'The Handmaid's Tale' season 3 analysis: 'Under His Eye' no more

Where it all began 

Blessed be the fight that's now kind of over but it will be one that will never be forgotten. Season 3 of The Handmaid's Tale came to an end for Gilead fans this Wednesday and after doing a quick search online, I think I was not the only one that was left unimpressed by the finale. 

My love for the series happened by chance. I basically stumbled upon it during my search for a riveting series to watch - and boy-oh-boy did I hit the jackpot. I watched the trailer for season one and could not believe my eyes. How could a society such as this ever be a thing? A society where women's rights are taken away from them and where the law of the land and religion are followed to this extreme. 

During every single frame and with every single scene, I was hooked and needed my weekly dose of the series. It was like a strange drug that I couldn't get enough of - those red cloaks, white bonnets, and phrases such as 'Praise Be' and 'Blessed Be The Fruit'. If you haven't watched the series as yet, it is based on a 1985 novel by Canadian novelist Margaret Atwood which "features a dystopian future following a Second American Civil War wherein a totalitarian society subjects fertile women, called "Handmaids", into child-bearing slavery."

It features the like of Elizabeth Moss, who stars as June Osborne / Offred / Ofjoseph - the handmaid that the story is centred around, Joseph Fiennes as Commander Fred Waterford and his wife - played by Yvonne Strahovski, Serena Joy Waterford, and O. T. Fagbenle as Lucas "Luke" Bankole - June's husband. There are way too many other characters to mention - but those are the most prominent through the three-season-long series. 

I don't even want to mention Aunt Lydia. Let's leave that there. 

Season 3: "You really think this is still your house? You are not in charge"

After that dramatic ending of season two, I actually started feeling a lot of mixed emotions towards June. She came so far only to have a dramatic twist at the end with her staying back in Gilead to find her daughter, Hannah - a dream that seems so far-fetched and so out of reach. 

Season three was slow - I mean REALLY slow and in this particular season we saw a ruthless side to June - a side that we can almost call ugly. June's mental state was questioned throughout the entire show. Her networking and alliance-creating skills were showcased during the season, but instead of being the tough character she was portrayed to be, she actually ended up being weak. She put her trust in people that she should have never, and believed that justice will prevail - when, in fact, we know that nothing is fair in the messed up new-world society that is run by a government I wouldn't wish on my own enemy.

Six episodes in and I was considering throwing in the towel - forfeiting all my long and hard hours as I journeyed through Gilead. But then, like a light, episode seven was released and my hope renewed. Perhaps there could be an opportunity that June could be free and make her way to Canada? Wrong. Things got ugly, knives were pulled, and shocking scenes were brought to light - including mouths that were sewn shut. 

Back to the alliances. June rises up like a Phoenix from the ashes when she finds a network amongst the Martha's, and it would be these Martha's that could be the key to pulling off what would be the most unthinkable thing to ever happen while being 'Under His Eye'. Sisters really do stand together. We see a group of women, a.k.a the resistors, fighting for their right to freedom. Fighting to get out of a world that has them suffocated, trapped, and suppressed.

I love a good twist at the end of a series, but in this instance, I was left feeling disappointed at the cliffhanger ending because now more than ever, we have no cooking clue of the fate of June. I don't want to give too much away, but you'll understand more once you watch it. 

Oh well, at least I looked cute while watching the season three finale. I donned my 'Handmaid's Tale' inspired cardigan and pulled off a makeshift red turtle neck. All that was missing was a bonnet. I should have used my white lampshade...

Season 4: Who knows what lies ahead

It was recently announced that the fourth season of the show has been confirmed and will most likely air in 2020. Another year of waiting and hoping that June finally makes it out of the hell hole they call Gilead. 

As the final scene dawned on me in season three, I was left with more questions than I did after watching the first season back in 2017. 

Is freedom really a thing? Can the resistance really happen? Will June be silenced as she heads back to the place that she so badly wanted to escape? Are the colonies the future for our beloved June? Only time will tell... 

All I can say is that if you're in the process of watching season three, hang on for dear life because once the turning point happens, it's going to a wild ride of twists and turns - when you least expect it. 

Godspeed. 

Watch the trailer for all three seasons below:

Season 3

Season 2

Season 1