The Handmaid's Tale

[burnspbesq]

Politics aside (and let's see if we can't keep them there), this is must-see.

Elisabeth Moss is excellent. The direction and cinematography are brilliant (if you tend toward claustrophobia, consider yourself warned).

Worth a Hulu subscription all by itself.

[lotusland]

Moss is keeping busy since Madmen. She reportedly also returned for season 2 of Top of the Lake out later this year. I'll probably wait until all episodes are out so I can binge.

[rthomas]

https://m.indyweek.com/indyweek/a-forgotten-the-handmaids-tale-movie-filmed-in-durham-is-the-missing-link-between-classic-novel-and-hulu-hit/Content?oid=6369954


Interesting look back at making the movie of Margaret Atwood's, The Handmaid's Tale, in Durham and on Duke campus in 1989. My first year at Duke.

Now I guess there is a Hulu episodic version.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Just finished season one - wow. Really well done, very powerful subject matter. Elizabeth Moss seems to be building a career as the face of someone staring down patriarchy and long-odds, with enough resolve to survive and maybe make great things happen.

Would love to see if anyone else here has dug in for a few episodes and wants to discuss.

[JasonEvans]

Late to the party (there did not seem to be much of one) but I just wanted to say that it took less than a week for me and my wife to power through season 1 of this really well-done series. High production values and really quality acting. I am eager to see where it heads next.

[pfrduke]

Late to the party (there did not seem to be much of one) but I just wanted to say that it took less than a week for me and my wife to power through season 1 of this really well-done series. High production values and really quality acting. I am eager to see where it heads next.

I'm impressed you could do it in less than a week. I also thought it was excellent, but I needed a few days between each episode. Not light fare.

[elvis14]

Late to the party (there did not seem to be much of one) but I just wanted to say that it took less than a week for me and my wife to power through season 1 of this really well-done series. High production values and really quality acting. I am eager to see where it heads next.

I finished season 1 yesterday. It was fantastic. Would have finished it sooner but it was too dark for my wife so I had to watch it when I had time alone (as a parent, that's not much time...essentially, I watched it from the treadmill at the gym).

Google is telling me that season 2 should be out April 25th, looking forward to it.

[Matches]

I loved it too but MAN it was dark. I am not squeamish about TV but wow....

[elvis14]

I loved it too but MAN it was dark. I am not squeamish about TV but wow...

Yeah, sometimes I took a few days off before watching the next episode to get it off me and feel clean again.

[WV_Iron_Duke]

Agree with Elvis14 and Matches. The series is brutally dark. For this reason it is not one of my favorite streaming series. The uniforms for the Handmaids are ridiculous/boring. Too many subplots with unlikeable family members. Drab color pallete. And maybe I missed it, but when does the series explain to its audience why the US of A is controlled by "The Theocracy" but Canada is still a free state.

[elvis14]

Agree with Elvis14 and Matches. The series is brutally dark. For this reason it is not one of my favorite streaming series. The uniforms for the Handmaids are ridiculous/boring. Too many subplots with unlikeable family members. Drab color pallete. And maybe I missed it, but when does the series explain to its audience why the US of A is controlled by "The Theocracy" but Canada is still a free state.

I just assumed they didn't bother with Canada because it's just so cold up there. I mean why go through the trouble to conquer a land where you're going to freeze your butt off every winter :-)

Hmmmm, maybe that's just why *I* haven't been to Canada!

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Agree with Elvis14 and Matches. The series is brutally dark. For this reason it is not one of my favorite streaming series. The uniforms for the Handmaids are ridiculous/boring. Too many subplots with unlikeable family members. Drab color pallete. And maybe I missed it, but when does the series explain to its audience why the US of A is controlled by "The Theocracy" but Canada is still a free state.

Sounds like you enjoyed it a little less than the rest of us.

Post-apocalyptic theocratic tyranny is gonna be dark...

[JasonEvans]

Anyone care to comment on last night's season 2 finale?

More to the point, anyone care to explain or defend what June/Offred does at the end? Is there an explanation that makes any sense?**

-Jason "**-aside from Hulu's need to keep the series alive and kicking and thinking that is impossible with June escaping Gilead" Evans

[mkirsh]

Anyone care to comment on last night's season 2 finale?

More to the point, anyone care to explain or defend what June/Offred does at the end? Is there an explanation that makes any sense?**

-Jason "**-aside from Hulu's need to keep the series alive and kicking and thinking that is impossible with June escaping Gilead" Evans

It's indefensible, but I'll try: like Serena, June realized she couldn't let either daughter grow up in Gilead. Where she had been previously willing to leave Hannah behind thinking she would at least be taken care of, after Eden's drowning and Serena's pinky-ectomy she realizes she can't leave her alone to grow up in Gilead. That's the best I've got, but it's super weak. She would be much better positioned to help from Canada than she will be from the gallows, which is what realistically would happen to her, Rita, likely Nick and Serena, and even potentially Waterford. It's really just for shock value (ie here we are talking about it) and to get to season 3. Great show overall - really tough to watch, and I'm actually glad they space it out week to week, but great acting/directing/cinematography and really thought provoking.

[A-Tex Devil]

June not getting in truck = Maeve not getting on train. Same. Exact. Arc. But one is a robot. Not sure if throwing on the red hoodie at the end meant she was gonna start kicking tail next season or not.

I just hope she is part of resistance and not a prisoner working on escape all season in season 3.

What happens to Nick? What about the Aunt?

[gus]

June not getting in truck = Maeve not getting on train. Same. Exact. Arc. But one is a robot. Not sure if throwing on the red hoodie at the end meant she was gonna start kicking tail next season or not.

I just hope she is part of resistance and not a prisoner working on escape all season in season 3.

What happens to Nick? What about the Aunt?

It has to be June joining a resistance movement. Having her go back into captivity after getting her infant daughter freed will not make for a sustainable plotline - it would just be gratuitous torture porn at this point. She's escaped twice now, and now no longer has her daughter. Her status as a breeder wouldn't save her. They'd cut her legs off and keep her locked to a bed.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

I watched S1 E1 last night, and frankly, I didn't love it. I don't judge a series on one episode, because I realize it takes a while to backfill the viewer on previous events that lead to the current reality, etc. That said, I move forward to E2 with low expectations. What am I missing?

[Matches]

Anyone care to comment on last night's season 2 finale?

More to the point, anyone care to explain or defend what June/Offred does at the end? Is there an explanation that makes any sense?**

-Jason "**-aside from Hulu's need to keep the series alive and kicking and thinking that is impossible with June escaping Gilead" Evans

It was a real jump-the-shark moment IMO. No way she makes that choice.

The attempt to once again humanize Serena falls short for me too. I get that she's complicated - whatever - she held a woman down while she was forcibly raped a few episodes ago. But hey, she likes babies.

This show is almost worth watching for the cinematography alone, but I have a bad feeling that it's going to get even less plausible if they really intend for it to go on for ten seasons.