Paula Theory (Spoilers S1)
I'm going to try to organize this and keep it as short as possible. My theory is that Paula is a Mayday operative, but more importantly, that she is Daisy's biological mother who smuggled her out of Gilead at the very beginning. I do not think Paula recognizes Daisy, and I think Daisy's father is probably dead.
I'm going to start with the clues from the show that made me begin to question Paula, and then I'll touch on why I think the book supports this theory, even though it's a deviation.
Clue 1: Paula's Background as a Therapist for Troubled Girls
In the most recent episode, Paula reveals that she was a therapist who worked with troubled girls. She has also analyzed Agnes' behavior, attributing it to her lack of a prefrontal cortex. This is important because it establishes four things: (A) Paula was an educated and employed woman before Gilead; (B) Paula understands the psychology and behavioral patterns of teen girls and how to manipulate them; (C) Paula was once likely a nurturing and empathetic woman; (D) Paula knows what constitutes abuse and how it impacts childhood development. I will get back to this.
Clue 2: Paula is an Equestrian
In literature, horses represent freedom, power, and resiliance. Paula's association with horses suggests that she, too, yearns for freedom. It also reaffirms Clue 1 (C): Paula naturally gravitates toward caretaker positions. She was not always like this. This isn't hard evidence, as it's only symbolism. But I think it's pretty strong symbolism.
Clue 3: Paula is the Only Person Who Discusses June to Agnes
As Agnes has already established to Daisy, people do not discuss birth parents in Gilead. Yet Paula has mentioned June to Agnes, stating that it isn't Agnes's fault she takes after her mother. Let's quickly unpack why Paula would do that. It could be a slick way of cutting Agnes down and belitting her, but when Agnes mistakes Paula's comments to be about Tabitha, Paula clarifies that she means June. If she just wanted to teach Agnes a lesson or belittle her, there was no need to bring up Agnes's birth mother. It would only serve to remind Agnes that she has a real mother, and a notorious one at that. Infamous even. That would naturally pique a teen girl's curiosity. She may be planting seeds (see point 1B).
Clue 4: June "Has a Horse in This Race" (June's Plan/ Daisy's Purpose)
This is possibly the biggest clue for me. Rita and the other Mayday woman mention that June has a horse in the race, referring to her own personal interest in sending Daisy to Gilead, due to Daisy's similarity in age to Agnes. Rita also says June specifically designed this plan. When Daisy asks, Rita explains that June has a daughter in Gilead the same age as Daisy, but does not divulge Agnes's name, or reveal any plan for Daisy to find or identify Agnes. So Daisy isn't there to rescue Agnes, or report information about Agnes. She doesn't even know that Agnes is June's daughter. So what exactly is June's personal investment in getting Daisy to go to Gilead?
I'm not sure, but I can't help but wonder if the horse is actually Paula (another horse reference). Assuming Paula is Mayday, she could have targeted Commander Mackenzie for marriage, specifically so she could keep watch over Agnes. If that were the case, Paula and June would likely be in some kind of communication, which would explain why Daisy wasn't initially expected to befriend Agnes or report back on her: she's already being watched. Likewise, Garth may have been placed with Agnes by someone in Mayday.
Now, bear with me. What if Mayday placed Daisy with Garth as a handler, and Lydia paired Daisy with Agnes, specifically to ensure that Daisy and Agnes would be together on the failed Mayday "retrieval mission"? The plan could have been to "retrieve" Daisy and Agnes escort them to Paula, and have Paula transport them to the border by horseback. Or, even just to get them into hiding so Daisy can escort Agnes back to the Canada undercover, as a Pearl Girl. I mean, (this is clue 5 tbh) we already saw that Pearl Girls are able to transport women over the border, and Garth specifically escorts new recruits. It's really a perfect cover. Why then? Agnes had gotten her period. Once married, they can't protect her any longer.
Why would Paula risk her life to raise and protect Agnes? Because June and the other members of Mayday did it for Daisy. Because she knows what it's like, as a mother, to know your child isn't safe. Maybe June and Paula made a promise to protect the other's daughter, that has yet to be revealed to us. We know June was always watching over Daisy in Canada, even though Daisy had never actually met June.
Clue 5: Paula's Strategy to Match Agnes Made No Sense
Let's assume for a second that Paula is not a member of Mayday, and genuinely just wanted Agnes to marry Commander Weston because he is powerful and wealthy. I can get behind that. But, if you're Paula (a former therapist) and you sincerely want to convince Agnes to marry Weston, riddle me this: why would you tell Agnes that Weston is the kind of man who wants a stubborn horse he can break in? If Paula knows Agnes is attempting to sabatoge her match, why would tip off Agnes on Weston's abuse? And why give Agnes the tools she needs to ruin the match herself? Paula worked with troubled teens. She should know that Agnes is going to do the opposite of everything she thinks Weston wants.
