The reason Lydia is so upset in this scene is because Esther was right...She did know. She knew what the men were doing to the handmaids all along, and she let it happen. She knew that handmaids who told people in the past that they were raped were blamed for it. Beaten, mutilated, hanged. It was NEVER the commander's fault. And Lydia did nothing. She doesn't know how to deal with her own guilt.
she knew but she also didn't. The best thing about this show is how they write the characters. She is 3 dimensional and her viewpoints don't always align. Like most of us, they are skewed by experiences. Lydia is obviously a devout follower. She sees what the handmaids do as a holy sacrament. She lies to herself every day. It is something I'm sure many people would do in that scenario. She sees the world wearing rosy blinders and doesn't let herself believe the dark truth. That's how a lot of narcissists live. She is an "aunt" and she has to believe what she's doing is for a good cause or her whole sense of self would crumble.
I mean....in their situation its more than okay to be angry , I have known some s*x workers in my life and their lives are often horrific, they get r*ped and beaten up almost all the time plus society treats them like trash aswell, these women usually develop some serious anger...especially against men...another good example is Aileen Wurnos...r*ped and abused her whole life she turned angry and bitter and started killing people , its only normal that a woman that has been abused soo much lashes out
I cried at this scene. She was only a child when this began, and still is. Now she’s pregnant with a child she doesn’t want. Who they will keep her a live, and give away once the baby is born. I felt her scream, since she can’t escape or leave. She’s going through so much pain, and the only time she felt protected was when June was with her.
Just like Republicans in the USA want for women, no choice, forced births, even if it means the death of the woman, no help once the fetus is born. Strap shovels on the feet of the baby and let them kick for coal. Ever notice how they have zero sympathy and zero empathy for others, but when it happens to them, then they demand both from others. That is the most unlike Christ one can be, but they claim to be Christian. They even invented the prosperity gospel. And no other religious call them out.
I cried too and honestly hoping someone helps her. Lawrence helped Emily and Nick helped June. I'm hoping one of them will do something for her. They already executed that pig Putnam. Just help that girl get out.
@@nessyness5447 I wonder who the child will go to. It can't go to Putnims family. As he won't be seen as the real father because she technically wasn't his handmaid yet.
@@rosediamond4132 Yeah right. She's asking because she wants to place some form of blame on her. That's often how victims of rape are treated and it's beyond vile.
@@rachaelsnapp8654 She asked so that she could absolve her of blame and get Putnam killed. This season is a big turning point for Lydia. What you say is completely true, but in this instance you're missing the big picture.
McKenna Grace is such an incredible actor for such a young age. Amazing. I am also enjoying how the writers are playing out Lydia's character development.
She is becoming my favourite character as the actress is doing such an incredible job portraying her. Making your feel her pain, feel empathy for her, putting you in her shoes.
@@Meanie74 yes. McKenna Grace has played the young version of many characters. She was the young versions of Sabrina in CAOS, Tonya in I, Tonya, Caroline in The Vampire Diaries, Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel, Emma Swan in Once Upon a Time, Theo Crain in The Haunting of Hill House and more. In addition to all these roles as the young version of other characters though she has had an excellent career in her own right. One movie I love of hers is Gifted which she did with Chris Evans. She was amazing in that role and was only 9 when they filmed it!
Lydia is hands down the best character on the show and a complete scene stealer. The way she’s able to compartmentalize the horrors of Gilead is mind blowing. For example, as long as the rape (which she would never call it) happens during the “ceremony “, then it’s ordained by God and is righteous. But if it happens out of list, then that’s punishable by death. The way she’s able to shift gears emotionally when it comes to the fact that it’s all rape, no matter how you paint it, is incredible.
She's not wrong. Lydia's not sorry...and she has the audacity to apologize and look shocked. She knows damn well what is being done to the girls she claims to love and care for, her so called "precious girls"...ignoring their pain, their cries, but at least in this room she was stuck for a moment and witnessed it. I hope those screams stay lodged inside her head, and there's plenty more silent screams like that. We've seen her..."private" breakdowns, but until she does something about it or acts, I'll never believe that she is sorry. Getting Janine a damn eye-patch to help make up for the eye, she took out is not even an apology.
We're seeing the groundwork being laid for the Testaments! This is the beginning of Lydia's realization that the ideals of Gilead are disintegrating from within
@@NissanZaxima yes there was that too. And until she does something to follow through with all her promises about changing all this and bringing things back then I'll believe her.
"there is nothing to be ashamed of" big turn from the early Lydia filling them with shame. I believe this is her turning point that leads her to the Lydia in The Testaments
Yeah she caught her self after saying it wasn't her fault and she said did you do something to imply and then she started the victim blaming and became sterner.
McKenna Grace is incredibly talented. I’m everything she does. I hope she’s protected. Especially since we are hearing about so many child stars being taken advantage of.
From River Phoenix to Britney Spears, the Olsen twins to Jennette McCurdy...I hope Grace will turn out like Jodie Foster, who despite being a former child star managed to keep her sanity whilst bagging two Oscars.
@@moisemensah8233 exactly. She’s so talented. I’ve seen her be in so much I’m like I hope she’s not being milked for all she’s worth while she’s young. Like I definitely hope she makes it out “alive”. Kids who have alot talent can become overworked and that’s just not right. She keeps a low profile that’s for sure. You don’t see her in the news because technically she IS a teen now. And that’s when the tabloids tend to REALLY get interested in a child star. Look at the “stranger things” kids
Aunt Lydia was angry with Esther for what she did to Janine but after she realized that the Handmaids were also being used for lust. she is now focused on making amends
@@JC-pg3cy Exactly.. once assigned, the rape (aka the "ceremony") is okay.. but before then it's an abomination! Xian hypocrisy at its finest. Aunt Lydia makes that sick, twisted "Aunt Lydia" wanna be, Lori Alexander of the Transformed Wife proud.
when Ester said "He raped me". then aunt lydia said "that's terrible" , what a fucking joke , they raped each and every handmaid multiple times. Aunt lydia herself send every handmaid to commander.. But that scene was immaculate.
This is a different reaction than I was expecting from Aunt Lydia. I really thought she would slap Esther or punish her for using the word rape, I think Lydia is becoming more human
I've always seen a little bit of good in Aunt Lydia. You can tell she does care for the girls, she just has always had a hard way of showing it. Also if the girls don't comply it is ultimately Aunt Lydia's ass that takes a beating.
For a moment when she said she was very angry I thought she would say for Esther leading the commander on to do what he did. How it was her fault. But as Esther looks so young maybe Aunt Lydia was finally gaining a little empathy for what was going on and cannot turn a blind eye to it as it happened not within the home as such as Lydia sees it plus it was before a handmaid was officially put in a home.
she is coming to terms with the world she helped create. a world that sees children abused by hypocritical villains who crave power and hide behind religion. she saw herself as a crusader of moral and social upstanding and human survival, and still does. but the cracks in her rose tinted lenses are undeniable. but she doesn't know how to approach trauma survivors with ptsd.. hits her square between the eyes and all she can do is fake emotion or concern. she cannot deal with real life consequences. but when faced with more child like situations like with the reverted janine, or june when she's acting compliant, she is better situated and reacts with genuine care and positivity when the handmaids are infantilised and their problems are smaller- less emotionally or sensually challenging. she's not socially adept either with other aunts, her connections are few and only born out of routine checkups and compulsory visits that come with her job role. she is not ever encouraged to be outgoing in her role, steeped in dogma, bigotry, extremism, cult behaviour- there's little room for foreign concepts or challenges. unfortunately, if she were to deradicalise and turn, she is too high up to get out safe and with anyone else saved. if she were to start speaking out, they already have her marked as someone to be retired and questioned for her past conduct. so whatever she does, her nec is already noosed.
@@tomcross3000 You nailed it. As evil as she's been throughout, you at least have to respect her convictions. She is a true believer, not a hypocrite commander who sneaks off to Jezebels. Of course, there's also what we find out from the books.
