User Reviews

...but not really up to "normal" Handmaid's Tale standards. On one hand the atmosphere is great. It really seems to make the concept of a fallen nation under a fledgling dictatorship real, especially one they leave the city where there is a minimal illusion of normalcy. Or at least there is for men.

I'd have liked to have seen more about what women's lives were like in this period after the US as we know it ended but before Gilead as presented in most of the show has been completely established. All money is electronic and women can't have accounts for example.

Does this mean that the man responsible for them (husband or father, presumably) has to go around with them everywhere where they might need to spend money or can they be given coupons like the ones the Handmaids spend at the supermarket? That would have been an interesting sign of things to come. June and Moira go to the coffee shop and this time are allowed to buy coffee because they've attained a coupon with a cup of coffee on it from Luke.

Anyway, Luke finally realizes how bad this is for June and doesn't want his daughter growing up in a country like this. He's probably also sick of living in a dictatorship himself. So, of course, they try to go to Canada and June and Hannah get caught as we've seen before.

But this time, we follow Luke as he's not killed as originally thought, but wounded and captured. Then he escapes by luck and is plunged into a very disturbing landscape of death and devastation. He makes in to Canada and lives in a refugee neighborhood called "Little America." All of this is very powerful and good for the world-building of the show.

However, did this excellent personal and cultural content need to be part of such a convoluted story line? Much of the plot itself was a bunch of action movie and espionage clichés.

I'd have rather seen more of the characters' lives in proto-Gilead Boston and more of Toronto's Little America instead of every detail of various escapes and escape attempts.

It was good to finally get an in-depth look at what happened before this show began, before all these ladies were stuck in their role as handmaids.

But it was still a bit too predictable. We knew exactly how everything was going to play out (assuming you've watched a single TV show before).

Still good, but the show needs to find a way to make sure it doesn't turn into yet another apocalyptic program.

Oh, my goodness, this show is so slow. I'm glad that Luke didn't die, but why'd we have to see him aimlessly walking around for so long?!?! Did "Little America" run out coffee or is there no more coffee in Canada? Doesn't Canada have resources it's own? Have all trading ceased between Asian countries and North America? So because the United States government was overthrown and the country's economy collapsed, we're supposed to believe that every other country in the world is suffering? Nope. The suspension of my disbelief ends right there.

As usual, the cast did a good job with what they were given. But oh, my goodness, this show is so slow.

Although some other reviewers have criticised this one, I thought it was the best episode yet. It's a breath of fresh air to get rid of Offred for a while and to focus on other, more interesting charactres in the show who have their own stories to tell. I do think Luke comes across as a jerk - making one mistake after another and never showing gratitude - but the suspense and chase aspect of the narrative is gripping and a real delight considering the constant slow-burning that's come up to now.

The seventh episode of The Handmaid's Tale offers a unique and tranquil departure from the usual tense and gripping narratives. This time, the spotlight shifts to Luke, June's husband, and the episode revolves around his daring escape to Canada, offering a profound insight into his journey and the perils he faced. We are taken back to the moment when Luke, June, and their daughter Hannah attempted to escape Gilead. Guided by a close friend of June's mother, they find refuge in an isolated house far from civilization. The tension is palpable throughout, as viewers fear for their safety, knowing the fate that befell them due to the accident they encountered. Separated from his family, Luke miraculously survives an ambulance crash on his way to interrogation. Later in the episode, he crosses paths with a group of rebels, including Ashley, who decides to save him and take him along. The audience follows this group as they embark on their journey, prepared to leave Canada. Luke hesitates but ultimately joins them, fully aware of the dire consequences he faces as a rebel if he remains in Gilead. As they attempt to board a boat to freedom, the group is attacked by Gilead soldiers. In the ensuing chaos, only Luke and Ashley manage to escape, leaving behind the nightmare of Gilead for the safety of Canada.

The episode closes with Luke receiving the message that June had written to the Mexican representative, offering a glimmer of hope for her safety. This episode, while distinctly different from its predecessors, captivates viewers with its deliberate pacing, stunning cinematography, and moments of tension. Throughout, there is an ever-present sense of foreboding, as we remain uncertain about the fate of the characters. While it deviates from the typical tension-filled episodes, this installment maintains the show's quality and serves as a thought-provoking and immersive journey into Luke's harrowing escape and the perils of life in Gilead.

We see Luke's perspective and journey in this episode. Luke was caught and shot at. He was put in an ambulance where they tried to keep him alive because the captain has questions. It is an icy road and the vehicle tumbles into the river. Luke gets out and manages to take a couple of things. He walks all the way back to the car and in the direction his wife and daughter went. He found their belongings and knew they were captured.

We see flashbacks of the family trying to escape. June has a connection with a man that her mother knew. The whole family hides in the truck and when an officer checks the vehicle, he sees them but lets them go. They stay at a cottage.

Back to Luke's story travelling by himself, he goes into town and scavenges for food and drink. Later in the evening two women kick him as he howls to stop. They take him in with their group who is travelling in a van. They plan to get to the border and travel across waters to Canada. Luke wants to go back but the girl with medical experience convinces him not to. He will die if he goes back. He goes to Canada himself where it is now called Little America and he is in Toronto. In Toronto, he receives the message from the Spanish connection written by June. June tells him she loves him so much and to save Hannah.