If Plan A was to get Agnes and Daisy out, but it failed, Plan B could have been to get Agnes married off to someone with valuable intel. Weston, Commander of the Eyes, is the perfect mark. If Agnes married Weston, Paula could gain access to Weston's home or get intel from Agnes, herself. After realizing the kind of danger Agnes would be in if she married Weston, Paula's words would have been a warning to Agnes, delivered in a way Agnes (who is unfamiliar with domestic violence and believes husbands protect wives) could understand: a horse analogy. She was probablly hoping Agnes would take the hint and repel the Commander by being docile, submissive, and boring.
If you've read the book, I think the character of Judd is being split between Weston and, well, Judd. And Agnes will wind up in the same position as she does in the book.
Clue 6: June and Rita Contradict Each Other RE: Daisy's Parents
June tells Daisy she doesn't know who her real parents were. BUT Rita says they're dead, and doesn't reveal their identities to Daisy. So... one of them is lying. If they really don't know who Daisy's parents are, they can't know whether they are dead. But, if they are actually alive, it makes sense to keep that from Daisy, who just lost the only family she has ever had. Plus, telling Daisy that Gilead killed her parents is what made her angry enough to volunteer for Mayday.
Personally, I think June and Rita are both telling white lies. They knew Daisy's parents (both versions). But Gilead killed them metaphorically and literally, depending on the version.
Clue 7: Paula is Constantly Gathering Intel.
If you pay close attention, Paula is constantly gathering intel. In the Green Tea episode, while Daisy is giving an overview of the wives and families, Paula is asking Lydia if, in light of the recent troubles, all of the commanders will still be attending the ball. It seems innocent, but it's also a way of figuring out which Commanders will be heading to war, and when.
Another example would be when she asks the Marthas what they've heard about Agnes' incident with Commander Weston "because I know you all like to gossip." Again, it seems like nothing more than a snide comment, but it's also a way to fish for information about what other Marthas are saying about Weston. When the Martha told Paula "it may not be the right match," Paula knew Weston was dangerous, because the Martha risked her life to state her unsolicited opinion. It looks like a throwaway scene, but its there to show us how Paula, a high ranking wife, operates discreetly.
She even tries to ellicit information about the war from a Commander visitng Agnes, only to be snubbed. I'm sure there are more examples, but the point is that Paula is constantly trying to extract sensitive information from powerful people in very innocuous ways.
Small Clues/Foreshadowing:
- Paula is not pious. She draws upon pre-Gilead experiences to relate to Agnes, instead of scripture, like the other women. She encourages Agnes to drink alcohol if the Commanders ask her to. She fondly reminisces to Agnes about her strapless prom dress, a style that Gilead would hang her for wearing today. When Agnes is confused, Paula explains that strapless means "no sleeves" rather than catching herself or disavowing such styles. She just revels in the memory of her dress, sin be damned.
- Paula is often coming and going by herself (private strolls). She spends a lot of time alone and seems to pursue remote, private activities (great cover to meet with Mayday).
- Paula and Daisy look similar. Round faces and, upon a rewatch, HIGHLY similar mannerisms.
BIG Clue From the Book:
Before I get into it, Margaret Atwood has confirmed that the show deviates from the book in at least one major way. Specifically, she has confirmed that (Book Spoilers Only) >!Daisy is not Nicole, In the book, Daisy and Agnes discover that they are half sisters. But Atwood decided she would rather have their stories take place at the same time, together for the show. Revealing that Paula is Daisy's biological mother is the next best thing, especially since each girl has been watched by the other's mom. It preserves the parent twist for Daisy, as well as the sister relationship. It even provides something for Lydia to blackmail Paula with, in lieu of her husband's murder. Granted, I don't think Paula would object to Agnes becoming an Aunt to escape Weston. !<
>!The question then becomes, if Paula becomes a good guy, will anyone take on Paula's original storyline of murdering her husband? It's a major storyline, so I think we're still going to get it, just from someone else. I don't necessarily even think it matters, because the point was to illustrate that nobody is safe when divorce is criminalized. And also to illustrate that Paula is duplicative and ruthlessly ambitious(I don't think you have to be evil to kill a Commander). !<
>!Just like the books, I think Agnes will decide to become an aunt at the last moment, leaving Weston without a wife. Daisy will be a last-minute match because she's an immigrant, so the geneology works out, and she's more "rebellious" for Weston to "break in." He's already met her in the Pearl Girl dorm and he seemed to really like her. And, plot wise, it gets Mayday in Weston's house. I'm sure Agnes will discover the truth as an Aunt, just like the book. !<
Will any of this happen? No, probably not. But I predicted the matches accurately, so I'm delusionally optimistic.