#i did illustrate a scene from Lydias nightmare

[mintea-in-space]

Tar In His Veins Chapter 5

God it was dark. Why was it so dark? Lydia strained her eyes, struggling to see in the pitch black.

It reminded her of the Netherworld.

Too much.

She heard more than felt her boots hitting the floor, arms pumping.

Running.

Somewhere.

Anywhere but here.

She knew tears were streaming down her face, as she ran blindly in the dark. But where could she go? Her dad wasn’t here, and her mom was gone.

No one could save her this time.

A pin prick of light snatched her attention.

There! A person! Maybe? No, for sure!

She ran faster, breaths coming out in huffs, combat boots thumping with every step.

She almost sobbed when she saw stripes.

It was him, he was here! In the light! She locked her gaze to his striped back.

Just get to your demon, then you can figure out how to leave this awful place. Just get to Beej-

She stopped when he slowly turned.

He wasn’t right.

His eyes were swimming voids of green, hair white, face blank.

Empty.

Lydia’s heart dropped to her boots.

She took a step back.

And he took one forward.

“Beej? Beej what’s going on?”

She whispered.

No answer. Just that blank stare.

“Okay Beej that’s enough! You’re kinda freaking me out here! And not in the good way!”

Another step forward.

Another step back. She shuffled back until she felt her back hit an invisible wall. Her ears were ringing. And it smelled.

It smelled like death.

He just kept walking. Black beaded at Beetlejuice’s tear ducts, and suddenly it overflowed. It dripped, black ooze, welling in his eyes. It streaked down his cheeks, smearing dirt and grime and makeup on his face.

Lydia felt her breath catch in her throat. Frozen with fear, while the shell of her best friend shuffled closer.

“Beej please.”

It came out in a whisper.

Tears fell down her own cheeks, fear twisting with confusion.

Beetlejuice shuddered to a halt.

Opening his mouth, black dripped from his maw, sliding down his chin.

And then it was a stream, then bigger, until it poured out of him. It just wouldn’t stop. It pooled around her feet, and she felt it rise.

No.

No no no nonononononNONONONONONO!

She was going to drown. The viscous liquid was at her knees now. And still he stared.

It just kept coming. And she was trapped.

It was at her waist now, clinging to her skirt and legs, thick, like ink.

Or blood.

She finally turned and slammed her fist against the invisible walls around her, crying, screaming.

She was up to her arm pits, the blood trapping her arms under it, she couldn’t move, it was everywhere, and just before she went under, she saw his face twist into fear.

He gargled the words.

“I’m sorry Lydia.”

And she sucked in a lungful of black.

She woke up screaming, flailing around, eyes wild in her head. Beetlejuice, who had phased through the floor as soon as he heard screaming, almost got a punch to the face.

“Whoa kid! Kid what’s wrong?! What happened?!”

Grabbing her wrists, he gently rubbed the back of her hands. Beej hoped she couldn’t tell he was shaking.

The Maitlands had brought him up to the attic. They showed him to a couch they had placed in the corner, and gave him several blankets, most of which he was sure one of them made. They let him get settled, arranging the blankets to form a nest of sorts, before he smiled. His hair was dusty pink on the tips, just barely there, but Barbara caught it. They smiled at him, before whispering that they were right across the hall, and that their door was always open. He tried not to get his hopes up, but it was hard. The two were so kind, and vibrant.

Beetlejuice didn’t know the dead could look so bright.

So he did his best to sleep.

It wasn’t easy.

The Netherworld didn’t exactly have a lot of warm beds and safe feelings.

No, you always felt the nagging feeling you were lost, that something was wrong. And he sure as hell never slept with his mother around.

“Demons don’t need sleep you worthless excuse of a man!”

Juno’s voice still echoed in his mind.

Shuddering, he snuggled further into his nest.

“Just close your eyes Beej,” he mumbled. “Just close your eyes and relax. It’s warm, you’re safe, everything is-“

The first high pitched whine hit his ears. Startled, Beetlejuice whipped off the blanket covering his head, looking around.