My boyfriend laugh choked on his beer when aunt Lydia said that’s terrible and said “that’s rich”. I didn’t even think he was paying attention to the series at all
This is Aunt Lydia finally realizing what she’s done. Her role as an Aunt and handler of the handmaids was just a way to mask her insecurity with self righteousness. Though her actions were deeply abusive and manipulative, from what we’ve seen from her past I think deep down she feels a responsibility and even maternal feelings for those handmaids as a former childrens school teacher. Her close bond with Janine widened her perspective on the pain that the handmaids are put through and it makes sense that the thing that would snap her back to reality is to see a child go through that same torture.
For any woman thats experienced rape, you know this is the exact feeling we felt inside when we had the weight of our rapist on top of us, unable to move, almost like we are handcuffed or glued in place, and youre screaming inside just like this, at the despair of having no power, no control, no escape. I cried badly after watching this scene because it took me right back. I remember saying "oh god no, please don't do this, I don't want to, please don't do this to me" but he wouldn't listen. It didn't matter how much I struggled or begged "please no" , he didn't care and he wasn't sorry. He didn't heed a word I said, EVEN after he had entered me and i gave him the chance to stop. It was at that point I knew nothing i did or said would stop this rape and that I would just have to close myself off and endure it, but inside I was exactly like this. Screaming in panic and despair. No woman truly recovers from her rape, we simply learn to live with what happened, but our trust in people and humanity completely goes. 😢
@@zoe._.1850 Thank you, he only served 18 months for it 😔 I guess I'm lucky to have gotten even a little justice at all considering most rape goes unpunished. Still sucks though that he gets to enjoy his life whilst he destroyed any sense of trust I had in other people and any hope in humanity.
I am so sorry you experienced this. As someone who was sexually abused, I understand what you went through. I am glad he served some time, even though it was far too short. That will follow him for life. The man who did it to me never served time, so I understand to an extent how Esther feels in this. Together though we can overcome this, you are so much stronger than you realise. You give me hope, your strength and courage is something I can only aspire to x
@@oliviastaniland9585 You both are very strong to talk about something that never should have happened. But, you're still here and that counts for so much.
If she was in Texas right now she would be forced to keep the baby, even though she's just a child herself. And people say the handmaids tale is unrealistic.
I think it does set a dangerous precedent to allow abortion for some and not others tbh. If you're allowed to abort babies conceived of rape but not others, you're saying to millions of people conceived that way that their lives are worth less than others
@@tn1340 No, you're saying that little girls should not be mothers. But given that there are thousands of child brides in the US I don't think they would care.
"Did you behave in a way that might have, even unwittingly, invited his attention?" No, Lydia. You left an already traumatized 14 year old girl alone in a room with a man who you knew was a rapist. She was covered from head to toe, and you left her alone with him with the intention of eventually turning her into his concubine. You knew that he'd driven Jeanine to suicide, almost to the point she was about to jump off a bridge with her daughter in her arms. No sympathy and this is one character who is so brillianty frustrating that I hate her more than Serena.
They still do. What saddens me about this series is you can see it happening right now in our country. This isn't some lovecraftian horror novel anymore... it is what many of our lawmakers are pushing for. Trying to take our rights.
In the book at least it’s also stated to the hand maids as a positive element of Gilead that now women are safe from rape and the male gaze, because of the strict rules on behaviour- so this is like a further confirmation that what she’s doing truly has no benefit to women whatsoever.
Really shows that even if they think they're safe, as soon as one of the commanders' wives is confirmed fertile, they lose the fragile protection they cling. It happened to Esther, now Serena Joy.
Esther didn't become a handmaid because she was fertile. Gilead knew from the beginning that Esther was fertile and she was married off to an old man. She became a handmaid because she rebelled.
@@KNYD true. Plus Econowives might be fertile too. I think the only certified barren women are Marthas, since every possible fertile woman would have to marry someone and try to have children
@@Arthalmia Even the Marthas are debatable, because the book (and the show has hinted at this too) outright states that it’s really the MEN who have the mass fertility problem, not the women. They’re the reason why the women aren’t getting pregnant AND the reason so many babies were being born unhealthy: even the sperm that did make it through to conception was too degraded to help create a healthy embryo. But because their egos couldn’t handle the truth, they blamed it all on the women.
I was disappointed to not see more of Esther this season. I heard McKenna Grace, who plays Esther, had to have spinal surgery and that's why she wasn't seen in more episodes. I hope to see her next season.
@@choiga-in It happened in episode two of season five, when Aunt Lydia brings Esther into Putnam’s office to introduce her to him, he kicks the other Commanders and Aunt Lydia out of the room, leaving her there alone with him. He toys with her in a creepy manner by feeding her chocolate as if she was a baby. And then he rapes her afterwards off-screen.
Wow. What an incredible actress. McKenna is 16 irl! That scream hit me like a train. I screamed like that when I was going through postpartum psychosis & severe PPD. I screamed blue murder from all the pain inside my head. Now that is talent.
I felt that scream when I realized I had been drugged and raped…. Realizing that years later is horrible far different from reading that it happened to other victims. The pure anger is something else entirely.
This scene was so disturbing to me on so many levels, but mostly bc I had a breakdown like this when I was 10. I was being physically and emotionally abused by my father and step mother, and like these women, I was literally afraid for my life if anybody found out. And of course someone eventually did, and I had several fits where I screamed and thrashed and punched things until my fingers almost broke. I can only watch 1 or 2 episodes at a time and then I have to stop for several months or I just get in to dark a place.
I'm so sorry you had to suffer all of that. Being abused is brutal; especially as an innocent kid. You deserved all the love, hugs, to be comforted when scared, and all the good things. What helped me was that one day I was sitting on my bed (I was early 30's at that time and my bf was out of town and I had had my mom take my son overnight so I could get some me time) and my dresser mirror was across from me. I just looked into my own eyes - actually into my inner child's eyes as I knew she was hurting so deeply even after all that time - and hugged myself as tightly as I could. In essence hugging my inner child. And while doing so, I just kept saying "You're loved. You're safe. You are Enough. You matter. You're precious. You did nothing wrong." I sobbed hard. I was so mentally and emotionally drained after that but it felt like a lot of the weight on my back had lessened a LOT. Our inner child IS us when we were young, and tlc does help. I'll go swinging even to this day, I'll watch silly cartoons and laugh my ass off; basically I let my inner child come out and it's like 'who cares what anyone else thinks', and I play. I'll color. I'll sing silly songs. Whatever makes my inner child feel happy, safe, loved and that it's okay to let go and just Be. Maybe that could be a help to you, if it feels right to do. I'll say the same to you: You're precious. You matter. You did nothing wrong. You are Enough.
@@SariennMusic73Your words are very kind. And they hold much truth. It’s hard for me to connect to that younger part of myself, bc I shut her away bc it just hurt too much otherwise. But overtime, I’m trying to allow for those moments in my life where light can come back into those dark and closed off spaces. It’s jarring at times. But I’m hoping that with practice it can begin to feel more natural and more comforting.
Sad to think of the parallels between Esther and Eden (from earlier on) both are barely teenagers going through adult problems in Gilead. Though quite opposite (Esther with her disdain for Gilead’s ways and Eden with her blind faith and optimism) both were just girls at heart, who hoped for some semblance of normalcy. They wanted to feel safe and protected and most importantly loved. Though Eden was being conditioned into her new life as a child bride, she still had a family who cared for her (seen at her execution) vs Esther who was brought up in Gilead by a man whom she was forced to marry and be raped by his friends/cohorts regularly. While one grew hope the other grew resentment. Eden’s path showed what faith and trust in the system gets you in Gilead, while Esther shows us what you get when you put up a fight. Remember, right before Aunt Lydia approaches Esther sympathetically, she is shown slapping her unconscious face, and mere moments before seeing her in this scene she is asking Esther’s doctor why her _uterus harvesting_ procedure was halted… While Eden wouldn’t have been alive after drowning, I wonder why they didn’t consider doing this procedure for her before her execution… If they truly believed in their cause, they would exercise every option to further advance the population, especially before lawfully killing a fertile bride…
Aunt Lydia is one of my favorite characters, not for her actions but for how she is portrayed. She had several turning points during the series; they were all brief, and sometimes, they turned her back on track to be one of Gilead's "loyal" servants (like when she was almost killed by Emily). She clearly understands that not everything Gilead is doing is good, even in their world, but with the actions of her girls, she always dismisses it as justified. Handmaids were sinful women, and their only redeemable characteristics were that they were still able to bear children. If any other handmaid said she got raped by one of the commanders or if this happened earlier in the series, she would excuse it as "she leads him on," etc. But here is a 14 years old girl whose only "sin" was that her elderly husband died. Esther was a respected wife and only a teenager, so even aunt Lydia understands that she did nothing but be present. Lydia DOES care for "her girls," but she can only show it in the way Gilead allows her. Knowing your place, not stepping out of line, and bearing children is the only way to have a somewhat "easy" life in Gilead, and it is the only way to stay alive in hindsight. She couldn't do much more even if she wanted to, but she is slowly getting to a point where she sees more evilness on the side she is initially supporting. She is complex and definitely not all evil like some people think she is, and she definitely cares more about her girls than everyone believes.
