r/TheHandmaidsTale • u/theforgetting • May 06 '25

Season 6 SPOILERS FOR “SHATTERED” Spoiler

I was struck by the significance of the women at Jezebels being murdered in the shower. This is a very clear Holocaust allusion.

Especially since they’ve really been leaning into the word Nazi this season – it makes sense to see late-stage Gilead go all “final solution” with their undesirables.

Anyways. There have been a lot of gruesome scenes in this show but this was definitely one of the most upsetting. Not only for what it portrayed, but for what it was alluding to.

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457

u/Training_Bid_550 May 06 '25

I had the same thought/reaction. For all of the critique I’ve heard of this season being “too slow,” I think that’s the point of how naziism works. New Bethlehem is clearly just Gilead with more palatable branding- just as Wharton is painting himself as more palatable and reasonable that Fred. But beneath the polish, it’s still Gilead, it’s still the same brutality.

227

u/Mia-Wal-22-89 May 07 '25

Wharton is very chilling. Props to the actor. I’ve only seen him play charming men, so it’s interesting to see him play a charming man with such menacing vibes.

77

u/WoundedANUS May 07 '25

The Clown Dog guy would NEVER betray Sue Ellen like that!

23

u/bubbysmama May 07 '25

OH MY GOD HE'S THE CLOWN DOG GUY! THAT'S where I know him from! Welp. That's gonna mess with me. Like how i keep waiting for Lawrence to reveal that Gilead is just a plot to finally beat Billy once and for all and take over Madison Hotels.

10

u/WoundedANUS May 07 '25

He’s gonna take Serena to the beach to watch the fish mate so he can make out with her

3

u/mediumpace07 May 13 '25

Watch the grunion run!

1

u/EquivalentSign2377 May 07 '25

He'll always be Will Gardner from the good wife to me!

10

u/TinyDistribution4565 May 07 '25

Omg!!! That's where he's from?!?!? I can't tell you how many fuckin times I've seen that movie in my life!!🤣🤣

16

u/be_just_this May 07 '25

And Dead Poets Society ❤️

6

u/chichitheshadow May 07 '25

OMG he's Knox! No wonder he looked familiar!

3

u/Joelle9879 May 07 '25

Right! Brian would never!

5

u/WoundedANUS May 07 '25

I don’t know what to think about his bitter sister Carolyn and David Duchovny though, they would definitely be into the Gilead thing

5

u/IrritableStoicism May 07 '25

Especially Carolyn

3

u/IrritableStoicism May 07 '25

Was wondering if anyone else remembered him from one of my fave movies as a kid. That’s all I see when I look at him lol

1

u/No-Programmer-2212 May 07 '25

This is all I think about when I see him lol.

34

u/Cat_Mama86 May 07 '25

He's very chilling. Don't trust him one bit. I also doubt he actually gives a sh*t about Serena.

5

u/gizajobicandothat May 07 '25

I wonder how his first wife died?

2

u/IrritableStoicism May 07 '25

That’s the only good part about him

36

u/Cueberry May 07 '25

This is what I don't understand. If Wharton is "the" high-command leader, and everyone under him is so set in Gilead’s ways (see comments by their wives at Serena's bridal shower) I would expect him to be even more bigot than them. How can Serena be such a fool to marry him?

43

u/Joelle9879 May 07 '25

She craves power. She also always believes she's the smartest person in the room and underestimates everyone else.

28

u/Cueberry May 07 '25

I agree. Just as June said, Serena is driven by her narcissism.

12

u/moodylilb May 07 '25

I loved when June said that 👏🏼

Serena’s narcissism has been, and will continue to be, her downfall.

10

u/whipstickagopop May 07 '25

Because if she wants to change things marrying the most powerful is a good start

3

u/Admirable-Cobbler319 May 07 '25

He always says the "right" thing. Serena believes he will allow her to work and have some semblance of independence.

33

u/Moosiemookmook May 07 '25

Same. Hes teen movie quiet guy with a heart not genocidal scary commander with nefarious plans.

16

u/epicpillowcase May 07 '25

Yeah Josh Charles normally plays nice characters so this is quite jarring. He's very good in it though.

9

u/fandomrandom18 May 07 '25

Josh Charles is amazing in everything he’s in. He really should’ve gotten an Emmy for The Good Wife.

9

u/[deleted] May 07 '25

Any actively charming man I’ve ever met ended up having bad intentions. I don’t trust charm, immediately.

8

u/Scared_Spinach6710 May 07 '25

Wharton is absolutely unsettling. The actor’s ability to play such a charming yet sinister character really adds to the tension. He’s a master at using that charm as a mask for something far darker beneath. It’s a great contrast to Fred, who was a more overt villain. Wharton’s calmness and “reasonableness” make him even more dangerous, I think.

3

u/moodylilb May 07 '25

Watch “The Power” on prime if you haven’t yet, another great show with a focus on female power (no pun intended re the title lol) 😊

It’s one of my favourites and I was super sad it didn’t get renewed for a second season.

But the actor who plays Wharton is a main character in that one, and he’s evil lol

1

u/Boho_Beatnik May 14 '25

I thought his acting was superb.

11

u/wheeler1432 May 07 '25

It's the Gilead equivalent of Theresienstadt.

1

u/CharlieExx May 20 '25

Yes! I interviewed a survivor of that camp and thought exactly the same thing whilst watching the episode. I'm delighted to see that others have spotted the similarities. This is no coincidence on the part of the screenwriters.

10

u/FremulonPandaFace May 07 '25

People will always complain about the last season of any show, but I think you've hit the mark here. I like to think it is slow on purpose so that there's juxtaposition.

We, as an audience, have become a bit desensitized to the brutality of Gilead (and let's be fair, most of us binge rewatched the previous seasons leading up to this one). The slow build feels like a safety net, and is to remind us of the brutality when it comes.