That came from downstairs.

Ears twitching, he sat up further, straining to hear another sound.

The moan shot through him like a bullet, and just like that he phased out of the nest and straight through the floor.

Lydia was still on the couch. Charles hadn’t wanted to risk moving her and waking her up, so he had simply draped a quilt over her and let her sleep.

But her face was twisted. She let out short breaths, hands and legs twitching in her sleep. She let out little mumbles, and he couldn’t make out many words. Just a few ‘no’s’ and ‘please’s’.

Beetlejuice did the only thing he could think of.

He knelt by the couch, and waited.

He knew what night terrors are. It’s hard not to, living with Juno. But he knew that usually, it could be bad, even dangerous to try and wake someone up during one. So he just put a hand on her arm and waited.

It was torture.

He couldn’t do anything, even when Lydia’s eyes rolled behind her lids, when the little mumbles became words, then shouts. And the thrashing. Hair white, hands shaking, he just tried to hold her through it. And when she finally woke up he could have sobbed.

“Whoa kid! Kid what’s wrong?! What happened?!”

Lydia ripped herself from him. His hair was the same as before, a stark white. She trembled.

Confused, and hurt, Beej pulled away, sickly yellow creeping into his hair. Shit he messed up this time. He should go. They wanted him to stay until Lydia woke up except now she was scared of him.

Lydia Deetz.

Scared.

Of him.

He curled on himself, or at least he tried to, thoughts forming a blizzard in his head. But Lydia launched herself off the couch and into his arms. She was shaking.

He gingerly put his arms around her, and when she didn’t pull away, he tightened his grip on her shirt.

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to scare you.”

It was muffled, face pressed into his shirt. Puzzled, the demon shook his head.

“I’m sorry, you’re sorry? I clearly did something! Lyds you’re shaking. I know night terrors can be a bitch, trust me I’ve been there, but I’m the one who should be sorry! God you were scared of me! You’ve never been scared of me! I-“

Lifting her head she glared at him, effectively shutting him up. With a sigh, she pulled away, wiping her face of tears.

“It wasn’t you Beej. It was just... never mind.”

Oh no, that wouldn’t do. Beetlejuice, master of communication, can’t let that one go!

“No tell me. I wanna know. Is it a person? Someone I can kill? Or scare at least? Come on kid just point me in the right direction and they’ll wish they were never born!”

Lydia snorted.

“No Beej it isn’t a person. Really, it’s fine, been having these stupid nightmares for weeks.”

He furrowed his brows. A third arm sprouted from his back to scratch his chin, pretending to be deep in thought.

“Hmmmm, that’s miiiighty suspicious Watson. Don’t think I can let you off that easy.”

He smiled at the giggle he got, then frowned when she looked away.

He waited, letting her make the first move. He knew how to read his best friend, and he knew it would eat at her from the inside if she didn’t talk about it, so he waited.

Picking at the hem of her skirt, Lydia kept her eyes glued to her lap.

“It was the Netherworld.”

Oh.

Oh.

“I was just, running. And it was empty,” her hands fisted in her skirt. “Until you showed up. But it wasn’t you. It was wrong. And shit Beej all this black came out of your mouth and then I was drowning and-“

Beetlejuice snatched her, gripping her tightly. He really was a fuck up. Fuck... Fuck!! He always did this!! He didn’t even know how he showed up here, it was a miracle, but he just, messed up this kid, this perfectly strange and unusual normal kid. Fuck he-

“Beej I can’t breathe.”

He loosened his grip and buried his nose in her hair.

She smelled like flowers. Funeral flowers. He took a moment to just, feel her there. Hold her and keep her safe. His bffff forever, his little scarecrow.

Finally he sighed, and let her wiggle out of his arms.

“Beej you’re turning blue bud.”

His hand flew to his hair, before he gave her a look.

“Did you just call me bud?!”

She laughed.

“Maybe, what are you gonna do about it, friendo?”

“Oh my god you sound like Adam.”

“Shut up!” She playfully shoved an elbow in his side, grinning when he groaned and fell over.

