I have never read the book (and after watching 4 episodes I now know I must). This is, for the moment, really good storytelling and world building. What starts like a little bit too out there is developed slowly into something scarily feasible, if extreme. this is done through the use of flashbacks that, while misplaced and overused, do a great work of contextualizing the dystopia the story is set in, and are overall welcomed if still we weakest part of the storytelling.
This really feels like 1984 for the current times. I’m impressed. Really weird timing with everything that is going on in politics, to the point that it’s actually genuinely disquieting to watch at times.
But yeah, I think it’s really good. Anybody else watching???
I read the book a few months ago (Started November 10th to be precise). And, yeah, it’s a dystopia that while the details of how it ends are fantastical, the genesis of are all too realistic.
This just keeps getting better. The flashback scenes have gone from cool contextualization to a tour de force emotional ride that successfully creates contrast with the “present” situation giving an unusual amount of insight into the characters.
And the actors are really inspired. At first, everything and everybody seemed a little too rigid (talking the first two episodes), but it turns out it was due to the nature of the world depicted. Once you get into flashbacks (and as the emotional constraints everybody is holding to start breaking away in the present) you get some amazing performances. The scene of June and Luke having coffee was brilliant.
Really? Nobody watching this??? It’s probably the best sci-fi I’ve seen in TV in a long while…
92 Metacritic, 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes (with a 9.1 average). Come on guys, it’s not just me!!!
Yes! The TV show flashbacks have started to diverge from the novel, but so far they’ve been better for it imo. The handling of Serena Joy in the last episode was especially good!
We watch it as well, but got derailed by my GF wanting to see Daredevil first - but this is next up. We watched the first episode and loved it, even though it was deeply disturbing in places.
I have seen the 1990 movie and I am on the next-to-last episode but I have yet to read the book… how much is it diverging? I need to read the book, because I can’t tell!
In particular, in the TV series they make it really clear that fertility is in a crisis state. The mexican ambassador notes that in a Mexican city the size of Boston there have been zero live births in six years ⚠️ which is nuts.
To me, that makes Handmaid’s Tale an end of the world story, like Children of Men, and thus some of the really implausible stuff … more plausible in my mind. Because if that’s how the world was gonna end, all societies and goverments would absolutely lose. their. shit.
Exhibit A (the newspapers, shown in the background but never remarked upon, such a brilliant scene)
I agree. I think it’s not only the setting, but the contrast with the flashbacks that show a much happier, not so distant past. The speed of the change is very disquieting because of what it implies about human nature. And because it feels very real given the circumstances.
We binged this show over the weekend. What a powerful and brilliantly executed season. I loved the setting, the costumes, the vernacular, the technology (or lack thereof), the intriguing downfall, how background information is doled out in small doses episode to episode. It’s so disorienting when you start with a regular couple driving around in an old Volvo to … this. How is that possible? They go into it all in a satisfying manner. There’s so much to explore and learn about the world that every new piece is fascinating and horrifying. I love that they keep the story highly personal and don’t make it a grand tale of June bringing down the whole society or something. She does what she can to stay sane and to hopefully make a small difference.
The thing that I kept wondering was, where are the teenagers and the olds? It’s like everyone in the city was either a child (5-8) or in their 20s-50s. Unless I missed something it should have been addressed. If fertility was such an emergency I would guarantee there would be a lot of more horrible actions with the youngest girls able to bear children.
There’s a lot of talk about how watching this show draws parallels to our current US political climate. Obviously the story is a stylized work of fiction but what strikes me in the story is how quickly people can become accustomed to a new normal, one that could be horribly unjust. It’s on all of us to stay informed and speak out loudly against any bullshit sooner rather than later. Our actions as well as our inactions can change the course of things.
Before this I watched through the second season of Underground which is another phenomenal show with a small audience about the underground railroad. It’s really interesting comparing the differences/similarities between the past and to this dystopian future.
I hope they have a good plan for the show because I can see it dragging out for too long. I wouldn’t want this to continue for more than a few seasons at most. Still as it stand it’s an extremely well made series that’s very powerful. There are some seriously disturbing scenes that just convey a relentless sense of hopelessness and dread.
Forgot to mention how emotional it was to get a little into the state of a refugee and how they should be treated. Between this, women’s rights, LGBT rights, political protests, the abandonment of government values brought on by “national security”… This show really hits some very topical themes. Now excuse me while I raise the ol’ maple leaf and move to Canada. salute
I am so late to this party. We are 5 episodes in and holy shit this show is fantastic. Sorry, I mean praise to him for the bounty that is this show. It really is living up to the hype surrounding it. With amazing character portrayal, cinematography, wonderful use of color and somber dystopian settings, and the intertwining of the current story with the background reveal.
What an amazing show. I’m glad to see it’s renewed and coming next year.
