The Handmaid's Tale

So I finished Handmaid's Tale and slept on it. Their hands were kind of tied with The Testaments spinoff in the works but the actual finale was pretty lame. The second to last episode made a better ending. They attempted to tie up the loose ends of characters not in Testament but it was literally 20-30% June's face.

The pacing was also weird this season... like super slow and drawn out and then stuff suddenly happens and it's like what? Why? Which means anything with anyone other than June is rushed. I was really hoping for more with Janine this season and had a few shining moments but was ultimately overshadowed. Always. Thanks, June.

I think the series really should've ended 2-3 seasons ago before I could get sick of June's face and her becoming a master tactician and spy.

After the last episode(S6-9), is this all you give your fans? As a long time quirky nerd when it comes to movies, it takes a lot to watch series to be truly honest. But sometimes a series come along that is worth my time. A handmaid's tale is one of them. And oh my, episode 9 of the final season was somewhat epic! It had it all: tension, nerve, surprises, build-up and a cliffhanger out of proportion.

I can see why ending a great show is difficult. But hell, the season AND show finale was such a total disappointment words cannot describe..... And this is all we get when times are so terrifying relevant to the series?

Where is our future headed?

What is the deal with Elisabeth Moss's egocentrism in the close-up shots in this episode?

What kind of finale is this? I'm a regular, empathetic person so where are the emotions in this episode? Slow motion... of what, exactly? What was Elisabeth Moss really trying to convey through her direction?

I'm totally disappointed. I was genuinely expecting something deeper, more emotionally resonant from this show especially in a finale.

Instead, what we got felt empty and disconnected.

As someone who usually connects with the characters and storytelling, I kept waiting for that emotional payoff... but it never came. The slow motion, the close-ups they seemed more like stylistic filler than meaningful choices. I don't know what Elisabeth Moss was aiming for in directing this episode, but whatever it was, it didn't land for me. I expected so much more.

The story was completely replaced by the actress's narcissistic behavior, which took over the scenes and scripts of all the episodes, distorting the plot of the series, they were unable to give a satisfactory ending to the initial plots, leaving them unfinished. A series that had every opportunity and didn't take advantage of it because of narcissism.

The series, which could have developed its secondary characters better (many of whom are incredibly rich and complex), becomes excessively centered on Moss. This weakens the storyline, as the show could explore other perspectives within the dystopia, but it keeps returning to the same character.

Those were the words (verbatim) that I said to my wife on the other side of the couch when this episode ended.

Let's start by pointing something out, because I don't feel like it gets enough recognition. Series finales are HARD. How do you wrap up a cultural phenomenon in a way that is going to be pleasing to everyone? You really can't, which is why they are so often badly received.

But this was formulaic and fell short. Basically they followed the "let's move the main character from conversation to conversation with the characters who have shaped her and get her to a point of closure with all of them." This was the same formula that Bojack Horseman used, and while that is one of my all-time favorite shows, the finale left a lot to be desired.

Of course it was well-written and well-acted. That isn't the issue. Closure? Yes. Creative? Nah.