“Oh god. You killed me. Holy shit. I’m gonna die now. Look at me Lyds, I’m actually dying.”

Giggling, Lydia nudged him with her foot.

“Dead people don’t talk dumbass.”

Gasping with fake offense, Beej dramatically draped himself across the floor.

“I can’t believe it, I trusted you! And now, I die!”

And he finished with a loud “bleerrghfh” before sticking his tongue out. Lydia flicked his forehead.

“End scene genius.”

With a poof of green smoke, he was standing, bowing deeply with a bouquet of frankly horribly ugly flowers while she clapped. Beetlejuice dropped back down to the floor, smiling.

“Glad you’re okay Lyds.”

She mock gagged.

“Ugh don’t you get mushy on me. Gross.”

Giggling, the two bantered for a while, just sitting on the floor. Beetlejuice was happy, he got to see her again, and she was happy, not all that panicked crying and screaming before.

He tried to bury the nagging voice in his head, telling him it wouldn’t last, they’d kick him out eventually, they’ll get sick of you Lawrence. Nobody loves you Lawrence.

And he just flipped off the voice that sounded like his mom. Because Lydia was warm and laughing at his jokes, and he could see that spark in her eye that he missed. And she got him.

Arguing with him was easy. Lydia knew he could read her like an open book, and she could do the same to him. He was like a brother, or weird uncle. Brunkle? Oh god he would love that.

The demon in question looked at her when she had gone silent in thought, head just barely tilted. Beetlejuice cocked his own, tapping her feet.

“Okay spill, whatcha plotting?”

“I was thinking about how you’re like a brother, or an uncle,” she snorted. “And then I thought of Brunkle and I realized you’d love that.”

Looking at him, his eyes were shining. And knowing him, they were literally shining. He beamed, and Lydia braced herself. He wrapped his arms around her, more times than humanly possible, and cooed.

“Awwww! You do care about me! I’m a brunkle!! Oh man, look at me now ma!! I can’t believe it this is such an honor!”

A large obnoxious trophy materialized in his hands. Beej dabbed his eyes with a handkerchief pulled from nowhere, and blew his nose like a trumpet.

“You know? This really is the best day of my life! Being promoted is such an amazing feeling! Oh Lydia how can I ever thank you?!”

Laughing, she punched his arm.

“Shut up nerd!”

“No you shut up!”

“Nu-uh! I said it first!”

“I said it second!”

And the two bickered. Adam walked sleepily down the stairs to find the two of them still on the floor of the living room, sun just barely peeking through the curtains. He watched for a few moments, smiling.

They went back and forth, flicking foreheads, elbowing sides, giggling about something or other.

Adam felt his heart swell with affection, and it took him by surprise. Watching them, watching how Beetlejuice was with Lydia, really cemented what he thought of him.

That demon had a heart of gold, and he was going to find a way to polish it until it shone.

Wait that didn’t make sense. Or did it? Hm. He wasn’t sure, but he knew what he meant and that’s what mattered.

Smiling, Adam quietly made his way back upstairs, letting the two talk. He knew once Delia was up it would be time for breakfast, and he wanted to give them some alone time. He gently ushered Barb back up the stairs and into their bedroom, carefully closing the door behind them.

[tk-observer]

Scandinavia + Netherlands

It’s been two years since I wrote in here! Gasp!! There’s been one more trip to Japan in that time with Joanna too!

Anyway, before I get too caught up in that—this year’s trip!

Copenhagen!

WAS A BEAUTIFUL BIKING UTOPIA. I loved biking there so much! Even though it was cold and around like 6–10°C the entire time, the city was so flat and the bike lines so well thought out. We never got close to hitting anyone or in the way of anything. Even when we were confused, the bike lanes were made such that you couldn’t cross traffic and get in the way if you stayed in the lines.

We ate so many pastries. I also ate the world’s most beautiful chocolate croissant at Andersen & Maillard. Ugh, it was so beautiful. That cafe was so beautiful.

