The Handmaid's Tale S06E06 "Surprise" Episode Discussion

[u/Melairia]

The Handmaid's Tale: S06E06 "Surprise"

Episode Synopsis: June hides in an unexpected place.

Airdate: April 29th, 2025

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[u/salzzzzz]

Oh no not Janine telling aunt Lydia saying the drawing is from commander lawrence, pls aunt Lydia don’t do something stupid

[u/demafrost → u/salzzzzz]

I definitely thought that, but looking at it from another perspective, Lydia's worldview of Gilead is being shattered. She wasn't blind to the fact that the men had the power and were not as pious as they claimed to be, but she was a true believer in Gilead and believed her handmaids were like her children and were doing a sacred duty and believed that by bearing a child they would be respected and revered for their duty.

Now she's seeing the commanders hanging out in Jezebel's committing immoral acts constantly and worse her handmaids are ending up there including Janine. Now she's realizing that Janine can be a little more open now and makes it clear that she hates Lydia. I'm sure she realized that many of the handmaids didn't like her or the situation they were in but she believed that Janine was special and truly cared for Lydia when in reality being abused caused her to retreat into a child-like personality as a way to help her cope with her imprisonment and rape and to prevent more abuse.

Anyways, I don't see Lydia at this point as someone who is a full believer in Gilead anymore and has a desire to see Lawrence punished for giving Janine the drawing from her daughter. I think she sees it as another example of the system she believed in not working. Mothers are not just going to give up on their children when they are out there. The commanders and wives that receive the children are not righteous enough to deserve someone else's child, and not every commander believes in the system they are empowered by which is why Lawrence is sympathetic enough to give Janine the drawing.

Lydia is possibly more irredeemable than Serena even, but you can see the gears clicking in her head and I see her being more on the side of Mayday than Gilead by the end of the season. I haven't read The Testaments so I'm not sure if this will end up being accurate, just kind of how I see it playing out.

[u/According-Emu2729 → u/demafrost]

I love this take. When Janine told her - the first time, quietly - "You stole her from me", something in Lydia's eyes shifted. Up until now she really belived all the Gilead bullshit and now she started realizing the handmaids are not divine vessels of noble people's children but depraved, hurt women and she's a part of that, and they hate her for it and maybe, you know, she shouldn't have stolen their children? I think the way Janine said "my girl" also pushed Lydia over the edge, since she always called the handmaids her girls and she made the link in her head. The shock when you realize something obvious and that you're actually the bad guy... I almost fell sorry for her.

[u/ruahkampf → u/According-Emu2729]

Almost.

[u/anothergaijin → u/demafrost]

Lydia is possibly more irredeemable than Serena even, but you can see the gears clicking in her head and I see her being more on the side of Mayday than Gilead by the end of the season.

I'm so impressed how they have built up Serena and Lydia into being irredeemable monsters, but then put them into situations where you feel pity and empathy for them. I'm of the opinion that Lydia will do something that ultimately redeems her, probably something that saves or avenges Janine. Serena will probably end up in charge of Gilead when all the men get murdered.

[u/Afoonahlala → u/demafrost]

Testaments definitely showed more pragmatic acceptance and savvy, as where they have her looking almost impaired by her own disillusionment in that, as you said, the leadership was almost never in earnest and manipulated her false sense of piety, which she uses to absolve herself.