mckenna grace is an amazing actress. i cannot wait to see more of her in season 6! i hope esther gets peace, poor child, i feel so horrible watching her go through all of this. the handmaids tale is one of my most favorite shows. i love it so much.
Lydiaisa hypocrite....she says that she is sorry but "ceremony" is also r*pe....also she blamed Janine before when she told that shewas gang r*ped , she doesnt deserve a redemption....and I dont know how isthis even possible considering what she has done
There has to be only so many times you can watch people under the system you are directly running absolutely SNAP before you HAVE to start questioning it. JFC, what number are we up to for Lydia’s handmaids alone? Janine, June, “Ofmatthew”, the second “Ofglen”, the first Ofglen, the Offred before June…
@@AbbyWhisperWitch janine fell in love with her commander, and she pleasured him in private by her own concent. Which is considered like a treason kn Gilead.
She isn’t but I also think she needed to put on the blinders in order to survive. You learn A LOT more about Aunt Lydia in The Testaments. If you haven’t read it, you definitely should.
I've never watched this show, but holy crap is this intense. I didn't think McKenna was capable of those screams or F-bombs. I might have to start watching this show now.
I studied psychology. I think saying “did you do anything?” Was her not able to face the reality of the situation - that a man raped a child because he could. I’m not saying this is right. This is still vile, but it does have a comprehensible explanation. It’s not incomprehensible.
To her, those were ordained by God and necessary, that any Handmaid's consent was unsaid but implied. It's the case of "Why didn't they say no?" If they say nothing, she can say they said yes
One of those things she has been keeping compartmentalized--look at the shock when the young lady says, "You've known all along what they do to us." She clearly hasn't heard it quite this bluntly before.
I thought Aunt Lydia finally has the character arc that we anticipated since S1 but remembered that she only considers this as rape because it happened before Esther's posting. She sees whatever they do to "her girls" after the posting "sacred ceremonies" when they are literally also rape. Yes she might seem to care about the girls but fundamentally all she cares about is whether or not they can be birthing vessels for their extreme religious beliefs
This scene broke my heart. The actors who play Lydia and Esther are PHENOMENAL! Notice how when Lydia questions Esther, she is hesitant because she knows. She already knows Putnam raped her, but she words it in a way where the Commander wasn’t at fault. You can see on her face she wants to ask her if Putnam raped her, but she stops herself. She’s conflicted between her emotions and her “faith”. My heart breaks for Esther more. She was married to a much older man, who gave her to others to be raped in order to get pregnant because her husband couldn’t. She finds hope in June just to have it taken away from her, forced to become a Handmaid and right back into being raped. I’m wondering what they’re going to do with her character this coming season. And I’m wondering if Gilead would allow her to get rid of the child, since she got pregnant out of the ceremony, and she’s not “assigned”.
Dear God my heart is just breaking for Esther! I feel like she never should have made that move in attempting to poison herself and Janine to death but I get that Esther's absolutely been through it and has been so messed up. 😭 Also, I definetly don't hate Aunt Lydia in the way I used to before discovering more of the truth. She did terrible things, yes, but she will also prove valuable in bringing this corrupt regime down from the inside. Just wait for it. That's what I'm doing now.
I’m currently reading The Testaments and I love that they’re building the groundwork for what I believe is going to be that series. I hope they bring Ann back to play Lydia but they will also need someone younger for some parts.
I am shocked the Esther is pregnant I hope she survives the birth she is going to be 15 years old soon I hope she doesn't have a stillborn baby because it is not her fault they expect more kids just to have more and more power Gilead without a care to the handmaid's health and wellness and mental health
This is one of that rare moments when aunt Lydia really cares for the handmsid's wellness. She always intrigantes me because is estricted and brutal. By the other hand she has this shining moments of compassion and empaty. Baffling,...
Anne Dowd , who plays Lydia, said she couldn't approach the part by saying "I'm playing the most evil woman on Earth", so she had to figure out how Lydia rationalizes her own behaviour. She decided that She wants the girls to survive, and to do that, they have to learn to obey. So in her own mind, she's practicing tough love. She gouged out Janine's eye for telling her to go f**k herself, then later tried to get the other Handmaids to stone her to death, and when they wouldn't, burned their hands on the stove, but at the same time, she seems to consider Janine a special pet, buying her the eyepatch and promising her 'special desserts' if she's good.
Knowing the helplessness and rage and hopelessness she feels after failing to kill herself and being stuck now in this horrible condition...I mean, it's just unthinkable. It's alarming to me to realize that my right to end my life is actually a privilege. I take that autonomy for granted until I see things like this.
@@protennis365 It's definitely an option, especially if I was faced with Esther's situation. Canada isn't exactly looking favorably on Gilead refugees at this point, and even if she did manage to get away, she's carrying that pig's rape spawn. Yeah, no, I'd opt out in a heartbeat. She already tried once, I'm sure she'd try again if given the opportunity.
"Even unwittingly" makes that whole interrogation redudant because how can you confess to a behaviour you don't know you were emitting, just insinuating blame on the victim in a loophole way
It's hard to believe that aunt Lydia, who had a life before Gilead, could not understand that men don't always have good intentions in the best of circumstances. The ceremony is just wack-a-doodle! To have the wife cradle the handmaid between her legs as her husband does a weird missionary (?) thing with another person, is just crazy. Add to that Jezebels, it's no wonder the birth rate dropped! How many men with low sperm counts and have sex as many times as intimated, no wonder it took Serena to abstain from sex which made his sperm more potent and then get pregnant!
lydia is pretending to blame everything on her supposed ignorance on the subject lol but she KNOWS like esther says. she always knew. lawrence tells her too, you already knew.
Ohhh I can't WAIT to see the things that link the final season of Handmaid's Tale with the sequel "The Testaments," and especially The Testaments in full, in regards to Aunt Lydia. This whole entire time, Lydia has been the secret MVP.
@@nicki5271 you must not have seen or remember the flashback that showed the commanders coming up with the idea of the ceremony. It wasn't really about power. It was more like "how do we get our wives to go along with us f***ing other women?" Of course they are obsessed with power and taking it away from women but the fertility issue could not be solved with monogamy. To me, it's all disgusting and definitely rape but I think there are layers.
@@KNYD either you are genuinely curious or you think I need to explain myself to you. My response: What do you think? To me, Layers are reasons. I mean I'm sure you are able to list the various reasons why these men are raping these women without actually condoning the disgusting act of rape in any shape or form. The reasons you come up with are the answer. Maybe you don't have an answer. That's fine too.
I think Aunt Lydia from the tv show is going to be different frome the Testaments. Here she will turn against Gilead for the lack of respect they have for women. She is realizing that Gilead wasn't about children and babies, but just a lot of men that want to control everything in the sickest way. I think I like this option better than the one that was written in the book.
I really hate aunt Lydia, she said she wants to be more compassionate with the handmaids, but even if she tries, it is impossible in a place like Gilead.
It makes me remember how I loathed being touched before I started therapy… I appreciate the person who respected my space and made me feel heard on my own terms.