Lydia and I stayed in Nørrebro, the cutest little neighborhood. We also got to enjoy someone’s tiny apartment, which they shared with a kid?? We don’t know. We had two theories going:

1. They have a baby that comes to visit often, or 2. They’re moving out of the apartment.

Because the apartment was smaller than my studio, and they had maybe 1/3 of the things that I own. Just wow. Really makes you re-evaluate the amount of stuff you have…

Anyway, we biked around, visited Assisten’s Cemetery, which apparently is a place people go to hang out in during the summer. Half of it is public, with grave sites from like the 1800s or something like that, the other half is an active graveyard, where there are memorial services. We visited Hans Christian Anderson’s grave and Niels Bohr’s grave. Niels Bohr!!

Went to Nyhavn, visited the beauuuuuuuuuuutiful public library, went to the royal Danish museum which had a cool exhibit on what “modern” life is like in Denmark now with submissions that were voted on by the museum’s FB group. Also a surprise Pika Pika booth. Visited Christiania in the dark, the time when people are there to actually buy drugs instead of be tourists, Lydia biked with a flat for like four miles (two different bikes!). Food hall was amazing, went to a Zara home I think (dat Scandinavian design tho). Also walking around the Halloween themed Tivoli Gardens at night!! They had all these cute kiosks where people were selling their wares and glögg.

Also randomly while walking around Kastellet after visiting the Little Mermaid statue, we stumbled on a drum core practicing. Copenhagen is really beautiful, especially with all the fall leaves changing colors.

I think my favorite part has to be coming home and watching Pitbulls and Parolees on our AirBnB’s TV. That and Say Yes to the Dress which I surprisingly love to watch. 

Amsterdam!

Was warmer! But there was a mix up at our Hotel Not Hotel which was a little annoying, but still kinda cool. It’s a very gimicky kind of hotel. Our room door was a bookcase. One thing I like nightmare dreamed about was a fire and then for the rest of the time I was worried that firemen wouldn’t be able to find our room if they needed to… Well, there was no fire.

The canals did make it difficult to navigate since the city was shaped in concentric rings. Also, when you were around the neighborhood that was known for selling weed, you would just smell it everywhere. I don’t smoke bc I am small and I don’t like the way it makes me feel, and I really don’t like the smell. @___@

We had dutch pancakes, ate a lot of pasta, discovered Yogurt Barn which was SO GOOD. Biked some more, but in Amsterdam it’s a bit more chaotic. The bike lanes are clearly marked, but that’s kind of it. They cross each other a lot more, so it’s easier to get startled. Also on the smaller streets along the canals, it’s not clear who has right of way, so a few times there was a car coming from my left or right where I did not know if they were going to stop or if I should stop or what.

Visited the cat boat!! Walked through the Bloemmarket, also went to this BEAUTIFUL, fancy restaurant called De Kas. It’s a greenhouse in the middle of a big park, so it’s just magical because you can see all the park around you outside. Also the food was so good. It’s a set course, but my favorite was the salad. They served it with a raw egg yolk, and I don’t know where that egg came from, but it is the best egg yolk I have ever had.

Museum of the canals was super cool! A great little museum executed really well, had tons of cute stop-motion animations to illustrate how the city was built (they put logs in the ground! Just tons of logs that they imported from Scandinavia), and this dollhouse which was my favorite. One of the rooms of the dollhouse you could look into was the room where the dollhouse was. So meta.

Anne Frank house, jeez man. I don’t think I’ve read the book, so I bought it, and I’m going slowly through it.

Moco museum, a modern gallery kinda deal. Lots of Bansky which eh, I’m never really into since I can’t shake the feeling that he’s kind of arrogant, but the Icy and Sot exhibit was so good. I bought their book even though it only goes up to 2016 and doesn’t have their environmental pieces, which I think are amazing. 

Tea at the smallest house in Amsterdam! IT’S SO FUCKING CUTE. Also our host was a surprise historian! He taught us about the history of the house and was a great local host. He told us about how his family was like the fourth/fifth? people to own the home since it was built. Also a proper tea house since it seems that Scandinavia and Netherlands is really into coffee over tea.

