Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale returned just last week, but it’s already promising to be an insufferable new season of social justice virtue signaling. While the first couple of episodes introduced a new #Resistance narrative, this week takes things a step further by offering a new face for the movement. Namely, it’s time to meet June’s abortion-supporting, marriage-hating, feminist mother.
The May 2 episode “Baggage” continues a few months after the season two premiere left off as June/Offred (Elizabeth Moss) attempts to leave the city. As she stays in an abandoned Boston Globe headquarters and mourns the loss of the free press journalists (“democracy dies in darkness” anyone?), she remembers old times with her zealous feminist mother Holly (Cherry Jones).
Holly pretty much exemplifies the typical third-wave style of feminism, from taking her child to a Take Back The Night rally to escorting women and doctors to abortion clinics. She is, in fact, such a left-wing feminist that she openly criticizes her own daughter for getting married and "giving" her "energy and passion" to a man in this flashback scene.
Holly: How’s Luke?
June: He’s good. He’s been working overtime to get some more time off around the wedding.
Holly: I don’t think you should marry him.
June: What?
Holly: I’ve been thinking about it.
June: Great. I’m glad.
Holly: June, you are so young. You really want to take all that energy and passion and give it to a man?
June: Nope. To Luke.
Holly: Luke is fine but come on. This country is going down the fucking tubes. It’s time to get out in the street and fight not just play house.
June: I’m not playing.
Holly: I think it’s a mistake.
Despite the clearly narrow-minded reasoning, June remarks by the end that she ultimately forgives her mother. After all, Holly was right about the country going down the tubes. She was also prophetic about the country eventually turning against abortion clinics, although in a world where fertile women are scarce one wonders why abortion would ever be a priority.
Then again, logic hasn’t always been a strong suit of these folks. It’s clear that at this point the social justice message matters far more than the story. I wouldn’t wish that fate on any show.
