Anyone watching this? I don’t have Hulu, so, I am watching on Amazon Prime. I am half-way through the first season.
The show is exceptional. The acting is amazing. But … man … it’s a bit rough.
I love dystopian books/movies. I will find myself siding with “the resistance,” but, I rarely get sucked in enough to feel for the protagonist. I mean, I feel for them, but, it’s just a movie/book. Well, in this series, I find myself sucked into to hell that is the life of the Handmaids. Damn!
SPOILERS:
Our protagonist is Offred, a Handmaid played by Elizabeth Moss. She is the Handmaid for Commander Fred Waterford, who is one of the leaders of the new country of Gilead (the country that “survived” after the Second Civil War in the US). “Offred” is the name given to Moss because it means “Of Fred” who is her Commander. The previous Offred killed herself. Watching the lives of the Handmaids, it is really difficult to believe more of them do not kill themselves.
In Canada Atwood is a bit of a celebrity, so we had to read it in high school…along with stuff like 1984, the merchant of Venice, to kill a mocking bird, cannery row etc…etc…
I misunderstood a friends comment on it in passing on wassap
So last spring I was flying back from Beijing and thought I would try it. i could get the whole series in on the flight.
I found that whilst the whole series was well acted, written and produced, it was just way to heavy for me.
I like to watch the world burn but even for me it was a step too far.
So I get off the plane and send a text and say “WTF with the handmaids tale, it was traumatising” and he replied “i told you, we only watched one episode”
I’m not watching season two, I think some of it was gratuitously unnecessary, systematic and systemic abuse does not need to be repeatedly shown for a viewer to be aware of it. some of it added little to the narrative.
Thanks. I didn’t know what the series was about, only that folks said to check it out.
Ah! Well, let me give you a little more info, without any spoilers. Fertility rates around the world drop considerably. This causes significant and widespread panic. A group of religious zealots sees this as a punishment from God for how society has crumbled and abandoned the original roles of men, women, and family. The group stages a coup, which results in the Second Civil War. The coup is successful. The result is the creation of Gilead in the former United States. The war destroyed many parts of the US, now referred to “the colonies” which is covered in toxic waste. Being sent to the colonies to clean up the toxic waste is a death sentence. In Gilead, women are prohibited from reading, working, or owning any property. They are to take care of their families. Women are organized into categories. Martha’s are maids, cooks, etc. Aunt’s are women who train and control the Handmaids. Handmaids are the few remaining fertile women who are assigned to the ruling class for breeding. Then there are the wives of the ruling class who are barren to whom the Handmaids’ babies are given. The rules of the new society are very strict. Violation of the rules results in being hung or being sent to the colonies to clean toxic waste and eventually die a horrible death.
Thanks. I didn’t know what the series was about, only that folks said to check it out.
Ah! Well, let me give you a little more info, without any spoilers. Fertility rates around the world drop considerably. This causes significant and widespread panic. A group of religious zealots sees this as a punishment from God for how society has crumbled and abandoned the original roles of men, women, and family. The group stages a coup, which results in the Second Civil War. The coup is successful. The result is the creation of Gilead in the former United States. The war destroyed many parts of the US, now referred to “the colonies” which is covered in toxic waste. Being sent to the colonies to clean up the toxic waste is a death sentence. In Gilead, women are prohibited from reading, working, or owning any property. They are to take care of their families. Women are organized into categories. Martha’s are maids, cooks, etc. Aunt’s are women who train and control the Handmaids. Handmaids are the few remaining fertile women who are assigned to the ruling class for breeding. Then there are the wives of the ruling class who are barren to whom the Handmaids’ babies are given. The rules of the new society are very strict. Violation of the rules results in being hung or being sent to the colonies to clean toxic waste and eventually die a horrible death.
Thanks. I didn’t know what the series was about, only that folks said to check it out.