Stockholm!

I think this is the point where we were kinda tired from going out all the time. Stockholm again was way colder and even the city bikes were taken in for the season. We took a lot of busses which were expensive (~$5 for a one-way ticket for 75 mins), but the central bus station. THE CENTRAL BUS STATION. Was so gorgeous. It looked kinda like ancient greek pottery.

Stockholm is gooooorgeous. It’s the in-between of the two cities to me. I think Amsterdam was old smashed with new, Copenhagen was mostly old, but Stockholm was like modern old. It didn’t have as many narrow buildings, and way more cobblestones streets and hills. I think biking there regularly would be more difficult. But also, Stockholm is a archipelago city, spread out over small islands. The water’s never far.

Fika everywhere! Unguarded coffee!

We ate Swedish meatballs, walked around the super cute neighborhoods Södermalm and Ostermalm (I think), visited the ABBA museum which was really fun, and the Vasa Museum, which has a 17th century ship preserved from the sea. Like they literally dragged the whole thing out of the ocean and restored it. It’s crazy.

It was also at this time that I discovered that season 2 of Castlevania came out so I ended up watching it with Lydia since she was interested despite all the gore and violence. Season 2 had much more plot going on, way more people, but the animation was kinda stilted. Since it had 8 episodes, it felt like they saved up all the budget for the fight scenes, which were still really good, but I like my dialogue scenes with more than just shots of people eyes. Also, plot was a bit more messy (poor Godbran!). Still, fun to watch! It was interesting to see more of Dracula’s perspective in this one since he was missing the entire first season. I’m really glad they didn’t skimp out on the background artists though. They were A+.

Went to IKEA on the free IKEA bus from central station, which was soooo much fun ahahha. Ate at the nice restaurant (more meatballs!) there and then just walked around. I don’t think we even bought anything, just had fun sitting on things and looking at all the cute children’s furniture and toys. It was so big. So, so big.

And then home!!

I’m so jetlagged rn. It’s like 2000 but it feels like 0200. Waiting on my last laundry load, and then I’m going to SLEEP

[mrmichaelchadler]

Second Season of Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” Off to Brilliant Start

When the first season of “The Handmaid’s Tale” premiered exactly one year ago today on Hulu, President Donald Trump had already begun inadvertently making America great again. The misogyny he spewed and empowered in his supporters spurred those who would normally remain on the sidelines to take to the streets. The Women’s March that occurred worldwide the day after the president’s inauguration served as a prelude to the #MeToo movement, which went viral last October, as charges of sexual harassment took down the careers of men who had previously appeared invincible. In between all of this, HBO’s “Big Little Lies,” Patty Jenkins’ “Wonder Woman” and Frances McDormand’s portrayal of Mildred Hayes in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” embodied the defiant spirit of female-led activism culminating in the founding of the #TimesUp movement on New Year’s Day of 2018.

There’s no question that creator Bruce Miller’s adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel couldn’t have been released at a more appropriate time. Its portrayal of a totalitarian society created by theonomist Christians to overthrow American democracy will be seen as one of the definitive works of the Trump era. The ten episodes of its first season took a simultaneously harrowing and invigorating look at how to fight against the normalization of oppression while maintaining one’s sanity in the process. 

As June Osborne, a woman whose fertility has caused her to be enslaved as a Handmaid (a.k.a. reproductive surrogate) in the Republic of Gilead, Elisabeth Moss further cements her status as one of the great actors of our time. Few performers are as adept at revealing the depths of their character’s inner life in a single glance, and Moss is especially gifted at illuminating the glint of rebellion tucked beneath the placid surface of her expression. She has made a career out of playing women who refuse to be broken by men, whether they be the sexist ad executives in “Mad Men” or the insufferable boyfriend in “Listen Up Philip.” There is a scene in that film, directed by Moss’ frequent collaborator Alex Ross Perry, that encapsulates her genius. After she finally breaks up with her boyfriend and he storms out of her apartment, Perry holds the camera on Moss as a multitude of conflicting feelings—relief, sorrow, satisfaction, remorse—ripple across her face. This skill is crucial for a character like June, who must spend much of the time repressing her true feelings when in the persona of “Offred,” her designated name as a Handmaid. 