This is Gilead, not normal society. It is almost impossible for anyone to perceive actual rape as rape, because that is what the system is built on. It may be an offensive question, but Esther is the first to even admit that rape happened ( except in season 1 when the girls stoned to death a lowly man who allegedly raped a servant girl, however since Lydia tells what the man did, it may have been a lie).
I think Emily told June that the man the handmaids stoned in the particicution was actually from Mayday, and was said to be a rapist so that the handmaids would feel anger enough to kill him (and then feel complicit in Gilead's murderous regime, and too guilty to think about leaving). Keeping from them that he was actually part of a resistance movement a) stopped them sympathising and therefore hesitating to kill him, and b) steered them away from the concept of resisting Gilead (saying "he's a resistance fighter" plants that seed in their minds). I don't think the stoned man who was said to have raped a pregnant handmaid ("and the baby died," Aunt Lydia said) was actually a rapist at all, it was just the cover story Gilead told. If I'm recalling correctly, that is (it's a while since I've seen the first season).
This is typical of women in religious/patriarchal societies. They compartmentalize and even sacrifice other women in exchange for protection and a bit of power.
She likely went through a heavy process of brainwashing. Something like the handmaids, but even more rigid to make them such assholes who truly believe the shit the commanders would want them to
This is chilling. We are too close to this kind of scenario being our reality. Too many self-righteous strangers want to decide how the American people should live their lives. Their version of a "perfect" country, for All of us... would be a perfect nightmare.
FYI, irl pregnancies are NOT dated from conception…medically, the start of a pregnancy is the first day of the moms last period, with conception at about the end of week 2 after that, with week 1 and 2 of the “pregnancy” being before it is even conceived. So…you can’t take a 4 week pregnancy and say conception was 4 weeks ago….it was actually about 2 weeks prior. In this case, if the same in Gilead,a 3 week pregnancy would be conceived about a week before, and would be hard to detect visually.
As much as I not a fan of ester as she poised Janine…my heart breaks for her…we all know the handmaids are raped & unfortunately it’s still happening to women…the actresses in this show are amazing…I hope to see more scenes with Ester & Aunt Lydia
ann dowd is such an amazing actress. aunt lydia is a psychologically complex character. i think deep down she actually does love them in a twisted way but knows whats at stake if she mishandles her job.
I don't know when aunt Lydia, will open her eyes. does she not get that she literally facilitates young women for these commanders to rape? I mean the whole ceremony thing, its just like a "show". Such a powerful scene.
1:40 This is so interesting, because I was raised to believe that I was supposed to dress or act a certain way to prevent a man's advances. I even admit I had that kind of thinking when I was a teenager. Now I realize that the men have to take responsibility. But for so long, I was thinking it was my fault.
This is what happens to women in Georgia. Its fjcking disgusting that people actually think this sh is ok and believe they have the right to force pregnancy.
Like someone said in this thread before, she can't even see su**** as an option of escape. Because Janine attempted it in the first season and they brought her back.
The reason Lydia is so upset in this scene is because Esther was right...She did know. She knew what the men were doing to the handmaids all along, and she let it happen. She knew that handmaids who told people in the past that they were raped were blamed for it. Beaten, mutilated, hanged. It was NEVER the commander's fault. And Lydia did nothing. She doesn't know how to deal with her own guilt.
she knew but she also didn't. The best thing about this show is how they write the characters. She is 3 dimensional and her viewpoints don't always align. Like most of us, they are skewed by experiences. Lydia is obviously a devout follower. She sees what the handmaids do as a holy sacrament. She lies to herself every day. It is something I'm sure many people would do in that scenario. She sees the world wearing rosy blinders and doesn't let herself believe the dark truth. That's how a lot of narcissists live. She is an "aunt" and she has to believe what she's doing is for a good cause or her whole sense of self would crumble.
Lydia is just plain evil.
I feel like June was the only person who ever made Esther feel like it’s ok to be angry.
Agree
I mean....in their situation its more than okay to be angry , I have known some s*x workers in my life and their lives are often horrific, they get r*ped and beaten up almost all the time plus society treats them like trash aswell, these women usually develop some serious anger...especially against men...another good example is Aileen Wurnos...r*ped and abused her whole life she turned angry and bitter and started killing people , its only normal that a woman that has been abused soo much lashes out
I cried at this scene. She was only a child when this began, and still is. Now she’s pregnant with a child she doesn’t want. Who they will keep her a live, and give away once the baby is born. I felt her scream, since she can’t escape or leave. She’s going through so much pain, and the only time she felt protected was when June was with her.
Just like Republicans in the USA want for women, no choice, forced births, even if it means the death of the woman, no help once the fetus is born. Strap shovels on the feet of the baby and let them kick for coal. Ever notice how they have zero sympathy and zero empathy for others, but when it happens to them, then they demand both from others. That is the most unlike Christ one can be, but they claim to be Christian. They even invented the prosperity gospel. And no other religious call them out.
Poor thing can't even kill herself to escape, is horrible.
I cried too and honestly hoping someone helps her. Lawrence helped Emily and Nick helped June. I'm hoping one of them will do something for her. They already executed that pig Putnam. Just help that girl get out.
@@nessyness5447 I wonder who the child will go to. It can't go to Putnims family. As he won't be seen as the real father because she technically wasn't his handmaid yet.
@@louwinters508 which family anyway? Putnam is dead, his wife either re-marries or is turned into a martha.
Asking a rape victim if there was anything they did to invite the attention is beyond disgusting.
I feel she only asked out of procedure. She's obviously in pain facing the cold truth
@@rosediamond4132 Yeah right. She's asking because she wants to place some form of blame on her. That's often how victims of rape are treated and it's beyond vile.
@@rachaelsnapp8654 She asked so that she could absolve her of blame and get Putnam killed. This season is a big turning point for Lydia. What you say is completely true, but in this instance you're missing the big picture.
It also real, every rape victim have been asked that by someone.
@@rachaelsnapp8654stfu no one’s blameless even victims there’s always something you could of done that may not fit ur victim narrative but it’s true
McKenna Grace is such an incredible actor for such a young age. Amazing. I am also enjoying how the writers are playing out Lydia's character development.
She is becoming my favourite character as the actress is doing such an incredible job portraying her. Making your feel her pain, feel empathy for her, putting you in her shoes.
Truth
is that the girl who plays Sabrina's sister?
@@Meanie74 yes. McKenna Grace has played the young version of many characters. She was the young versions of Sabrina in CAOS, Tonya in I, Tonya, Caroline in The Vampire Diaries, Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel, Emma Swan in Once Upon a Time, Theo Crain in The Haunting of Hill House and more.
In addition to all these roles as the young version of other characters though she has had an excellent career in her own right. One movie I love of hers is Gifted which she did with Chris Evans. She was amazing in that role and was only 9 when they filmed it!
@@allshookup1640 I know her sister was crazy good in Mad Men too. Hope they grow up ok and aren’t fantastic actresses bc something bad 😅
Lydia is hands down the best character on the show and a complete scene stealer. The way she’s able to compartmentalize the horrors of Gilead is mind blowing. For example, as long as the rape (which she would never call it) happens during the “ceremony “, then it’s ordained by God and is righteous. But if it happens out of list, then that’s punishable by death. The way she’s able to shift gears emotionally when it comes to the fact that it’s all rape, no matter how you paint it, is incredible.
Well said, I really hope she comes through in the end!!
The show wouldn't have been as good as it is without Lydia. She makes a great villain
She plays the character very well. Hard to hate her sometimes aswell as love her. 😅🤔🤭
@@helenmcclay2622 understandable
Lydia is the best
She's not wrong. Lydia's not sorry...and she has the audacity to apologize and look shocked. She knows damn well what is being done to the girls she claims to love and care for, her so called "precious girls"...ignoring their pain, their cries, but at least in this room she was stuck for a moment and witnessed it. I hope those screams stay lodged inside her head, and there's plenty more silent screams like that.
We've seen her..."private" breakdowns, but until she does something about it or acts, I'll never believe that she is sorry. Getting Janine a damn eye-patch to help make up for the eye, she took out is not even an apology.
