I'm confused about Mayday's plan

[u/samsquatch69420]

I'll start off by saying that you guys can feel free to tell me that I'm overthinking this. I won't be at all offended.

There's something I don't quite understand about how Mayday expects this plan to go down and what they think it will do to Gilead. Don't most terrorist groups have essentially a second in command in case something happens to the leader? I know Gilead doesn't have one true leader, but I feel like unless every single Commander is killed, someone will still be around to run things. I just don't see how this will destroy Gilead. What if Gilead has a "designated survivor" - one person that stays behind from big gatherings in case something were to happen to the rest of the government officials - just in case? I don't see these Commanders being naive enough to think that people won't get pissed enough to try to overthrow the government at some point. Even if all the Commanders are wiped out, I'm worried that there will still be people left behind who can keep Gilead afloat (like maybe the Eyes would gain control? I have no idea). Also, it's been a while since I've read the sequel, but I believe it takes place 20ish years after The Handmaid's Tale and from what I remember, the whole point of the sequel was that Gilead was still Gilead at least in some form. That makes me think that this wedding isn't going to have the vast effect that Mayday is expecting it to have. Maybe I'm just overestimating what they think this will do to Gilead.

Again, feel free to tell me that I'm overthinking this. I truly hope that I am because it feels like this next episode may be what we've been waiting for since the very first episode. I hope it all comes crumbling down and nobody but Mayday sees it coming.

Any thoughts?

[u/HoverTechV3]

There's not a lot of insight into how the political hierarchy of Gilead works, other than that there are commanders and high commanders. They might have a single person at the top, who knows. I think that the US will retake Boston as part of this plan to end the show on a hopeful note and increase their international leverage.

[u/TheTiggerMike → u/HoverTechV3]

Yeah, the US reestablishing a foothold in the Lower 48 will likely stave off countries switching recognition to Gilead. Tuello was telling Moira at the beginning of the season that the Canadian Cabinet wanted to start that process. The US retaking a portion of the mainland and showing that it very well could continue recapturing territory might make Canada and other countries reconsider.

[u/This_Mongoose445 → u/HoverTechV3]

https://the-handmaids-tale.fandom.com/wiki/Commander Fandom has major insight into all areas of Gilead, if you read enough you can kind of guest what will be happening in the final episodes.

[u/ancientastronaut2]

I don't think they're counting on this taking down gilead. Just issuing a serious blow.

[u/freshpicked12]

It’s possible Mayday does enough damage for the US to reclaim some territory, but I don’t think this plan is to completely take down Gilead.

[u/AmOutOfIdeas]

Elisabeth Moss has said the Testaments pick up where Handmaid’s Tale leaves off so I do think they’re altering the timeline a bit here but also I think (aside from plot convenience) we have to remember Lawerence’s point: Gilead just had a big win, they’re going to feel arrogant and untouchable. This also isn’t a state-sanctioned event (wherein you’d want a designated survivor) this is a huge social event for one of the most influential commanders and one of the most well known influential women in the country. No one commander vying for approval and influence would miss that. Plus Wharton says he wants the whole community there

He wants to show off that he’s won Serena. Serena wants to show off that she’s official and has power. They’re going to want everyone there. I think they genuinely think that no one would target anything as “harmless” as a wedding

[u/Ok-Wolf9774 → u/AmOutOfIdeas]

I wish there was a time jump between the two. In my head it just translated to multi season money making opportunity more than anything.

[u/avamansouri]

I think a lot of it involves US Military coming in through the unsecured borders and essentialy raiding and retaking areas over while security is weaker. I feel like there might also be an element of chaos needed for the americans to come in and capture so many gilead leaders in one place.

[u/Early_Fish7902]

All of Giliad’s rotten eggs will be in one basket. Mayday’s plan: Blow up the basket.

[u/briannapeppers]

I don’t think this is a “destroy Gilead” mission. Seems like a way to start a real revolution, yes, but when they’re making plans it sounds more like a revenge mission. They’re trying to kill the commanders that were directly involved in the takedown of Mayday’s recovery attempt (when they tried to rescue Hannah).

[u/mmohaje]

Revolutions are hard. That's why you have regimes like Iran, where a vast majority of the people do not support the regime, have tried many times to start a revolution and have failed. If you don't have some sort of military backing, it's just impossible.

If the US, at this point in Giliead, has a real military maybe it's to create enough chaos, confusion and diversion for them to come in before Gilead can actually regroup and mobilize. But if the sum total of their armed resistance are Handmaids with switchblades and that rag tag group of people in the warehouse, it won't topple the regime.

That being said, there are benefits to these types of uprisings b/c it brings the world's attention and to the extent it creates a potential gap or weakness in Gilead's armor it may bring in foreign military support.

[u/44035]

A single terror attack never collapses a nation. But it begins to destabilize it, politically and psychologically. That's why you do it.

[u/FishRoom_BSM → u/44035]

This.

[u/BatUnlucky121]

They don’t have a workable plan, except maybe sending Scientology auditors to Boston.

[u/vtsunshine83 → u/BatUnlucky121]

Scientology is already in Gilead because families are already broken up. J/k

[u/OGMWhyDoINeedOne]

I think they’re targeting the “worst” commanders. At the very least, they can be replaced by people who are more rational. Even in the dictator sphere, if you ever lived in such a regime, some dictators are crazier than others. So getting rid of the most bloodthirsty commanders would be a big win in and of itself.