What Do The Eyes Do In The Handmaid's Tale

Okay, let’s talk Eyes. Not your eyes, silly! The Eyes in The Handmaid's Tale. What exactly do they do?

We're told they're like Gilead's secret police. Always watching. Always judging.

The All-Seeing...Or Are They?

Seriously though, are they really that effective? This might be an unpopular opinion, but I'm not entirely convinced.

Think about it. Gilead is supposed to be super strict. No fun allowed.

Yet, people are constantly breaking the rules! Secret meetings happen. Affairs spark. Stuff explodes. Figuratively and sometimes, literally.

Where are the Eyes when all this goes down? Taking a nap?

Maybe They're Just Really Bad at Their Jobs?

I mean, consider Ofglen. Or should I say, Ofglens plural. The first one gets caught being a rebel lesbian.

Then another Ofglen gets caught being a rebel lesbian! Seems like the Eyes need a better screening process. Or perhaps, better surveillance.

It's like they're constantly being outsmarted by handmaids who probably just want a decent cup of coffee.

And Commander Waterford? He runs a whole underground club. All under the supposed watchful gaze of the Eyes.

He's practically hosting a rave in his basement. Where's the raid? Where's the outrage?

Are They Intimidating? Sure. Effective? Debatable.

Don't get me wrong, the idea of the Eyes is terrifying. Black vans and ominous stares? Yikes!

That image sells a lot, and it makes the atmosphere of Gilead heavy.

But the execution? Sometimes it feels a little… cartoonish? Like a bunch of bumbling villains in a Saturday morning show.

Maybe that's the point. Maybe the real terror comes from the possibility of being watched. From the paranoia.

Maybe the Eyes are more about the threat than the actual catching.

Still, I can’t help but imagine the Eyes having water cooler gossips. "Did you see what Waterford was up to last night?" "Yeah, I'll pretend I didn't."

Unpopular Opinion: The Eyes are Overrated.

So, here it is. My potentially scandalous take: The Eyes are overrated.

They're more of a symbol of Gilead's oppression than a truly effective force.

They seem to miss most of the important stuff while focusing on, I don’t know, someone wearing their bonnet slightly askew.

Ultimately, maybe that's the saddest thing about them. They're a symbol of power, but they feel powerless.

The Eyes are there to scare people into obedience. But humanity always find a way.

And usually humanity finds that way, with the Eyes conveniently looking the other way.

So, what do the Eyes really do? I think they provide a plot device more than anything else.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I suddenly feel the need to check if my curtains are closed.