This scene wasn't about Lydia being "sorry" it was about her ideals and hierarchy coming crashing down before her eyes.
We're seeing the groundwork being laid for the Testaments! This is the beginning of Lydia's realization that the ideals of Gilead are disintegrating from within
I completely agree. It really upset me when she got Janine an eye patch to cheer her up. A violent abuser comforting their victim. It was disturbing.
@@NissanZaxima yes there was that too. And until she does something to follow through with all her promises about changing all this and bringing things back then I'll believe her.
Lydia has so much blood on her hands it is stained permanently on her skin.
"there is nothing to be ashamed of" big turn from the early Lydia filling them with shame. I believe this is her turning point that leads her to the Lydia in The Testaments
Me to!!!! That’s what hit the most like she realized it’s all bullshit and she’s been the person grooming these girls for these gross men
Yes, good point!
I hope the rumors are true and there will be a spin off with Ann Dowd as Lydia in The Testaments.
Yeah she caught her self after saying it wasn't her fault and she said did you do something to imply and then she started the victim blaming and became sterner.
@@davidgentile3269 they already going to shoot the testaments after finale season of HT. Ann Dowd is on board to play Lydia. Praise be!! 🙏
McKenna Grace is incredibly talented. I’m everything she does. I hope she’s protected. Especially since we are hearing about so many child stars being taken advantage of.
From River Phoenix to Britney Spears, the Olsen twins to Jennette McCurdy...I hope Grace will turn out like Jodie Foster, who despite being a former child star managed to keep her sanity whilst bagging two Oscars.
@@moisemensah8233 exactly. She’s so talented. I’ve seen her be in so much I’m like I hope she’s not being milked for all she’s worth while she’s young. Like I definitely hope she makes it out “alive”. Kids who have alot talent can become overworked and that’s just not right.
She keeps a low profile that’s for sure. You don’t see her in the news because technically she IS a teen now. And that’s when the tabloids tend to REALLY get interested in a child star. Look at the “stranger things” kids
@@moisemensah8233 even newer stars like Justim Bieber
@@mcnoneyaExactly! What do you think of Millie getting married ? I've heard so many mixed comments about it , I don't know , I'm more in the middle
@@Mikala_n_az Millie getting married? Awesome. Seriously. I hope she and her spouse have a lifelong love and everything they've dreamed of.
Aunt Lydia was angry with Esther for what she did to Janine but after she realized that the Handmaids were also being used for lust. she is now focused on making amends
Aunt Lydia knew this though, she isn’t stupid. She has just changed her tune and seeing things for as they really are.
Well...Good she is alive..
@@JC-pg3cy Exactly.. once assigned, the rape (aka the "ceremony") is okay.. but before then it's an abomination! Xian hypocrisy at its finest. Aunt Lydia makes that sick, twisted "Aunt Lydia" wanna be, Lori Alexander of the Transformed Wife proud.
when Ester said "He raped me". then aunt lydia said "that's terrible" , what a fucking joke , they raped each and every handmaid multiple times. Aunt lydia herself send every handmaid to commander.. But that scene was immaculate.
I hope to see Aunt Lydia turn from Gilead's evil ways!
This is a different reaction than I was expecting from Aunt Lydia. I really thought she would slap Esther or punish her for using the word rape, I think Lydia is becoming more human
I've always seen a little bit of good in Aunt Lydia. You can tell she does care for the girls, she just has always had a hard way of showing it. Also if the girls don't comply it is ultimately Aunt Lydia's ass that takes a beating.
For a moment when she said she was very angry I thought she would say for Esther leading the commander on to do what he did. How it was her fault. But as Esther looks so young maybe Aunt Lydia was finally gaining a little empathy for what was going on and cannot turn a blind eye to it as it happened not within the home as such as Lydia sees it plus it was before a handmaid was officially put in a home.
@@riverstone9005 you're right. She's a victim too.
she is coming to terms with the world she helped create. a world that sees children abused by hypocritical villains who crave power and hide behind religion. she saw herself as a crusader of moral and social upstanding and human survival, and still does. but the cracks in her rose tinted lenses are undeniable. but she doesn't know how to approach trauma survivors with ptsd.. hits her square between the eyes and all she can do is fake emotion or concern. she cannot deal with real life consequences.
but when faced with more child like situations like with the reverted janine, or june when she's acting compliant, she is better situated and reacts with genuine care and positivity when the handmaids are infantilised and their problems are smaller- less emotionally or sensually challenging. she's not socially adept either with other aunts, her connections are few and only born out of routine checkups and compulsory visits that come with her job role. she is not ever encouraged to be outgoing in her role, steeped in dogma, bigotry, extremism, cult behaviour- there's little room for foreign concepts or challenges. unfortunately, if she were to deradicalise and turn, she is too high up to get out safe and with anyone else saved. if she were to start speaking out, they already have her marked as someone to be retired and questioned for her past conduct. so whatever she does, her nec is already noosed.
@@tomcross3000 You nailed it. As evil as she's been throughout, you at least have to respect her convictions. She is a true believer, not a hypocrite commander who sneaks off to Jezebels. Of course, there's also what we find out from the books.
My boyfriend laugh choked on his beer when aunt Lydia said that’s terrible and said “that’s rich”. I didn’t even think he was paying attention to the series at all
You still together? 🙃
@@AW-xc1xci hope tf not 😭
@@urlocalparadiseMmm, why not?
This is Aunt Lydia finally realizing what she’s done. Her role as an Aunt and handler of the handmaids was just a way to mask her insecurity with self righteousness. Though her actions were deeply abusive and manipulative, from what we’ve seen from her past I think deep down she feels a responsibility and even maternal feelings for those handmaids as a former childrens school teacher. Her close bond with Janine widened her perspective on the pain that the handmaids are put through and it makes sense that the thing that would snap her back to reality is to see a child go through that same torture.
That’s a trauma scream. 😢 very good acting. I felt that.
Yep it’s how I felt right after confirming I’d been drugged and sexually assaulted. That brewing anger always comes out.
yes I felt it too. Pretty insane how she was able to do that without experiencing it in real life it seemed so real.
For any woman thats experienced rape, you know this is the exact feeling we felt inside when we had the weight of our rapist on top of us, unable to move, almost like we are handcuffed or glued in place, and youre screaming inside just like this, at the despair of having no power, no control, no escape. I cried badly after watching this scene because it took me right back. I remember saying "oh god no, please don't do this, I don't want to, please don't do this to me" but he wouldn't listen. It didn't matter how much I struggled or begged "please no" , he didn't care and he wasn't sorry. He didn't heed a word I said, EVEN after he had entered me and i gave him the chance to stop. It was at that point I knew nothing i did or said would stop this rape and that I would just have to close myself off and endure it, but inside I was exactly like this. Screaming in panic and despair. No woman truly recovers from her rape, we simply learn to live with what happened, but our trust in people and humanity completely goes. 😢
Oh my goodness. I am so so sorry that animal did that to you
@@zoe._.1850 Thank you, he only served 18 months for it 😔 I guess I'm lucky to have gotten even a little justice at all considering most rape goes unpunished. Still sucks though that he gets to enjoy his life whilst he destroyed any sense of trust I had in other people and any hope in humanity.
On top of that the disgusting creature got her pregnant
I am so sorry you experienced this. As someone who was sexually abused, I understand what you went through. I am glad he served some time, even though it was far too short. That will follow him for life. The man who did it to me never served time, so I understand to an extent how Esther feels in this. Together though we can overcome this, you are so much stronger than you realise. You give me hope, your strength and courage is something I can only aspire to x
@@oliviastaniland9585 You both are very strong to talk about something that never should have happened. But, you're still here and that counts for so much.
If she was in Texas right now she would be forced to keep the baby, even though she's just a child herself. And people say the handmaids tale is unrealistic.
Or Tennessee. It’s even worse here.
Everyday I save money to get sterilized
I think it does set a dangerous precedent to allow abortion for some and not others tbh. If you're allowed to abort babies conceived of rape but not others, you're saying to millions of people conceived that way that their lives are worth less than others
@@tn1340 No, you're saying that little girls should not be mothers. But given that there are thousands of child brides in the US I don't think they would care.
