“Remember, there's no point trying to be tough or brave. Everybody breaks. Tell them everything.”
The Eyes of God, also referred to as simply The Eyes, are the secret police and intelligence unit of the Republic of Gilead, responsible for hunting down and persecuting all opponents of the Regime and also patrolling Gilead's borders. It was formed from ex-CIA members that had assisted the Sons of Jacob in their coup d'etat against the US government.
They drive in matte black long-wheelbase Ford Transit vans with tinted windows and winged eyes painted on the sides. They occasionally wear discreet items bearing the Eyes' insignia such as pins and are often seen with black suits and sunglasses, similar to the appearance of the real-life Secret Service, though plainclothes operatives wear civilian outfits to blend into the populace to hide their identity.
According to June Osborne, anyone could be an Eye and you wouldn't know until it is too late; although the organization seems to be made up solely of loyal and subservient men, it is possible they also use women such as the Marthas in wealthy households[2] as spies and informants.
In addition to monitoring and spying upon the general populace, the Eyes make arrests and harshly interrogate suspects. It is strongly implied they employ underhand and unethical techniques such as blackmail to get the answers they want should they decide to keep prisoners alive; but in the course of suspects helping them with their inquiries, they are also willing to mercilessly and brutally torture people to their death.[citation needed].
According to Commander Pryce, the Eyes have a uniformed corps that serves as a visible face, but they gather most intelligence using under plainclothes operatives[2].
Sons of Jacob coup[]
The Sons of Jacob organization takes over per the agreement of the Provisional Government which was part of the pre-massacre group. It combined the resources of the CIA, who had been banned from conducting operations on US soil, the FBI, NSA, and others, and completed a takeover of all law enforcement. Utilizing the resources and methods of the Intelligence and Federal law enforcement agencies, the Sons of Jacob used methods including interrogation, torture, wire tapping, and information gathering techniques of the NSA to form an all-in-one entity called the Eyes. This enabled those loyal to the takeover the ability to establish a police state.
Organization[]
Administration[]
An "Eye of God" painted on a black van
- Commander Pryce 1st District Head (killed in the Red Center Bombing)
- Commander Cushing 2nd District Head (framed by Serena Joy, June, and Nick)
- Commander Putnam 3rd and Current District Head (carried out Cushing's arrest)
- Commander Judd: Head of the Eyes 15 years into Gilead's future (Testaments only)
- Current head is unknown.
Officers[]
- Lieutenant Stans (interrogator)
Plainclothes Operatives[]
- Nick Blaine
- Burke
- Hansen
Collaborators[]
- Martha of Commander Guthrie
- Aide of Commander Guthrie
Business Associates[]
- Beth (alcohol supply)
Report Chains[]
- Guthrie's Martha → Nick
- Guthrie's aide → Nick
- Nick → Pryce
Mentions and activities[]
After The Takeover[]
The escape agent helping June and Luke destroys their cell phones because "they can track these things, location services or not"[3].
Before the main storyline[]
Two guards lead Commander Guthrie into an office building of the Eyes. Nick reports to a pleased Commander Pryce that Guthrie has been sleeping with his last two Handmaids and is skimming from the transportation budget, according to his aide and his Martha. Pryce then reminds Nick to "be chiefly reporting on the activities of his own Commander" and regrets the loss in the Waterfords' household. He concludes "We are going to clean up Gilead, son".[2]
Present time[]
At the gate of the Waterfords' house, Ofglen warns Offred that an Eye is a member of her household[4].
While driving Offred home alone, Nick is asked by Offred about Ofglen's arrest, and he tells her to remember she "can't change" this and "being tough or brave" won't work because "everybody breaks", and she should "tell them everything". Offred then sees a black van parked in the drive, to which Nick apologizes he "couldn't stop them".
Inside the house, Offred is interrogated and electrotortured by an Eye and Aunt Lydia regarding Ofglen. She answers as honestly as possible, omitting the fact that Ofglen is a member of a rebel network, but admitting that she knew Ofglen was a 'Gender Traitor'. When they ask why she didn't report the conversation, Offred replies that Ofglen was her friend. Nick later brings her ice for her injuries. He confesses he wished he'd just driven away with her [1] .
In a hotel room of Jezebel's, Fred Waterford tells Offred that he feels "a target on his back" since he has been hearing from "purges" in other districts, fearing the Eyes could go after him, too. Offred supposes that this is what happens when you're the boss[2].
Beth is trading with Nick bottles of alcoholic beverages and additional contraband for other illicit goods, such as prescription drugs and pregnancy tests that are used by the customers or working girls of the brothel. Nick formally comments the trade with "The Eyes thank you for your service", implying that the Eyes at least to some degree turn a blind eye to illicit trade.[2]
Activities[]
- Spying / mass surveillance, including high-tech espionage such as phone-hacking, wiretapping and bugging
- Border patrols, as described by Nick
- Arresting opponents of the Regime, including gender traitors and spies
- Security patrols
Trivia[]
- Nick trades with Beth on behalf of the Eyes, i.e. the Eyes' administration tolerates drug trafficking, at least to a degree.
- The Eyes could be seen as the direct opposite of Mayday, as both are clandestine networks seeking to defeat one another.
- Nick Reveals in The Wilderness to Commander Lawrence that the Eyes is the Border patrol and has the discretion. Previously thought it was Guardians.