Round Two: Forever

Forever: Season 1, Episode 2 “June” (C+)

What is this show? This is not what I signed up for or expected after watching the pilot. I didn’t realize that Oscar had died when he skied right into that tree, and I have a hard time understanding what this show is going to be about if one of the two main characters isn’t a part of it. The final scene of this episode was even more perplexing, with June apparently choking on or having an allergic reaction to a macadamia nut while sitting in the extremely luxurious first class cabin preparing for her flight to Hawaii and then finding an excited Oscar waiting for her in what appears to the afterlife. I’m just so thrown off by the fact that Oscar died during the ski trip to truly comprehend what this show is supposed to be. The contents of this June-centric half-hour felt very random, with June being pulled in to religion against her will and then throwing everything off by kissing the pastor, a truly inexplicable move that even she couldn’t hope to defend. She also bailed on a job interview and then managed to land the gig simply because she hadn’t stolen anything, which was a big get, and it was evident just how unfamiliar this new life was. “I have a ticket, I’m supposed to be here” was a very telling line, one of the few truly emphatic moments of this episode, which makes me truly unsure if it’s worth revisiting for a third time.

What I’m Watching: The Handmaid’s Tale (Season Premiere)

The Handmaid’s Tale: Season 2, Episode 1 “June” (B+)

Last year’s big winner for Best Drama Series is back with its highly-anticipated second season, and though Hulu dropped two episodes last Wednesday, I’m taking it one hour at a time to make it last longer. This opening installment was extraordinarily intense, revealing that June’s mystery ride to freedom wasn’t that at all, but instead a horrific visit to a stadium of gallows, where Aunt Lydia put on a grand show to make all of them think they were about to die. Forcing them to stand out in the rain holding a rock after that was cruel, and Aunt Lydia demonstrated just how vindictive she was by tasing June right before revealing to the group that she was pregnant. Seeing just what fate awaited her if she refused to be cooperative, June made the smart choice to comply, calmly eating her soup with all the handmaids staring at her as one among them had her hand burned to send a message. Pairing this showcase of emotional terrorism with flashbacks to the rise of Gilead, with June having to get her prescription signed by her husband and being questioned about her dedication to motherhood when her daughter went to school with a slight fever escalating quickly to reports of the hostile takeover by this fringe religion of the government. I’m sure we’ll see more of that soon, but at the moment there’s cause for celebration, since Nick came through and spirited June to relative safety, allowing her to brutally remove her tag and prepare for whatever awaits her next in what’s sure to be a ferociously interesting season.