@sjn7688 I'm moreso looking at the rape side of things. But yeah, that's a huge part of it too
"Did you behave in a way that might have, even unwittingly, invited his attention?"
No, Lydia. You left an already traumatized 14 year old girl alone in a room with a man who you knew was a rapist. She was covered from head to toe, and you left her alone with him with the intention of eventually turning her into his concubine. You knew that he'd driven Jeanine to suicide, almost to the point she was about to jump off a bridge with her daughter in her arms. No sympathy and this is one character who is so brillianty frustrating that I hate her more than Serena.
That is exactly how lawyers used to say about rape victims. It was our fault
They still do. What saddens me about this series is you can see it happening right now in our country. This isn't some lovecraftian horror novel anymore... it is what many of our lawmakers are pushing for. Trying to take our rights.
Used to? Lol
They still do
I don't know what shocked me more about this scene: Ester finding out she was pregnant or the fact that Lydia said "I'm sorry."
In the book at least it’s also stated to the hand maids as a positive element of Gilead that now women are safe from rape and the male gaze, because of the strict rules on behaviour- so this is like a further confirmation that what she’s doing truly has no benefit to women whatsoever.
@@himynameishelen Oh shit for real? I guess that didn't age well huh.
Give her the damn Oscar! Holy shit that was raw!
Her and Lydia deserve Oscars
You mean an Emmy
Oscars are for movies. Emmys for tv series. But yeah, she deserves an award for this.
mostly both need emmy
Really shows that even if they think they're safe, as soon as one of the commanders' wives is confirmed fertile, they lose the fragile protection they cling. It happened to Esther, now Serena Joy.
Esther didn't become a handmaid because she was fertile.
Gilead knew from the beginning that Esther was fertile and she was married off to an old man. She became a handmaid because she rebelled.
@@KNYD Oh, didn't know that. Thanks for clarifying that to me.
@@KNYD true. Plus Econowives might be fertile too. I think the only certified barren women are Marthas, since every possible fertile woman would have to marry someone and try to have children
@@Arthalmia Even the Marthas are debatable, because the book (and the show has hinted at this too) outright states that it’s really the MEN who have the mass fertility problem, not the women. They’re the reason why the women aren’t getting pregnant AND the reason so many babies were being born unhealthy: even the sperm that did make it through to conception was too degraded to help create a healthy embryo.
But because their egos couldn’t handle the truth, they blamed it all on the women.
Yeah but unlike Esther, Serena had it coming.
I was disappointed to not see more of Esther this season. I heard McKenna Grace, who plays Esther, had to have spinal surgery and that's why she wasn't seen in more episodes. I hope to see her next season.
I was not expecting this and it made the truffle scene from episode 2 even more creepier
I had a feeling but dismissed it as me overthinking the scene .. but nope I got the same vibe as my experience of being sexually assaulted.
@julioaugusto1529 Can I ask what the truffle scene is?
@@choiga-in It happened in episode two of season five, when Aunt Lydia brings Esther into Putnam’s office to introduce her to him, he kicks the other Commanders and Aunt Lydia out of the room, leaving her there alone with him. He toys with her in a creepy manner by feeding her chocolate as if she was a baby. And then he rapes her afterwards off-screen.
@@iamsherlocked345same
I knew what he was planning as soon as he made everyone leave the room
But i didn't wanna believe it
Wow. What an incredible actress. McKenna is 16 irl! That scream hit me like a train. I screamed like that when I was going through postpartum psychosis & severe PPD. I screamed blue murder from all the pain inside my head. Now that is talent.
I felt that scream when I realized I had been drugged and raped…. Realizing that years later is horrible far different from reading that it happened to other victims. The pure anger is something else entirely.
This scene was so disturbing to me on so many levels, but mostly bc I had a breakdown like this when I was 10. I was being physically and emotionally abused by my father and step mother, and like these women, I was literally afraid for my life if anybody found out. And of course someone eventually did, and I had several fits where I screamed and thrashed and punched things until my fingers almost broke. I can only watch 1 or 2 episodes at a time and then I have to stop for several months or I just get in to dark a place.
I'm so sorry you had to suffer all of that. Being abused is brutal; especially as an innocent kid. You deserved all the love, hugs, to be comforted when scared, and all the good things. What helped me was that one day I was sitting on my bed (I was early 30's at that time and my bf was out of town and I had had my mom take my son overnight so I could get some me time) and my dresser mirror was across from me. I just looked into my own eyes - actually into my inner child's eyes as I knew she was hurting so deeply even after all that time - and hugged myself as tightly as I could. In essence hugging my inner child. And while doing so, I just kept saying "You're loved. You're safe. You are Enough. You matter. You're precious. You did nothing wrong." I sobbed hard. I was so mentally and emotionally drained after that but it felt like a lot of the weight on my back had lessened a LOT. Our inner child IS us when we were young, and tlc does help. I'll go swinging even to this day, I'll watch silly cartoons and laugh my ass off; basically I let my inner child come out and it's like 'who cares what anyone else thinks', and I play. I'll color. I'll sing silly songs. Whatever makes my inner child feel happy, safe, loved and that it's okay to let go and just Be. Maybe that could be a help to you, if it feels right to do. I'll say the same to you: You're precious. You matter. You did nothing wrong. You are Enough.
@@SariennMusic73Your words are very kind. And they hold much truth. It’s hard for me to connect to that younger part of myself, bc I shut her away bc it just hurt too much otherwise. But overtime, I’m trying to allow for those moments in my life where light can come back into those dark and closed off spaces. It’s jarring at times. But I’m hoping that with practice it can begin to feel more natural and more comforting.
This season has definitely revived the show
the show never went down hill lol
@@thecuantocabronshow5072I think it did.
I watched till season 3, I believe.
All the buzz this show had died afterwards.
You say that as if it had any bad episode or season, wtf, lol
Sad to think of the parallels between Esther and Eden (from earlier on) both are barely teenagers going through adult problems in Gilead. Though quite opposite (Esther with her disdain for Gilead’s ways and Eden with her blind faith and optimism) both were just girls at heart, who hoped for some semblance of normalcy. They wanted to feel safe and protected and most importantly loved. Though Eden was being conditioned into her new life as a child bride, she still had a family who cared for her (seen at her execution) vs Esther who was brought up in Gilead by a man whom she was forced to marry and be raped by his friends/cohorts regularly. While one grew hope the other grew resentment. Eden’s path showed what faith and trust in the system gets you in Gilead, while Esther shows us what you get when you put up a fight.
Remember, right before Aunt Lydia approaches Esther sympathetically, she is shown slapping her unconscious face, and mere moments before seeing her in this scene she is asking Esther’s doctor why her _uterus harvesting_ procedure was halted… While Eden wouldn’t have been alive after drowning, I wonder why they didn’t consider doing this procedure for her before her execution… If they truly believed in their cause, they would exercise every option to further advance the population, especially before lawfully killing a fertile bride…
I think its showing their desperation.... and for tv ratings.
Eden's family cared so much for her that her own father turned her in ! Her mother was the one who cried when they drowned her.
@@maggiesmith856 forgot it was her dad who turned her in…
Yeah Eden being killed if she was fertile wouldn’t make sense, she’d have become a handmaiden like Esther
Yeah, i loved the part in which her father loved her so much he turned her in and they executed her
Fatherly love, amirite? 🥰
What an incredible actors and actresses they are, in The Handmaid’s Tale! All of them. Nothing but admiration.
