Hulu Hoopz: The Handmaid's Tale- Episode 6

Another Flashback Episode that is also the 7th Episode?  What the hell, Shows?!?

Okay, so there is no way to talk about most of this without minor SPOILERS to earlier in the Series. 

So if you plan to watch the Show from the beginning and haven't, well, don't read a Review of Episode 7 (of 9)!!!

So we see a different view of the Show's original opening and failed escape.  It is HIS POV.

He's not dead (which they implied).

So the Episode (like American Gods' 7th Episode Flashback) is split between 2 parts.  The difference- both parts of this are Flashbacks.

In one part, we see the family flee the City and try to make their way to Canada (which obviously fails).  You get to see what the internal Underground in the States is like.

In the other part, we see what happened to him after being shot (but not killed) and wandering through relative safety.

You get to see the fringe areas near the border and all the dangers therein.

He eventually makes his way to a River to try and escape.  It is here that the Show seems to proudly wear its 'We were inspired by "Children of Men"' badge proudly.

Look- there's nothing wrong with it.  That Film is great.

We finally get a bit at the end showing where he ended up in the present (which also establishes how much time has passed) and this quick shot of the lady who the Show is named after.

For more details, watch the Episode.

A weird diversion, but still good.  The Episode does one thing different than American Gods- it fills in the gaps of its own Story.  The other Show gave me a half-hour History Lesson on our Heroine's Ancestor.  To be fair, the other half of that Episode did move the main Plot forward a little too.  Another difference, this is TWO Episodes from the end, as opposed to being the 7th of 8.  Being the 7th of 9 is *totally* different, yo!  Joking aside, this is a strong Episode and does a good job of showing the effects of all that happened.  The parts before she is captured are neat and filled with all sorts of little things to enjoy.  The parallels between this and the Underground Railroad are obviously no accident.  The later Flashbacks are really strong too, showing people trying to survive right on the outside of a Country that wants to exploit them.  There's nothing wrong with this Episode.  For whatever reason, they chose to hold onto the reveal that had to happen BEFORE this Episode could be aired until late in the Series.  They couldn't have shown this one before the reveal of him being alive- obviously.  That's it.  Since I have no joke shot to use, enjoy this very complicated name...

Next time, a return to the present and the semi-finale of the Season.  Where will all of this lead?  See you then...