We all know that indoctrination is bad and scary, but The Testaments adds another layer to it.
There’s a silence in the darkness of this part of the story, as we get to see just how deep it all goes.
It also adds a layer of danger for Daisy, as she tries to figure out how to get out of a mission she realizes that she wasn’t ready for.
There Are More in Mayday Than You’d Think
After the attack on the school bus, it’s not a surprise that the Mayday operatives in Gilead are getting scared on The Testaments Season 1 Episode 4.
However, this episode also shows just how badly planned out Mayday is, and it shouldn’t be this terrible.
This is four years on from The Handmaid’s Tale’s finale, and that means that Mayday should have gotten its proverbial together.
So, what’s going on? Why does the Martha at the florist rush over to Daisy to ask her for help?
How does the Martha even know who Daisy is when Daisy has no idea about any other Mayday operatives apart from her handler, Garth?
This Martha — who ends up being captured, probably because she’s a terrible spy — puts Daisy at risk, and it only deepens my feeling that Mayday is going to fail, because whoever is in charge has no idea what to do.
Putting Daisy in without training was ridiculous, but it looks like it’s not just Daisy!
Just how big is this operation, and is there anyone out there who can actually keep the mission moving forward?
Even Garth doesn’t seem to be able to keep a handle on things.
I get that he might find it harder as a Guardian, but he should have a little more training in handling tough situations.
I’m surprised he hasn’t been caught yet, especially with how much Daisy just walks over and starts talking to him!
It’s frustrating because I would have thought four years on from Boston becoming a free state again, Mayday would have figured out how to make it work.
Instead, the rebellion was just lucky to have people like June, Moira, and Emily to fight and bring down the whole system.
Indoctrination Means Accepting Everything as Normal
The first three episodes of The Testaments already showed how indoctrination helps to keep a totalitarian society running.
As Agnes had said in the voiceover, while she lived in Gilead, she didn’t see it as a problem state. There was nothing wrong with how men and women were treated and assigned their roles.
We get to see more of that indoctrination as the girls walk along the path to Commander Judd’s house and come across three hanging bodies.
They are rebels. At least, that’s what Gilead is saying. I do keep wondering how much we can trust these stories.
It’s not the stories that have me looking at the darker side of indoctrination, but the way that the girls react.
While Daisy is shocked, the others just act as if this is a normal occurrence. There’s nothing wrong with walking down the street to see people hanging in the trees.
Sure, Daisy will be worried knowing that this is what will happen to her if she’s caught as a rebel, but there is also a side of her that is just a young teenager.
Seeing these bodies isn’t something that will have happened before, and while mixed with fears that it will happen to her, she’s also dealing with the fact that she’s seeing dead bodies.
The girls? Well, they see it all the time. They’re told that these people are hanging as a sign that Gilead is keeping them safe, but it’s actually to stop them from rebelling.
They see what happens to them if they act out, but they are so brainwashed by everything the Aunts and the Commanders tell them that they accept that Gilead is keeping them safe.
It’s completely absurd when you think of it, but it’s also true. This is indoctrination at its finest.
These girls are staying not out of fear, but because they feel safe.
It’s seeing the bodies that makes Daisy all the more committed to finding a way to leave, and the only way she can do that now is to find some useful information.
Now that Daisy is in, there’s no way of getting out without paying Mayday back, which is not how undercover missions go. Daisy just isn’t knowledgeable enough to realize that.
A Fight for the Top Spot as Young Wives
As for the other girls, they are proving they can be good wives.
It’s time for a tea party, where they need to pour tea and hand out cakes to their “Mothers,” the wives of their Commander fathers.
For some, this is an honor, as Becka (who doesn’t want to get married because she’s not interested in men) and a couple of others clearly care about their mothers.
Others don’t do this for their mothers, but for themselves; then there are others who find it more of a competition.
It’s hard not to feel for the young girls, although Jehosheba is everything I imagined Shunnamite to be from the book.
She’s a spoiled brat who believes that she should get the right to everything, and sadly, this isn’t just because she’s in Gilead.
How many spoiled teenagers do we all know because parents believed they were special?
Agnes is just there to do her family (and herself) proud. She knows that this is important for a good marriage, and that’s what she wants.
Sure, there is some pressure from Paula, but she wants this for herself as well and fully believes in this cause.
This is where we get to see just how the mothers will also manipulate things. Of course, Paula wants Agnes gone, so she will do whatever she can to make sure Agnes looks good.
That includes making one of the girls trip up, and that poor girl, who clearly wouldn’t hurt a fly, believes it’s her fault.
I do have to wonder at this point on The Testaments what Aunt Lydia is doing.
We know from the books that she ends up being a mole for Mayday, and we know from The Handmaid’s Tale that she’s realized just how much Gilead has failed women.
So, does she actually believe in all of this, or is she there to protect Agnes, knowing full well that Agnes is June’s daughter, Hannah?
Is that why Agnes is the one chosen as the top bride at the tea party?
We need an episode of The Testaments from Lydia’s point of view to fully understand this, and I do wish that we’d have had one of the first three episodes be that.
What this does lead to is Agnes’s tooth cracking, so she has to go to the dentist again.
When she gets back home and sees that her underdress has been untied, the cracks in Gilead start to form.
She has no idea what happened because nobody has taught her this, but she knows something bad did.
My heart broke for her as she looked in the mirror, trying to figure out what it could mean.
What will happen to Dr. Grove? Well, first, Agnes needs to have the guts to tell someone, and another dark side of indoctrination is that Agnes will feel ashamed.
Thanks to Gilead’s teachings, she lured Dr. Grove in, and she is partially to blame. So, she can’t tell!
A Few Random Thoughts:
- Was Garth even trained in how to handle a new recruit?
- Does Aunt Vidala get paid by the word?
- Will Becka get caught for her feelings for Agnes and get called a “gender traitor?”
The Testaments Season 1 Episode 4 starts to pick things up, and it certainly does a good job of showing just how indoctrinated these young girls are. However, Mayday is far too dumb.
We pass the baton to you!
Let us know your thoughts and feelings as The Testaments progresses. Is it what you expected? How are you handling the many changes from the books? Go on, sound off in the comments!
-
The Testaments Season 1 Episode 4 Continues to Show the Darker Elements of Indoctrination
As the new Greens get ready to show they can be great wives, The Testaments Season 1 Episode 4 reminds us of a darker side of indoctrination.
-
Whoever Put Daisy Into Gilead on The Testaments Wants Mayday to Fail
While it makes for a fun story on The Testaments, the idea of Daisy infiltrating Gilead is ridiculous and will lead to Mayday’s failure.
-
The Testaments Gets Off to a Slow Start but Holds a Dangerous Promise
The first three episodes of The Testaments Season 1 start slow, but they bring a promise of danger lurking around the corner. Under his eye!
The post The Testaments Season 1 Episode 4 Continues to Show the Darker Elements of Indoctrination appeared first on TV Fanatic.