Like “Big Little Lies,” a miniseries that has now grown into a multi-season show, “The Handmaid’s Tale” ended its first season at the same place that its source material did, with Offred boarding a vehicle without knowing where it would be taking her, though any mode of escape from her Commander, Fred Waterford (Joseph Fiennes), and his vindictive wife, Serena (Yvonne Strahovski), is most welcome. The note that Miller chose to end on was one of uncertainty, a fitting reflection of our current sociopolitical landscape in which nothing is guaranteed. Whether the subsequent episodes will follow in step with Atwood’s epilogue remains to be seen, though on the basis of the six episodes from season two made available to critics, Miller’s show is expanding its narrative while remaining as provocative and riveting as ever.

The frightening opening sequence calls to mind the Kafkaesque nightmare of Orson Welles’ “The Trial,” as handmaids are ordered to walk through a tunnel, their path illuminated only by light streaming through slats of wood. When they emerge on the other end, they find themselves in Fenway Park, which has been reconfigured into an arena for executions. Relics of the free press and free speech can be observed in the abandoned Boston Globe building (now used as a slaughterhouse) and a dusty DVD of “Friends” (made during the days when erogenous zones were acceptable fodder for jokes). We also hear footage of the Red Sox winning the World Series over the end credits of episode two. The early sections of this season promise the structure of an odyssey, as June enlists the assistance of various samaritans—including her beau, Nick (Max Minghella)—to escape her incarceration. Cinematographer Zoë White, who previously lensed Stephen Cone’s wonderful “Princess Cyd,” brings an epic scope to various shots in episode three, such as the bird’s eye view of June racing through a cornfield. 

Viewers hoping that this season takes off in an entirely different direction will likely be disappointed, since it’s not long before June is resuming her duties as Offred at the Waterford residence. Yet even in these familiar locations, the writers create intriguing new dynamics between the characters. Moss still manages to get in a few hilariously withering lines fueled by June’s inability to mask her contempt for her self-righteous rapists (her delivery of “Uh huh” is one for the books). She also gets to turn Mrs. Waterford’s words back on her, affirming that as long as her own child is safe (referring to Hannah, whom she mothered with her husband, Luke) so is the one she is currently carrying for the infertile couple. As the child grows in June’s stomach, Strahovski alternates between maternal warmth and venomous envy, bringing us to the brink of empathizing with her, only to repel us with her selfishness. Once again, the color red materializes in striking places—we see it in the curtains of the van transporting June back to the Waterfords as well as the blood pooling beneath her crimson uniform.

One strong addition to the cast is 20-year-old Sydney Sweeney, who recently won over viewers on Netflix’s “Everything Sucks!”, where she shared many of the show’s best scenes with Peyton Kennedy, the other half of their teen couple who gained a devoted fan base despite the program’s cancellation. The extroverted character she played on that show couldn’t be further removed from her role on “The Handmaid’s Tale” as Eden, the 15-year-old bride assigned to Nick. Despite her wide-eyed innocence, Eden is hardened in her conviction to obey Gilead’s laws, and since Sweeney looks much younger here than she did in “Everything Sucks!”, it makes her deflowering all the more disturbing. Thankfully, the scene contains no nudity, focusing instead on her hand gripping the arm of Nick, whose visible discomfort overrides any potential eroticism. 

The finest episode of season two, thus far, is the fourth one, entitled, “Other Women.” It’s the show’s best depiction to date of how unearned guilt holds a vice on one’s identity, fragmenting it into abstract concepts of good and evil that leave no space for the true essence of humanity. What makes Aunt Lydia, the Handmaids’ overseer, so fearsome is the fact that she is entirely convinced that her misguided efforts to save civilization—by administering godly virtues via cattle prod—are in line with holy scripture. She truly believes that she is protecting the souls of these women by repeatedly abusing their bodies, while placing the blame of their suffering onto themselves. As played by Ann Dowd, Aunt Lydia makes Nurse Ratched and the Trunchbull look like Larry and Curly, lending a Shakespearean weight to her character’s tragic dimensions. The character is not unlike any pro-life candidate focused solely on bringing life into a world unequipped to nurture it. By unearthing buried guilt from June’s past, Aunt Lydia insidiously elicits a tearful confession from her, promising that she’ll find salvation “as Offred,” thus leaving the damnation of her past life behind. 

