Questions About "The Handmaid's Tale" FInale
This post contains spoilers for the season one finale of The Handmaid’s Tale.
Like the book, The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu was an emotional roller coaster that ended in darkness for Offred. And maybe a sprinkle of hope. After 10 stunning episodes, Offred is pregnant. She's finally left the Waterford estate, seemingly with the help of Nick. Where will the show go from here?
1. Do the ear tags really work? We’ve seen these tags on the show before (recall Offred’s left ear when she’s in the tub in the season premiere and the left ear of the mute woman who escapes to Canada with Luke in episode seven), but it’s unclear if the tags really work. If they’re supposed to be GPS-like devices (Aunt Lydia says, “You are so very precious, we wouldn’t want to lose you,” before stapling Offred’s ear in a flashback), then how did the mute woman escape? Is it like spotty Wi-Fi?
2. Is the baby really Nick’s? Unless a DNA test is conducted Maury Povich-style between Nick, Offred, and the Commander (with Serena Joy being held down by security in case she throws a chair), we may never know who the real father of Offred’s unborn child is - on paper anyway. It’s even more chilling that the Commander asks Offred, “Is it mine?” as she responds, “Of course,” with a slight smile, before he fires back, “You do that so well.” I'd still hold your congratulations for Nick. It's not a good time or place for celebrating.
3. How will Hannah get out of Gilead? Assuming that Offred eventually gets out, or that Luke finally puts Operation Save Hannah in motion, what will the rescue mission look like?
4. Will Janine live? After the fellow Handmaids refuse to stone her at a salvaging, what will Gilead do with Janine now? And why did Lydia and company decide to stone Janine to death if Gilead is desperate for women with viable ovaries? Was this a test for something else?
5. What will happen to Aunt Lydia? As she reminds the guard approaching Offred after she refuses to stone Janine, the girls are her “responsibility,” so a failed salvaging organized by Lydia probably doesn’t look good for Lydia. Will she be punished? Will the dark room of gross men, who just "decided" to saw off a fellow Commander's hand, have anything to do with her future?
6a. Will Rita mail the letters to Canada or elsewhere? Now that they’re in her possession, what will Rita do with the dozens of letters written by other Handmaids? Will she get in touch with Alma, who told Offred about the mysterious package in the first place?
6b. Is the rest of the world really clueless to what's going on in Gilead? Or is Gilead intentionally shut off to the events of the outside world (save for a few Commanders and other figures of authority)?
7. Is Ofsteven, formerly Ofglen, formerly Emily, still alive? I was really hoping for an update on Ofsteven after seeing her run over a guard in the middle of town. I was also hoping to see that cute dog she briefly played with at her new Commander's house again.
8. Will we ever get to see what a colony looks like? Is this where Ofsteven is?
9. Will Offred’s mother ever be on the show? Either in a reunion, flashback, or documentaries at the Red Center? Things looked like they were going that direction in the finale when Offred was taken to a room with screens, but Aunt Lydia just stapled her ear and nothing played on the screen.
10. Where is Offred going? And will Nick be joining her? If the show is to stay true to the book in this closing scene, it's unclear whether or not Offred is heading to join other members of the Mayday movement or if she's actually going to be punished for refusing an order from Aunt Lydia during the salvaging.
11. Will Offred reunite with Luke? In the book's epilogue, it's implied that Offred escaped long enough to share the account of her time in Gilead. If the show continues in this direction, will we get to see Offred reunite with Luke, giving way to a possible love triangle with Nick?
Follow Peggy on Twitter and Cosmo Celeb on Facebook.
You Might Also Like
