‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Explores the Resistance (TV REVIEW)

[rating=8.00] “The Other Side”

Sometimes it’s hard to peer through the looking glass; the other side may carry a truth you’re not ready for. This week’s Handmaid’s Tale gave us a peek at what life is like for those who got away; including June’s husband, Luke. After it was revealed that he’s been a part of the resistance, we got a look at how he got there. The pace of the episode was quick, leaving an intricate tone in its path. While it was hard to watch, it didn’t sit as heavy on your shoulders as Gilead has been.

As June and Hannah are pulled away into the throes of this nightmare world, Luke is spared. Likely this is for questioning, but as we’ve learned, it’s not just the women who are losing their ability to reproduce. Perhaps fertile men are being rounded up in an equivalent manner to women? Anything is possible.

Luke getting shot was a blessing in disguise. His escape wouldn’t have been possible had he not been shot, and then wrecked in the ambulance. It’s not the best way to work towards freedom, but Luke being alive is the only way he could help June and Hannah. On the one hand, he never knew if he would find a way out, but on the other the sheer coincidence in June finding out about his survival will push her to keep going.

One theme that’s remained firmly in place thus far has been the fleeting permanence of this new world. Luke’s saviors were a part of the resistance, the leader of which is a well-intentioned woman with military and medical experience. We were given all of ten seconds to learn from her before she was shot down by the army of Gilead. This huge piece in the puzzle of the resistance, merely thrown away. It speaks to the world, tying in with earlier themes set forth by the treatment of Ofglen.

It’s eerie, watching Luke settle into his new life in what should be Canada, but instead stands in for America. We see stars and stripes adorning the streets, freedom, happiness. The founding fathers’ portraits adorn the walls of city officials, and the American flag stands freely on the edges of the room. It’s almost as if nothing ever happened. That is, until you see the outlines of the stars that once represented our 50 states. A lone star sits in the middle of the square, acting as a reminder of who we have become.

The same way we have been left to question June/Offred’s feelings as she navigates her circumstance, we are given very little about Luke. Has he moved on with this silent woman? Is he feeling the same guilt Offred has been grappling with, or is his conscience clean as he solely fights to find his family? It would be easy to place him in the hero category; he’s been the sole male we’ve met so far who is lacking nefarious intentions. But as we’re left in the dark about much of Luke’s life, we must approach this seeming thread of hope with caution.

The three-week time gap between Luke’s finding out about June being alive leaves us floundering. A lot can happen in three weeks, and one has to wonder whether or not the man who risked everything to bridge their divide is even still alive. As time has gone by, Offred will be closer to being expected to be pregnant. Has she succeeded? Or has she sat quietly counting down the days until she is sent to the colonies by Fred, accused of being an unwoman?

The abject horrors of this reality are now seeping heavily into the flashbacks we receive. Yes, we learn about what was before, but it bleeds into what is now. This mirrors the blur of who these characters are, and who they are perceived to be. Is June now Offred? Handmaid, and reluctantly resilient human who quietly yearns for another way. Or is Offred, June? A hard as nails, headstrong being, mother of Hannah, partner to Luke, and autonomous person? The same conundrum haunts all the characters, pacing in the shadows as the uncertainty of their situation lingers.

As the subject matter deepens, so too does our investment in the story.  Does it make it better, or worse that Luke is basking in the freedoms still held outside of Gilead? This stands as the sole reminder of what once was, and it’s devastating. This is where we linger, this is what we could become.

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