Aunt Lydia is one of my favorite characters, not for her actions but for how she is portrayed. She had several turning points during the series; they were all brief, and sometimes, they turned her back on track to be one of Gilead's "loyal" servants (like when she was almost killed by Emily). She clearly understands that not everything Gilead is doing is good, even in their world, but with the actions of her girls, she always dismisses it as justified. Handmaids were sinful women, and their only redeemable characteristics were that they were still able to bear children. If any other handmaid said she got raped by one of the commanders or if this happened earlier in the series, she would excuse it as "she leads him on," etc. But here is a 14 years old girl whose only "sin" was that her elderly husband died. Esther was a respected wife and only a teenager, so even aunt Lydia understands that she did nothing but be present. Lydia DOES care for "her girls," but she can only show it in the way Gilead allows her. Knowing your place, not stepping out of line, and bearing children is the only way to have a somewhat "easy" life in Gilead, and it is the only way to stay alive in hindsight. She couldn't do much more even if she wanted to, but she is slowly getting to a point where she sees more evilness on the side she is initially supporting. She is complex and definitely not all evil like some people think she is, and she definitely cares more about her girls than everyone believes.
yeah
Well said.
mckenna grace is an amazing actress. i cannot wait to see more of her in season 6! i hope esther gets peace, poor child, i feel so horrible watching her go through all of this. the handmaids tale is one of my most favorite shows. i love it so much.
But Lydia can't be that naive to think this us the 1st time
Especially not after the incident with Janine on the bridge...an event caused by the same Commander for gods sake!
Lydiaisa hypocrite....she says that she is sorry but "ceremony" is also r*pe....also she blamed Janine before when she told that shewas gang r*ped , she doesnt deserve a redemption....and I dont know how isthis even possible considering what she has done
There has to be only so many times you can watch people under the system you are directly running absolutely SNAP before you HAVE to start questioning it. JFC, what number are we up to for Lydia’s handmaids alone? Janine, June, “Ofmatthew”, the second “Ofglen”, the first Ofglen, the Offred before June…
@@AbbyWhisperWitch janine fell in love with her commander, and she pleasured him in private by her own concent. Which is considered like a treason kn Gilead.
She isn’t but I also think she needed to put on the blinders in order to survive. You learn A LOT more about Aunt Lydia in The Testaments. If you haven’t read it, you definitely should.
I've never watched this show, but holy crap is this intense. I didn't think McKenna was capable of those screams or F-bombs. I might have to start watching this show now.
It's the most f'd up show you'll ever see. I absolutely love it.
Good luck dawg, it's fuckin messed up but brilliantly done
Please start from season one
It’s 5 seasons your gonna be watching for a long time lol
HOW CAN ANY CHILD BEHAVE UNWITTINGLY AGAINST HORRIFIC EVIL???!!!
I studied psychology. I think saying “did you do anything?” Was her not able to face the reality of the situation - that a man raped a child because he could.
I’m not saying this is right. This is still vile, but it does have a comprehensible explanation. It’s not incomprehensible.
@@emilydoe4139
Lydia is her first day un Gilead or what? This is a Rape State itself
@@nielubieinceliDenial is a hell of a thing.
Aunt Lydia, you do realize the "ceremonies" are the same thing right? Do any Aunt Lydia fans in the comments remember that?
To her, those were ordained by God and necessary, that any Handmaid's consent was unsaid but implied. It's the case of "Why didn't they say no?" If they say nothing, she can say they said yes
Dude, we don't say rape is ok. We love characters like Lydia or Serena but DO NOT excuse them
I know she is just being hypocrisy
One of those things she has been keeping compartmentalized--look at the shock when the young lady says, "You've known all along what they do to us." She clearly hasn't heard it quite this bluntly before.
I thought Aunt Lydia finally has the character arc that we anticipated since S1 but remembered that she only considers this as rape because it happened before Esther's posting. She sees whatever they do to "her girls" after the posting "sacred ceremonies" when they are literally also rape. Yes she might seem to care about the girls but fundamentally all she cares about is whether or not they can be birthing vessels for their extreme religious beliefs
It's a good juxtaposition to the first season to when they had a blame circle for Jane, when she admitted she was raped preGiled
This scene broke my heart. The actors who play Lydia and Esther are PHENOMENAL!
Notice how when Lydia questions Esther, she is hesitant because she knows. She already knows Putnam raped her, but she words it in a way where the Commander wasn’t at fault. You can see on her face she wants to ask her if Putnam raped her, but she stops herself. She’s conflicted between her emotions and her “faith”.
My heart breaks for Esther more. She was married to a much older man, who gave her to others to be raped in order to get pregnant because her husband couldn’t. She finds hope in June just to have it taken away from her, forced to become a Handmaid and right back into being raped.
I’m wondering what they’re going to do with her character this coming season. And I’m wondering if Gilead would allow her to get rid of the child, since she got pregnant out of the ceremony, and she’s not “assigned”.
No the baby would go to a commander or something, they wouldn’t abort the baby
They wouldn't let her get rid of the rapist's baby
Just like republican politics, real life villains
What absolutely fantastic acting by Mckenna Grace
Dear God my heart is just breaking for Esther! I feel like she never should have made that move in attempting to poison herself and Janine to death but I get that Esther's absolutely been through it and has been so messed up. 😭
Also, I definetly don't hate Aunt Lydia in the way I used to before discovering more of the truth. She did terrible things, yes, but she will also prove valuable in bringing this corrupt regime down from the inside. Just wait for it. That's what I'm doing now.
Whether or not it's part of the ceremony, it is still rape.
@@jammzy2959 Truth.
I’m currently reading The Testaments and I love that they’re building the groundwork for what I believe is going to be that series. I hope they bring Ann back to play Lydia but they will also need someone younger for some parts.
I also think she's gonna be vital to taking down gilead
She already proved she has A LOT of information on every commander
I very much enjoyed the scene where Putnam got a bloody unibrow as punishment for this act
I don’t think I’ve ever met a character as hurt as Esther.
I am shocked the Esther is pregnant I hope she survives the birth she is going to be 15 years old soon I hope she doesn't have a stillborn baby because it is not her fault they expect more kids just to have more and more power Gilead without a care to the handmaid's health and wellness and mental health
Aunt Lydia is my favorite character. I think she will be one of many who will turn it all around in the end.
Lydia has amazing character development.
Her actions in The Testament go a long way toward redeeming herself!
This is one of that rare moments when aunt Lydia really cares for the handmsid's wellness. She always intrigantes me because is estricted and brutal. By the other hand she has this shining moments of compassion and empaty. Baffling,...
A classic Narc trait/ disorder.
She plays the part well.
Anne Dowd , who plays Lydia, said she couldn't approach the part by saying "I'm playing the most evil woman on Earth", so she had to figure out how Lydia rationalizes her own behaviour. She decided that She wants the girls to survive, and to do that, they have to learn to obey. So in her own mind, she's practicing tough love. She gouged out Janine's eye for telling her to go f**k herself, then later tried to get the other Handmaids to stone her to death, and when they wouldn't, burned their hands on the stove, but at the same time, she seems to consider Janine a special pet, buying her the eyepatch and promising her 'special desserts' if she's good.
This was a big shocker.
My heart breaks over and over for Esther. Somebody get her out of there! 🥺
Aunt Lydia is painfully naive.
And people vote for senators that say it’s still the woman’s fault.
Knowing the helplessness and rage and hopelessness she feels after failing to kill herself and being stuck now in this horrible condition...I mean, it's just unthinkable. It's alarming to me to realize that my right to end my life is actually a privilege. I take that autonomy for granted until I see things like this.
Ending your own life is not an option. Emily found a way to go to Canada.
@@protennis365 It's definitely an option, especially if I was faced with Esther's situation. Canada isn't exactly looking favorably on Gilead refugees at this point, and even if she did manage to get away, she's carrying that pig's rape spawn. Yeah, no, I'd opt out in a heartbeat. She already tried once, I'm sure she'd try again if given the opportunity.
This was SUCH an amazing scene
"Even unwittingly" makes that whole interrogation redudant because how can you confess to a behaviour you don't know you were emitting, just insinuating blame on the victim in a loophole way
The acting is absolutely incredible
"GET OUT!!!"
I don't really think she meant Lydia.
It's hard to believe that aunt Lydia, who had a life before Gilead, could not understand that men don't always have good intentions in the best of circumstances. The ceremony is just wack-a-doodle!
To have the wife cradle the handmaid between her legs as her husband does a weird missionary (?) thing with another person, is just crazy. Add to that Jezebels, it's no wonder the birth rate dropped! How many men with low sperm counts and have sex as many times as intimated, no wonder it took Serena to abstain from sex which made his sperm more potent and then get pregnant!
