Season One Episode Four – Green Tea
This episode is very different from what girls Agnes’s age should be doing, but then again, this is Gilead. It really shows how the girls have been raised to believe that their future duties as Wives is something to look forward to. They seem almost happy about the lives they are expected to have. What a world Serena and Fred helped create for these girls.
There is a tea party at Agnes’s house with all the Green girls there. They will be judged on on how well they serve tea to the Wives with the Aunts watching and judging there every move.
This is a big celebration for the marriage season. There will be all kinds of food, beautiful decorations, and, of course, plenty of tea. It is supposed to be a special and exciting event for the girls, but underneath it all is the pressure they feel as they prepare for their future lives as Wives.
Daisy is helping set up the arrangements when one of the florists approaches her. The florist tells Daisy that she needs to let Garth know that she wants to get out of there. Daisy is stunned. It sounds like the florist is desperate to escape Gilead too.
The Green girls are walking to Agnes’s house when they pass three people hanging from a tree. Daisy stops and completely freaks out. She has never seen anything like that before. Agnes tells Daisy that they deserved it. Daisy knows the people were from Mayday. Two of the other girls are cruel to Daisy and make fun of her reaction. All Daisy can think about is that it could have been her hanging from that tree.
When they get to Agnes’s house, Daisy helps finish setting everything up while Agnes goes to her room to get dressed. Becka is helping Agnes and also works with her on her dance steps. At one point, Becka looks at Agnes and pauses. Does Becka have a crush on Agnes? When they start dancing, Becka is looking at Agnes differentl and not just as a friend. It almost seems like she wants to kiss her. Then Becka comes to her senses and pulls herself together. What in the world!! No wonder she doesn’t want to get married. And the feelings she seems to be having would never be excepted in Gilead. She would definitely be put on the wall.
Paula greets Agnes when she comes downstairs, and there is a table full of gifts for her. The gifts are from Commanders who want to marry Agnes. Agnes doesn’t even want to stop at the table, but she feels obligated to look at everything.
Daisy comes in, but she is still distracted by what she saw earlier with the bodies hanging from the tree. The Green girls are talking when Garth walks in. Agnes immediately gets quiet and nervous. She really is in love with him.
Garth is asked to read one of the cards from the gift table while Agnes watches. Paula eventually comes in to get the girls. Daisy pretends to drop a basket so she can stay behind and talk to Garth.
Daisy tells Garth about the florist who approached her and says the woman wants out. Daisy wants out too. Garth tells her that she is too valuable and that they need her to continue getting close to Agnes so she can learn information about Commander Mackenzie. Daisy clearly isn’t happy about this. She wants to leave Gilead, and now she is being told that she has to stay.
Daisy makes it outside before all the Aunts get there. They come up in cars and are lead into the house. The Green girls have to show their top skills as a wife today so everyone is on edge. The Green girls are in the kitchen getting their tea prepared with the help of their Marthas. Daisy is wondering what the big deal is and why everyone is taking this so seriously. She doesn’t seem to understand just how important this tea party is to the girls and the Aunts who will be judging them.
The Green girls begin serving tea, and they are all on edge because they are being judged. Agnes and the other girls prepare to come out with their teapots and serve the Wives. Then Paula trips one of the girls, causing her to spill her tea. Agnes sees Paula do it but doesn’t say anything. Did no one else notice what Paula did, or were they all just pretending they didn’t see it? It was hard to believe that no one else saw what happened.
The girl who dropped her tea is devastated as her mother watches. I couldn’t help but wonder what is going to happen to her now. The poor girl was already nervous, and now she has to wonder what this mistake could mean for her future. In Gilead, something as simple as spilling tea can apparently have serious consequences.
After the tea ceremony, the Green girls are given a Commander cake. The cake contains a token, and Agnes bites into hers and hits something hard. It is a porcelain bride. Paula is thrilled, but the porcelain bride cracks Agnes’s tooth. Becka’s mother tells Paula that her husband will fix Agnes’s tooth. Agnes is immediately nervous about going to the dentist and seeing Dr. Grove.
Daisy somehow ends up upstairs in Commander McKenzie’s office. She walks in and starts looking around, not realizing that Commander McKenzie is sitting on the couch. He startles her and asks why she is in his office. Daisy quickly makes up an excuse, and surprisingly, Commander McKenzie believes her. He gets up and offers her a piece of chocolate. Daisy takes it, thanks him, and immediately leaves the room. OMG!! Daisy dodge a bullet with that one! She really could have been in a bind if Commander McKenzie had figured out what she was actually doing in his office. I was holding my breath right along with her!
Agnes is taken to the dentist office by Garth with Daisy with her for support. Agnes gets to the dentist office and is very nervous. Agnes goes into the room but is very cautious. The dentist looks into her mouth and says he can help her. He gives her a sedative and closes the door.
While they wait on Agnes to get her tooth fixed, Daisy is grilling Garth on what plans he has to get her out. She hands him a chocolate which she got from the Commander Mackenzie’s office. Garth says they will check it out. Daisy tells Garth that Agnes is in love with him and he should be careful.
Agnes wakes up and Doctor Grove is washing his hands. Agnes gets up to leave. Paula is waiting for Agnes when she gets home and checks her tooth for approval. Paula is pleased with the results.
On the way into the house, Daisy asks Agnes how many mothers she has had. Agnes explains that she had a first mother who died and that Paula is now her stepmother. Daisy asks about her birth mother, but Agnes tells her that they are not allowed to talk about her. Daisy then tells Agnes that her own mother died too and that she doesn’t know who her birth mother is. Why is Daisy asking Agnes all these questions? Is she just trying to get to know Agnes better, or is there something else going on? What is Daisy really trying to find out? I have a feeling these questions may be more important than they seem.
Daisy’s ride arrives to take her back. On the way, she sees Guardians outside the florist. She remembers the florist who approached her earlier and discovers that someone has been shot in the street. Daisy assumes it was the florist and she freaks out. Do you blame her?? I don’t!
When Daisy gets to the school she goes into the bathroom and checks her radio to see if there’s a message from Mayday and there is no signal . Daisy really freaks out and starts to cry.
I can’t imagine what she is thinking at this point. She came to Gilead believing she would be able to make a difference and eventually get out. Now she is stuck there, and she doesn’t know who she can trust or whether Mayday can even help her.
Agnes is in her room and has taken her clothes off. She sees that her blouse is undone. She panics. She knows that she didn’t do it. It had to be Doctor Grove. Agnes cries. What did he do to her. I’m sure Agnes feels violated, confused, and terrified. She went to the dentist expecting to have her tooth fixed, and now she is left wondering what happened while she was sedated. This could have a huge impact on Agnes and will she get over it. I would not get over it. Agnes needs to find out what happened to her.
Great episode! Daisy is really becoming more and more anxious, and it is obvious that she is desperate to leave Gilead. Rita tried to warn her that getting involved in Gilead would not be pleasant, but Daisy didn’t want to listen. Now she is stuck there, and she is going to have to figure out how to survive and adjust to her new life.
Agnes, on the other hand, is not in a good place right now. Between the pressure to become a wife, her feelings for Garth, questions about her birth mother, and now what may have happened at the dentist, she has a lot to process. I really hope Agnes is able to get through this and find a way to get over it or get revenge.
What are you thinking after this episode? Do you think Daisy is going to be able to get out of Gilead? What do you think happened to the florist? And what do you think Dr. Grove did to Agnes?
TV Mom 