Bad breeding
The future of fertility is a nightmare for women in dystopian sci-fi series The Handmaid’s Tale.
The Handmaid’s Tale (2017- current) is an unsettling rollercoaster ride filled with ups, downs, loop-theloops and worse. Based on the 1985 novel by Margaret Atwood, it follows Offred (Elisabeth Moss, Peggy in period drama Mad Men, 20072015). It’s her duty as a “handmaid” to provide children in the Republic Of Gilead, a new-style United States that was established following a civil war and a dramatic decrease in fertility thanks to global pollution and sexually transmitted diseases.
“The women are forced to have sex with the master of the house, which is basically rape, to bear children to the family they’re assigned,” says Elisabeth. “You call it what it is. This is not a nice place to live or job to have.” Women’s rights are a thing of the past and they have been stripped of social standing in Gilead. Women have become slaves for their most basic of functions: breeding.
FERTILE SOLUTION
Before being kidnapped and renamed, Offred was called June Osbourne and she had a family – husband Luke (O-T Fagbenle, Danny in Brit thriller The Five, 2016- current) and their daughter Hannah (Jordana Blake). They fled Gilead when June was rounded up and she doesn’t know if they’re still alive, but as Offred says in her narration, “I only want to survive for my daughter!”
Offred belongs to Commander Fred Waterford (Joseph Fiennes, Merlin in fantasy series Camelot, 2011), a founder member of Gilead who is married to “barren” Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski, Sarah in action comedy Chuck, 2007-2012). Serena is cruel towards Offred for “giving” Fred kids, but it’s later revealed that Fred is the infertile partner. He is compassionate towards Offred to the point of wanting to break the law to be with Offred outside of her handmaid duties and he skirts around the topic in episode 2 (6 October) by inviting her to play Scrabble. Breaking the law isn’t an option for the handmaids though – if they’re seen out of their red gowns and white headwear, they face punishment like having their eyes gorged out. “Do not mistake this for a fantasy series,” warns author Margaret, “This is a reality mash-up of things happening around the world now!”
GIVING WOMEN A VOICE
“The control of women and babies has been part of every repressive regime in history,” says Margaret, with Elisabeth revealing that her role as Offred was challenging for her. “I’m a feminist and I’m not ashamed of it. So when I read the script of women being stripped of rights, I had to do it!” Adding her voice to women’s rights is Elisabeth’s co-star Yvonne, who reminds viewers that “it’s a human story and women’s rights are human rights. It’s about equality, but at the end of the day, it’s not equal”.
GUEST STARS
Ofglen (Alexis Bledel, Rory in drama Gilmore Girls, 2000- current) is Offred’s shopping partner.
Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd, Patti Levin from sci-fi The Leftovers, 2014-2017) is the handmaids’ caretaker.