Ah! Well, let me give you a little more info, without any spoilers. Fertility rates around the world drop considerably. This causes significant and widespread panic. A group of religious zealots sees this as a punishment from God for how society has crumbled and abandoned the original roles of men, women, and family. The group stages a coup, which results in the Second Civil War. The coup is successful. The result is the creation of Gilead in the former United States. The war destroyed many parts of the US, now referred to “the colonies” which is covered in toxic waste. Being sent to the colonies to clean up the toxic waste is a death sentence. In Gilead, women are prohibited from reading, working, or owning any property. They are to take care of their families. Women are organized into categories. Martha’s are maids, cooks, etc. Aunt’s are women who train and control the Handmaids. Handmaids are the few remaining fertile women who are assigned to the ruling class for breeding. Then there are the wives of the ruling class who are barren to whom the Handmaids’ babies are given. The rules of the new society are very strict. Violation of the rules results in being hung or being sent to the colonies to clean toxic waste and eventually die a horrible death.
No spoilers but there is a certain amount of “revenge†in season 2!
Maurice
Season 2 was great! Not quite as much vengeance as I wanted, but, a good start. Just started Season 3 last night.
Here is my question (without much of a spoiler): Who is happy in this new society? Seriously, who is actually benefiting from it? It seems unsustainable because everyone seems miserable. No one seems pleased by this new society. Even those at the top are miserable. So, it is hard to be believable.
Why do all the guys with all the guns take all the shit they take? Why are there SO many Guardians? Where do the find this many “security guards” when there are still skirmishes going on at the borders?
I didn’t know Handmaid’s Tale was on Amazon - thanks! I’ve read the book and am dying to know how seasons 2 and 3 evolve.
If anyone is interested in similar reading, but much more scarily realistic (based on current laws proposed), check out the book Red Clocks. From an Amazon review:
“Four different intersecting stories of fertility, pregnancy, healthcare and parenting, set in a nightmarish future America that’s a little too close for comfort. Apart from the raw tragedies of these personal stories, an undercurrent is the all too familiar story of legislators who think they know what’s best, and who don’t know or care about the impact of their laws on everyday lives. An outstanding fictional parallel to our increasingly dystopian reality.”
I didn’t know Handmaid’s Tale was on Amazon - thanks! I’ve read the book and am dying to know how seasons 2 and 3 evolve.
If anyone is interested in similar reading, but much more scarily realistic (based on current laws proposed), check out the book Red Clocks. From an Amazon review:
“Four different intersecting stories of fertility, pregnancy, healthcare and parenting, set in a nightmarish future America that’s a little too close for comfort. Apart from the raw tragedies of these personal stories, an undercurrent is the all too familiar story of legislators who think they know what’s best, and who don’t know or care about the impact of their laws on everyday lives. An outstanding fictional parallel to our increasingly dystopian reality.”
All of Season 2 is on Amazon. Season 3 is not on Amazon yet, so, I just started my Hulu trial. Unfortunately, I got “basic” Hulu and now have to sit through commercials! I think I may upgrade to no-commercials until after I finish this series.
I have not read the book, but, I have read a number of reviews praising the adaptation. Unlike Game of Thrones, the writers were not lost when the ran out of source material. In many ways, Season 2 is even better than Season 1 and sticks to the same tone, pace, character development, etc. As I posted earlier in this thread, this show is still hard to watch. I can only take one episode per night. But, man, is it well done!
No spoilers but there is a certain amount of “revenge†in season 2!
Maurice
Season 2 was great! Not quite as much vengeance as I wanted, but, a good start. Just started Season 3 last night.
Here is my question (without much of a spoiler): Who is happy in this new society? Seriously, who is actually benefiting from it? It seems unsustainable because everyone seems miserable. No one seems pleased by this new society. Even those at the top are miserable. So, it is hard to be believable.
Why do all the guys with all the guns take all the shit they take? Why are there SO many Guardians? Where do the find this many “security guards” when there are still skirmishes going on at the borders?
The problem with this society created in God’s image, and to whom everyone must serve within their strict roles, is that nobody is happy. Even the people who created this society are unhappy. That’s the brutal irony here, and is cause for some to question their support for the regime.
June (Offred) is working within this shitty system to reunite her family, and is gaining power. Season 2 was tough (just so many setbacks) but I am finding Season 3 to be where June is able to make some things happen. She has power as a handmaid and is getting good at using it. Aunt Lydia is ruthless but we finally get a bit of her back story to explain why.