She thinks that rape is a fault of a woman. That a woman behaved lustful and provoked a man. Many women actually think this way about rape victims.
Ngl, i think it isn't fred's baby but mr. Tuello's
He kinda seems like he likes her, and she went to see nichole by herself, without fred
Sus af
@@alext7500 Years ago, rape WAS thought to be brought on by the way a woman dressed or acted. Rape is not sex, it's a form of violence.
lydia is pretending to blame everything on her supposed ignorance on the subject lol but she KNOWS like esther says. she always knew. lawrence tells her too, you already knew.
And the Emmy goes to…this is a masterclass of acting
Poor Esther - she is literally a child and she has gone through all this.
Ohhh I can't WAIT to see the things that link the final season of Handmaid's Tale with the sequel "The Testaments," and especially The Testaments in full, in regards to Aunt Lydia.
This whole entire time, Lydia has been the secret MVP.
MCKENNA GRACE! She is one of the best child actors and actors PERIOD right now! She is so talented!
Aunt Lydia has more faith than the commanders. The commanders are really power hungry
Lol the commanders don't believe in the ceremony.
@@jammzy2959 No, they see it as easy sex and the wife will be happy if they get pregnant.
@@nicki5271 you must not have seen or remember the flashback that showed the commanders coming up with the idea of the ceremony. It wasn't really about power. It was more like "how do we get our wives to go along with us f***ing other women?" Of course they are obsessed with power and taking it away from women but the fertility issue could not be solved with monogamy. To me, it's all disgusting and definitely rape but I think there are layers.
@@jammzy2959 And what are those layers?
@@KNYD either you are genuinely curious or you think I need to explain myself to you. My response: What do you think? To me, Layers are reasons. I mean I'm sure you are able to list the various reasons why these men are raping these women without actually condoning the disgusting act of rape in any shape or form. The reasons you come up with are the answer. Maybe you don't have an answer. That's fine too.
I think Aunt Lydia from the tv show is going to be different frome the Testaments. Here she will turn against Gilead for the lack of respect they have for women. She is realizing that Gilead wasn't about children and babies, but just a lot of men that want to control everything in the sickest way. I think I like this option better than the one that was written in the book.
i find it funny how one minute shes playing paige on young sheldon next minute shes ester on the handmaids tale
I really hate aunt Lydia, she said she wants to be more compassionate with the handmaids, but even if she tries, it is impossible in a place like Gilead.
Believe it or not - McKenna Grace's back must hurt for carrying this show on her own
Lol she's amazing but let's not go that far. The entire ccast has always been phenomenal. She's definitely an excellent addition. I miss alma too.
@@importantstuf8870 yeah. I just miss the writing as it was in the firsts seasons
Huh? All of the actors on this show are great! Like, literally all of them.
@@importantstuf8870 Alma Coin?
um NO. all the actors ate great
Seeing her reaction when Aunt Lydia touched her…
It rips my fucking heart and wrenches my gut.
It makes me remember how I loathed being touched before I started therapy… I appreciate the person who respected my space and made me feel heard on my own terms.
Didn't Lydia tell Janine in season 1 that when she was raped in the past it was her fault?
Yeppp 😣😬 that scene makes me cringe and feel equally angry at Lydia
I get so much pain to see how Esther ended up in that moment.
This is Gilead, not normal society.
It is almost impossible for anyone to perceive actual rape as rape, because that is what the system is built on.
It may be an offensive question, but Esther is the first to even admit that rape happened ( except in season 1 when the girls stoned to death a lowly man who allegedly raped a servant girl, however since Lydia tells what the man did, it may have been a lie).
I think Emily told June that the man the handmaids stoned in the particicution was actually from Mayday, and was said to be a rapist so that the handmaids would feel anger enough to kill him (and then feel complicit in Gilead's murderous regime, and too guilty to think about leaving). Keeping from them that he was actually part of a resistance movement a) stopped them sympathising and therefore hesitating to kill him, and b) steered them away from the concept of resisting Gilead (saying "he's a resistance fighter" plants that seed in their minds). I don't think the stoned man who was said to have raped a pregnant handmaid ("and the baby died," Aunt Lydia said) was actually a rapist at all, it was just the cover story Gilead told. If I'm recalling correctly, that is (it's a while since I've seen the first season).
I am bawling my eyes out. Poor Esther.
This seems a bit hollow to me. Aunt Lydia is just now realizing the commanders don’t have the best intentions?
This is typical of women in religious/patriarchal societies. They compartmentalize and even sacrifice other women in exchange for protection and a bit of power.
Welcome to the world, little one. Time to learn how human beings think. Or don’t
She likely went through a heavy process of brainwashing. Something like the handmaids, but even more rigid to make them such assholes who truly believe the shit the commanders would want them to
She's got strong denial skills.
Its a heavy charge to blame anyone in Gilead for that crime,especially a commander but then,the whole apparatus is built on this premise.
the handmaid's tale is full of good actors omg
omfg did Lydia really just try to find a way to blame the victim? This child??
It was here Aunt Lydia asked herself, in the words of Mitchell and Webb, “are we the baddies?”
I think Ann is absolutely stunning, she has beautiful eyes
She's so conditioned that it's hard to hate her. She really believes that whatever she believes is right and moral. She's so delusional
This is chilling. We are too close to this kind of scenario being our reality. Too many self-righteous strangers want to decide how the American people should live their lives. Their version of a "perfect" country, for All of us... would be a perfect nightmare.
FYI, irl pregnancies are NOT dated from conception…medically, the start of a pregnancy is the first day of the moms last period, with conception at about the end of week 2 after that, with week 1 and 2 of the “pregnancy” being before it is even conceived. So…you can’t take a 4 week pregnancy and say conception was 4 weeks ago….it was actually about 2 weeks prior. In this case, if the same in Gilead,a 3 week pregnancy would be conceived about a week before, and would be hard to detect visually.
I don’t care that Lydia has been trying to right her wrongs. I want her to get what’s been coming to her
Aunt Lydia is SUCH a horrible monster.
Ann Dowd is such an incredible actor. She brings such gravitas to her monster.
As much as I not a fan of ester as she poised Janine…my heart breaks for her…we all know the handmaids are raped & unfortunately it’s still happening to women…the actresses in this show are amazing…I hope to see more scenes with Ester & Aunt Lydia
Lydia used to believe her own lies, but now she doesnt
Did anyone notice at the funeral when the hand maids arrived how Nick and Esther passed and took a half glance and looked back at each other?
ann dowd is such an amazing actress. aunt lydia is a psychologically complex character. i think deep down she actually does love them in a twisted way but knows whats at stake if she mishandles her job.
Mckenna Grace is SO talented but her playing this role worries me the subject matter is very strong and even playing the part can be traumatizing.
I absolutely loved seeing this softer side of Aunt Lydia, the character arc is great. We all know how horribly she treated Janine when she was raped
I don't know when aunt Lydia, will open her eyes. does she not get that she literally facilitates young women for these commanders to rape? I mean the whole ceremony thing, its just like a "show". Such a powerful scene.
Damn, this scene still shocks me until today
In the Testaments book, Aunt Lydia helps to take down Gilead
1:40 This is so interesting, because I was raised to believe that I was supposed to dress or act a certain way to prevent a man's advances.
I even admit I had that kind of thinking when I was a teenager.
Now I realize that the men have to take responsibility.
But for so long, I was thinking it was my fault.
Wow just wow this girl can act!
Even Aunt Lydia has standards and what Putnam did was too far even for her.
Phenomenal performance
This is what happens to women in Georgia. Its fjcking disgusting that people actually think this sh is ok and believe they have the right to force pregnancy.
When population is dropping, people will find this acceptable.
Is this the beginning of the Lydia of The Testaments?
That's good.
Still want Emily to get her revenge and finish the job.
Why this scene is so sad, Lydia still don't get it. 😢
I hope she becomes free, and can get to Canada. And never have to bear that fetus.
I know it's acting but that was hard to watch, at the same time I couldn't look away.
Like someone said in this thread before, she can't even see su**** as an option of escape. Because Janine attempted it in the first season and they brought her back.