The Handmaid's Tale: Testimony

June 2, 2021 1:29 AM - Season 4, Episode 8

June confronts Fred and Serena. Emily faces a painful reminder. Aunt Lydia has a surprise reunion.
posted by roolya_boolya (9 comments total)

So dark in a few ways.
But I didn't see a single dark face cheering for the Waterfords.
posted by luckynerd at 12:26 PM on June 2, 2021 [1 favorite]

I am glad Janine's not dead but could she just catch a break at some point? (Although that look of death in her eye in that last moment with Aunt Lydia makes me hope Janine is still going to burn all of this down.)

I liked June's very clear statement of her experiences. I'm surprised they let Fred get that out of line but they do all kind of nonsensical things on this show so it's not a surprise. (And of course, the defense would be like "well, you chose to be a Handmaid!" which is basically one step away from "but you were wearing a tight skirt.")

It's always a nice reminder that Alexis Bledel can act! I'm sure she's doing just fine with her Gilmore Girls residuals but I always like seeing her in a good part.

I worry that June's whole "let's all be angry and get revenge!" will only lead to bad things because, well, I've watched this show before. But it's a neat turn.

(I'm unsure what the timeline is -- Serena is visibly pregnant now but it seems like June hasn't been in Canada that long? I may have missed something, though, in this episode or in the last couple.)
posted by edencosmic at 5:23 PM on June 2, 2021 [2 favorites]

The episode was chaotic and all over the place, like there was an episode between the last one and this one. Plus it was weirdly dark, cinematography was. Felt like being hit over the head that it was moody.

But it redeemed itself at the end with June telling Luke about her last meeting Hannah.

Moira, best to step out of the way of June. She's a freight train.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:27 PM on June 2, 2021

I've got to point out the brilliance of starting the episode out with Glory Box and finishing it with Hell Is Round the Corner, which both sample the same Isaac Hayes song, Ike's Rap II. The Portishead song is a marvel of female empowerment, the Tricky song is about moving through trauma. (I'm a huge fan of Tricky's first few albums.) I loved that they were able to tie it all together like that.

Also loved how June took over the group.
posted by Catblack at 7:07 PM on June 3, 2021 [7 favorites]

Some great development of Luke here, I thought.

June's statement was perfect. I'll freely admit to bawling. It was so powerful that we saw everything she described - no fiction.

And it reminded me that the real events it was based on were no fiction, either.
posted by Dashy at 5:58 PM on June 4, 2021 [1 favorite]

June's statement was perfect. I'll freely admit to bawling. It was so powerful that we saw everything she described - no fiction.

And it reminded me that the real events it was based on were no fiction, either.

The point about two thirds through when her eyeline changes from addressing the court to looking directly into the camera while she speaks of all the other women who weren't there to speak of their traumas just got me like ooooooooof
posted by FatherDagon at 3:10 PM on June 5, 2021 [5 favorites]

But I didn't see a single dark face cheering for the Waterfords.

There absolutely were, sorry. Went back to check. Another example (in a long line of them) of the show mishandling race and betraying the book’s inclusion of white supremacy among Gilead’s sins.
posted by supercres at 10:34 PM on June 7, 2021 [1 favorite]

(To be clear: The book had other issues with how it handled race but the show’s liberal post-racial take with a heavy dose of white saviorism feels way more insidious.)
posted by supercres at 10:38 PM on June 7, 2021

I loved the eyeline shift during the testimony.

Another little grace note was how they very deliberately showed a brief glimpse of the CN tower as the Waterfords walked out to a cheering crowd. It was in between the pillars, so it was hidden, exposed, and back to hidden pretty quick as the camera moved with the Waterfords, and I thought it was a great little "yes, here too" beat.
posted by vibratory manner of working at 10:37 PM on June 21, 2021 [1 favorite]