As the second episode begins, Offred (Elisabeth Moss) meets up with Ofglen (Alexis Bledel) and the two go for a walk. The two meet up with two others and watch a man get hung nearby. The women chat about the weather and the upcoming rain. They decide to head home. While Ofglen and Offred walk, they chat about their pasts. They eventually pass by a parish, which reminds Offred of her father. She explains that her daughter was baptized at the church. Ofglen admits they blew it up. Two men jump out of a van and attack a man with a briefcase. The girls continue their stroll. Then, Ofglen insists there is a way Offred can help. She instructs her to obtain information about The Commander (Joseph Fiennes). Once Offred heads inside, she shows off a little too much skin in front of Nick (Max Minghella).

Nick tells her to keep a good distance away from Ofglen, since the girl is trouble. Then, Nick explains that the Commander wants to see Offred alone that night. Next, Offred meets up with the others and prepares for birth day. She learns that Ofwarren is on the verge of having her baby. We see a flashback of Offred being rushed to the hospital during her own pregnancy. The wives preform their own mock birth, while the handmaid’s encourage Ofwarren to push. Offred gives the handmaid comfort, while reminiscing about her own daughter’s birth. Afterwards, Offred helps Martha (Elena Khan). Offred and Ofglen manages to break away from the others. At this time, Offred tells her friend about the commander’s request. Ofglen agrees to find out what she can. Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski) interrupts and sends Offred back to work.

Serena parades Offred in front of Leah (Angela Vint) and her other friends. She gives her a cookie at the other women’s requests. Offred remains obedient, but spits the cookie out, once she escapes to the bathroom. Meanwhile, Janine (Madeline Brewer) gets closer to the birth. Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) and the others tells her to push. The wife is led in and Janine successfully gives birth to the baby. The baby is given the name Angela. The handmaids comfort Janine, before another flashback. Luke and Offred discover a nurse dead and someone attempting to steal their child. The woman is stopped and the child is recovered. Back in the present, Offred tells Ofglen that Nick told her about the meeting. Ofglen also learns about Nick claiming she is dangerous and cannot be trusted.

Ofglen admits trusting anyone is dangerous. Meanwhile, Janine is given the baby by Martha. Janine confirms she knows how to nurse the child. Seconds later, she breastfeeds the baby, while reminiscing about her other child. That night, Nick watches Offred through the window, as she prepares to meet with the Commander. Surprisingly, the Commander only wants to play scrabble. Offred lets him win. He admits he is impressed with her skills. Afterwards, the Commander reveals he is heading to D.C. to meet some people. He also makes it clear that he would like to play scrabble again. In the morning, Offred is on cloud nine, since she has possibly won over the commander, while also gaining info for Ofglen.

The smile is wiped off Offred’s face when she discovers that Ofglen has possibly been replaced.

 

The Handmaid’s Tale Review

I really had no intention of watching the rest of Handmaid’s Tale and this episode delivered further justification for my decision. Nevertheless, I was forced into it by an untimely Windows update. This episode was far worse than the previous. Nothing of significance happened. The ritual birth was equally cheesy and silly. Plus, the episode was overloaded with irrelevant flashbacks.

Finally, the annoying inner dialogue needs to stop. The viewer doesn’t need Offred to explain each and every one of her emotions. It feels like the writers think we’re invalids and need to be spoon fed. This far, The Handmaid’s Tale has been a major disappointment. The commercials looked great, but the series itself is horrible. The only redeeming characteristic is the show’s uniqueness. Otherwise, it hasn’t been worth watching. The episode deserves a 4 out of 10.