One of the most cathartic elements of the series is June’s narration, where she gets to provide expletive-laden commentary on the surrounding horrors while clinging to her individuality. Now that Aunt Lydia has infiltrated her mind, June’s witty voice-over is suddenly silenced, replaced by the robotic repetition of formalities. I was reminded of Moss’ haunting monologue from one of her early films, Deborah Kampmeier’s “Virgin,” where she recounts how a dog receiving electroshocks refuses to leave its cage once it has been opened. This episode, more than any other, illustrates how a cycle of abuse can hold people captive by snuffing out their sense of worth. This is how the unspeakable becomes normalized. 

Among the show’s many triumphant achievements is its ability to throw viewers headfirst into the narrative, juxtaposing flashbacks and parallel subplots in a way that brings us closer to June’s disorientation without devolving into incoherence. Though Alexis Bledel was credited as a “guest star” during the first season, she emerges here as a full-on supporting player, with many scenes devoted to her character, Emily, a handmaid sentenced to a life of hard labor, in part because of her “gender treachery” (a.k.a. lesbianism). The scene from season one where she’s forced to watch the execution of her wife is as shattering as anything I’ve seen on television. In the second episode of season two, we get many wrenching scenes from Emily’s past, including an airport interrogation that calls to mind the hatefulness of Trump’s transgender military ban. 

Various actual guest stars accompany Bledel in this episode, and though their presence is somewhat of a distraction, they are all well-cast, notably John Carroll Lynch as the concerned colleague who tries coaxing his friend back into he closet. Emily’s scenes mirror those of June in how both women are faced with the question of whether to reject life altogether in the midst of a seemingly eternal hell. Cherry Jones turns up in endearing flashbacks as June’s liberated mother, while Moira (Samira Wiley), June’s friend who escaped to Toronto’s “Little America” community and reunited with Luke (O-T Fagbenle), has a scene where she refers to herself as “Ruby,” demonstrating that she still hasn’t shaken her past persona as a Gilead prostitute. Perhaps the biggest laugh I had during all six episodes took place in Serena’s flashback to her fiery confrontation with students. When her voice is silenced by their outrage, Fred cries in protest, “This is America!”, embodying the ironic victim complex of various Pure Flix movies railing against the suppression of their freedom to suppress the freedom of others. 

I’ll admit that I always look forward to the songs selected for the end credits of each episode. Their lyrics may occasionally be a bit on-the-nose, but they are also reassuring, reminding us of the time that came before Gilead and is destined to return. The songs are, in many ways, the battle cry simmering within the handmaids, and as June’s despondency grows during this season, the music fades along with her voice-over. In one indelible shot lensed by DP Colin Watkinson, we see June propped in her bathtub, resolved simply to keeping her head above water, nothing more. What ultimately breaks her out of her sunken place is the resilient spirit of her unborn baby, whom she converses with after days of silence, telling the child that the Waterfords “do not own you.” Her words, of course, echo the lyrics of the song that concluded the very first episode of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” Lesley Gore’s classic 1963 tune, “You Don’t Own Me,” which serves as the unofficial anthem of the entire series. 

Even religion cannot be owned by violent ideologies since personal faith cannot be policed. It’s refreshing to see June build her own candlelit vigil while praying to what she believes is a loving God. The motif of flames characterizing the first six of thirteen scheduled episodes for this season suggest that the handmaids may be planning to fight fire with fire, quite literally. Will the match that June lights to burn her uniform be the spark that lights the fire that will burn Gilead down? I can’t wait to find out.

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