Handmaids’ hellish world

Life in the dystopian state of Gilead promises more compelling viewing, writes James Croot

Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) warned us there would be consequences.

At the end of season one of The Handmaid’s Tale

(Lightbox), Offred (Elisabeth Moss) and her fellow ‘‘handmaidens’’ had seemingly escaped deadly punishment for their defiance in refusing to help ‘‘execute’’ Ofdaniel.

But picking up the action immediately after Offred boarded a black van seemingly to safety, season two almost instantly takes a nasty turn. Offred finds her destination is Fenway Park where a series of mass gallows have been erected. However, just as their necks are placed in the hangman’s noose, Lydia enters, hoping they have learned their lesson.

Back at the red centre, she then singles out Offred, sharing her ‘‘happy news’’ that she is with child, a move which also allows her to call out Offred’s ‘‘hypocrisy’’. Being pregnant means she cannot be harmed. ‘‘So you are standing in defiance, but risking nothing,’’ Lydia chides her. And it won’t stop Lydia from making Offred’s life a living hell. ‘‘Nine months can feel like a long time,’’ she warns.

Which is exactly how many Kiwi fans have felt having to wait since the end of June when the first season finished up. One of the most talked about shows of 2016, this urgent, unsettling adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s 1985 dystopian novel met with universal acclaim, winning eight Emmy Awards and two Golden Globes.

Of course the world has turned again during its time off air and Handmaid’s depiction of female servitude and the fallout from a Second American Civil War feels even more relevant as President Trump settles in and the age of #MeToo is upon us. This new 13-part instalment will no doubt spark plenty of debates, with its musings on what freedom really is. Indeed, some of the most provocative scenes in the opening episode were set in the time before the rise of the nightmarish world of Gilead. They focus on Offred/June’s struggle to combine a full-time job with caring for daughter Hannah (Jordana Blake). When she becomes ill, June finds herself being made to feel guilty and neglectful by the hospital staff.

Delivered with Handmaid’s trademark hand-held, closeup style and backed by Adam Taylor’s eerie, evocative score, the result is uncomfortable but truly compelling viewing.

Season 2 of The Handmaid’s Tale began streaming on Lightbox with a special double episode on April 26. New episodes drop each Thursday.