Nick


dude was totally set up. Could have been the young guy who was scheming on his wife. I knew something was up with him when he got all excited about their dinner plans. Fred also had an obvious motive. Maybe he told that older guy he could have his handmaid after she has the baby, but that Nick would be a problem he'd have to deal with.

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I am finding this romance story line with his 15y.o. wife and the young Guardian completely unrealistic. Are we supposed to believe that this heavily indoctrinated girl so quickly and willingly went into adultery already? And out in the open like that where even the neighbors can see? Aren't the consequences for her - being stoned or sent to the Colonies?

This was too easy.

As for your theories - the young Guardian had no power to arrange a meeting like that. As for Fred - I suppose we could say he had a motive, except that if he knowingly set up Nick, what was his plan for Offred who was left there by herself nine months pregnant in the middle of nowhere?

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I think it's juiced up because it's fiction but I get it.

She's 15 and being buffeted around by some powerful forces. On one hand, she buys into the Gilead way of life hook, line, and sinker. She's probably been raised her whole life to believe what they teach and has seen that people who do prosper in life while those who don't are made to suffer for "not following God's plans". On the other hand, she's in an arranged marriage to a man and has been taught that men are lustful creatures and as a wife she has to submit. However, her husband has 0 lustful interest in her and in fact, pretty much ignores her. This leads to the third force in her life: she's 15. She's full of hormones and prone to crushes on good looking young men who pay attention to her.

Where Nick is 30ish and she thinks he's attractive, the young guard looks to be about 18ish and he pays the attention to her that Nick does not. He hardcore buys into the Gilead vision and I'm sure that's attractive to her as well.

She is terrified about the consequences, that's the reason she gets on her knees and begs for forgiveness. She's so conditioned that she's waiting for him to take a belt to her or otherwise abuse her. She's actually angry because he refuses to abuse her.

I'm excited to see how this plays out.

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I was thinking that maybe he's hoping she'll die or run away because he doesn't really want the baby now that he knows it isn't his.

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See? I was right, there was no plan.

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This puts the Waterfords in a tight spot. They will at the very least need to come up with a believable story about why they brought their stolen kid's real mom to their house who then had a baby right there on the floor. Hopefully they will be able to get out of it. [spoiler]LOL not really, I don't care if they get strung up on the wall.[/spoiler]

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