thE handmaid’s taLE sEason 1
netflix may be the online TV hit factory du jour, but it was Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale that swept the board at this year’s Emmys. Not simply a virtuoso adaptation of a groundbreaking novel, it’s a stark warning for the future that feels even more troublingly relevant now than when Margaret Atwood put pen to paper in 1985.
As seen through the eyes of Elisabeth Moss’ ‘handmaid’ Offred, the Republic of Gilead is rendered in chillingly credible fashion. In the near(ish) future, plummeting fertility rates have led to the creation of a theocratic autocracy built upon the subjugation of women, including the statesanctioned rape of fertile handmaids.
Exactly as upsetting as it sounds, this is science fiction at its finest – a horrifying vision of an all-too-plausible tomorrow. It’s grim but not gruelling;
indeed, there are morsels of hope in this nightmare world, with Moss’ exquisite narration providing cathartic moments of defiance, even humour. Every aspect shines, not least Adam Taylor’s soul-quaking score and Ane Crabtree’s haunting costume design.
Since it ends on a near-identical note to the novel, the imminent second season must venture into uncharted territory. Whatever comes next, these initial 10 episodes are required viewing. Jordan Farley