luke is alive. Flashbacks reveal that she had an affair with Luke while he was still married and that he left his wife for her.
Given the repressive nature of Gilead, any disapproval on my part is wiped away by being glad that they experienced some happiness in life. I wish Luke's marriage had been established as unhappy and likely to end in divorce with or without June, though. His reaction when she asks him to leave his wife implies this.
Fred:
Whatever "fairly decent guy doing his best in an imperfect world" mask he might have been wearing finally slipped. He is revealed as a true believer and total authoritarian despite the fact that he likes friendly chats and thinks a few of Gilead's rules are to strict.
A spat with June brings out his philosophy that successful breeding is all that matters and that love and dignity are illusions. He even knows about, fully approved of and perhaps ordered Emily's genital mutilation. Furthermore, he thinks it is an actual "cure" for homosexuality.
Other Handmaids and Gilead society as a whole:
Apparently it's possible to be content as a Handmaid, at least for a time, depending on one's background. Many women are already sexually exploited in our world, but without the level of shelter, nutrition and healthcare Gilead provides.
It also seems that not all Commanders and Wives come across as evil or even menacing to the Handmaids. New Ofglen swears that her's are "nice." Emily (formerly Ofglen, now ...I think Ofsteven) at least has a kind mistress.
At the same time, she herself is a living example of how vile the system is. She seems completely broken and is being shunned by her resistance comrades as someone watched too closely by the Eyes to be of any use. But she is able to commit a private act of violent rebellion probably intended to get herself killed, though she gets captured. I shudder to imagine what will happen to her now.
Serena: Her desire for a baby turns out to be so extreme that she's perfectly willing to force June and Nick into bed together so it can happen. She is clearly capable of acting outside the law and knows very well that her husband is sterile, despite official doctrine.
June and Nick have been clearly attracted to each other and start a secret affair at nights after a very creepy session of Serena-supervised sex. Seriously, why did she do that (the being in the room with them part, I mean)? She's a very strange person.
June:
The decision to peruse a dangerous relationship with Nick is an interesting development. She doesn't know if she can trust him and still hopes Luke is alive. Flashbacks reveal that she had an affair with Luke while he was still married and that he left his wife for her.
Given the repressive nature of Gilead, any disapproval on my part is wiped away by being glad that they experienced some happiness in life. I wish Luke's marriage had been established as unhappy and likely to end in divorce with or without June, though. His reaction when she asks him to leave his wife implies this.
Fred:
Whatever "fairly decent guy doing his best in an imperfect world" mask he might have been wearing finally slipped. He is revealed as a true believer and total authoritarian despite the fact that he likes friendly chats and thinks a few of Gilead's rules are to strict.
A spat with June brings out his philosophy that successful breeding is all that matters and that love and dignity are illusions. He even knows about, fully approved of and perhaps ordered Emily's genital mutilation. Furthermore, he thinks it is an actual "cure" for homosexuality.
Other Handmaids and Gilead society as a whole:
Apparently it's possible to be content as a Handmaid, at least for a time, depending on one's background. Many women are already sexually exploited in our world, but without the level of shelter, nutrition and healthcare Gilead provides.
It also seems that not all Commanders and Wives come across as evil or even menacing to the Handmaids. New Ofglen swears that her's are "nice." Emily (formerly Ofglen, now ...I think Ofsteven) at least has a kind mistress.
At the same time, she herself is a living example of how vile the system is. She seems completely broken and is being shunned by her resistance comrades as someone watched too closely by the Eyes to be of any use. But she is able to commit a private act of violent rebellion probably intended to get herself killed, though she gets captured. I shudder to imagine what will happen to her now.