Why does Lydia love Janine so much?

Aunt Lydia’s intense, protective affection for Janine in The Handmaid’s Tale stems from a complex mix of maternal instinct, pride in a "reformed" success story, and intense guilt. Janine's childlike vulnerability and, at times, her fawning, compliant trauma response (as discussed by Reddit users) to her abuse, seem to trigger a protective, almost nurturing response from Lydia, who views her as a favored "project".
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Why does Lydia care about Janine so much?

I think it's because Janine is simple minded and almost acts like a child. She has this childlike innocence about her at times and it kind of tugs on your heartstrings. Aunt Lydia likes that about her. Remember before things “changed” Aunt Lydia was a school teacher so she had a special place in her heart for children.
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What disability does Rose Blaine have?

Rose Blaine (played by Carey Cox) in The Handmaid's Tale Season 5 has congenital hip dysplasia, requiring her to walk with a cane. As a high-ranking Commander's daughter, she is an exception to Gilead's strict, often fatal, prejudice against disabled individuals, highlighting how elite status protects her. 
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Who actually runs Gilead?

Gilead in The Handmaid's Tale is ruled by a collective body known as the Commanders of the Faithful, or simply Commanders. This council of high-ranking men, originating from the Sons of Jacob movement, makes policy, rules as an oligarchy, and ensures theocratic control. 
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Is Janine mentally ill in The Handmaid's Tale?

Janine (Ofwarren):

During her time at the Red Center, which is where the handmaids receive training, Janine confronts Aunt Lydia with some vulgar language and is punished by having her right eye removed. After this happens, Janine suffers a mental breakdown and later tries to commit suicide.
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Aunt Lydia's Handmaid's Tale Backstory Explained

Is Janine's baby a shredder?

In Margaret Atwood's original novel, Janine's baby is considered a "shredder" (or "unbaby")—a child born with severe deformities due to radiation/pollution—and does not live, causing Janine to have a mental breakdown. However, in the The Handmaid's Tale TV series, the baby, Angela, survives and lives, representing a less pessimistic outcome than the book. 
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What did they do to Moira's feet?

The Aunts tortured Moira by beating her feet with steel cables, the punishment for a first offense. The punishment for a second offense was beating the hands. Aunt Lydia reminded the women that hands and feet did not matter for their purpose.
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Are the Waterfords the leaders of Gilead?

Commander Fred Waterford was one of Gilead's first leaders and a high-ranking official. Married to Serena Joy Waterford, Fred is the head of the household and the Commander who will try to impregnate June.
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Why do they say blessed be the fruit?

Blessed be the fruit (of the womb) is the greeting for handmaids referencing their fertility (and their role as incubators). May the Lord open (the womb) is the answer the handmaid gives, aka "may I get pregnant".
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Why did Nick turn bad?

But he became very disillusioned after witnessing Waterford's first Handmaid commit suicide, so much so that he joins the Eyes deceitfully as the only way to use Gilead's system against its own. Prior to Gilead, Nick appeared to be an outwardly emotional person.
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Why does Nick's wife walk with a cane?

Rose is portrayed as having congenital hip dysplasia, a condition that causes a limp and a need for a cane. In real life, you have a disability called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.
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Is Rose Blaine pregnant?

Yes, Rose Blaine (Nick Blaine's wife) is pregnant in The Handmaid's Tale. Nick reveals her pregnancy to June in Season 5, creating conflict as he cannot take Tuello's offer to defect. Rose is seen celebrating her pregnancy with other Wives, though some raise concerns about potential genetic issues. 
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Is Noah Serena's biological child?

June escaped. Later, she and a bunch of refugee handmaids tore Waterford apart, literally. Waterford and Serena were arrested attempting to leave Gilead, and Serena spent many months in a Canadian detention centre, where she surprisingly gave birth to her biological son, Noah.
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What was Aunt Lydia's job before Gilead?

Before Gilead:

She quit her job in family law and became an elementary school teacher, known as Miss Clements to her fourth-grade class. Lydia was a rather religious woman, and often quoted the Bible to her school's principal, with whom she had a close relationship.
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Why are the marthas called marthas?

In The Handmaid's Tale, the domestic servants known as "Marthas" are named after the biblical figure Martha from the New Testament. In the Bible, Martha is described as busily attending to household duties and hospitality, while her sister, Mary, listens to Jesus. 
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What is the famous line from The Handmaid's Tale?

The most famous saying from The Handmaid's Tale is "Nolite te bastardes carborundorum," a mock-Latin phrase meaning "don't let the bastards grind you down," which serves as a message of resistance for the protagonist. Other iconic, ritualized phrases used in the dystopian society of Gilead include: 
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Are wives allowed to read in Gilead?

And even if she did, writing is forbidden anyway. Gilead enforces its mandate against women reading and writing with a “three strikes” policy. On the third conviction they cut off your hand.
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Was Janine's baby a shredder?

In Margaret Atwood's original novel, Janine's baby is considered a "shredder" (or "unbaby")—a child born with severe deformities due to radiation/pollution—and does not live, causing Janine to have a mental breakdown. However, in the The Handmaid's Tale TV series, the baby, Angela, survives and lives, representing a less pessimistic outcome than the book. 
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Which sin will God never forgive?

According to the Bible, the only sin God does not forgive is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, often called the "unpardonable sin" or "eternal sin". This refers to a persistent, final rejection of the Holy Spirit's witness to Jesus, resulting in a hardened heart that refuses to repent. 
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Why did Fred stop loving Serena?

At the same time when Serena tried to use her intellect, skills, and voice (when Fred was in the hospital or spoke up for Nichole or even in Canada) he felt threatened. I think he loved Serena for her brain and power but deep inside never felt equally powerful and once he got the power, he enjoyed it.
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Why are Marthas not Handmaids?

Social Standing: Marthas hold a higher status than Handmaids, but their lives are still characterized by limited autonomy and oppression. Not Handmaids: Marthas are not Handmaids, as they are not fertile and are not used for procreation. Without sin (adulterer, thief), but infertile. Unwomen who can't get pregnant.
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Who is the highest leader in Gilead?

Commanders of the Faithful, or just simply Commanders, are a social class of powerful men in Gilead. They are the highest ranking members of all Gileadean society and are identified by a gold star on their suits.
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Who is the most powerful person in The Handmaid's Tale?

Although Commander Winslow is brutal, and is generally depicted as being one of the most powerful Commanders, (in terms of both his title and his position in Washington, which is depicted as being much more tightly under the Sons of Jacob's control than other areas) his motivations are less complex or interesting than ...
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Who did Moira have a baby for?

Moira was a surrogate who carried the child for an English couple. The child is with his parents in England. She was a surrogate so technically it wasn't her child. Her girlfriend was murdered.
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What did Emily give Mrs. O'Connor in The Handmaid's Tale?

O'Conner, pills that she claims are for E. coli protection. These pills are actually poison, and Emily uses them to kill her. Emily does this to get justice for the many women Mrs.
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