The Handmaid's Tale

From June to Offred: A 21st century slave tale! SEASON 01: I was not sure to give it a try, in the end I just went on. The reason was, another dystopian theme. It was a short season with the 10 episodes, and I've got a mixed feeling. It was based on the 30 year old novel of the same name. I mean 3 decades old source is very old in the present trend. Since that book there were plenty of films, series were made similar to that theme, including one feature film adaptation. I don't know the screenplay was highly borrowed from its original source, but all I expected was alterable. Even though I felt familiarity, I enjoyed watching it. My issue was the drag. The whole season was a drag. Dragged to have one more season, or maybe more in the future. Especially I was very disappointed with the season finale. It only felt like a mid-season finale and yet a lot more to come in the same season. But that was only my assumption, this season ended at the halfway. They had held back too much to have some of it in the upcoming seasons. That's very intense move from the production perspective, but for the viewers, it left with unsatisfying. The plus points were the casting and production. Elisabeth Moss was very good. Her expressions saved in parts of the earlier episodes. Particularly, her smile during those circus were going on, instead of being tensed and confused. That reveals the character, who wants to stay alive for a reason. As the story progresses in the next episodes, you would know more reasons why. Alexis' part was short, as well as many others. The overall the characters design was good. But I anticipated more from the story side to reveal. In the near future, the humans had lost fertility capacity, excluding a very few men and women. Those who are capable of having babies are taken as slave surrogate mothers, after separating from their husbands and kids, to assign them those who desire to have children. This tale follows Offred, who is one of the maids. Her struggle against the couple who took her in, and overall society, how it treated her and others like her. The American dreams are gone. Many fled to Canada and yet some are trying to make it there. But Offred is not concerned about that. She now has to find her daughter before planning anything. Each epidoe was decent, but only a couple of them were top class. At least now we know what to expect from the follow-up season. Also the perspective of the story was very restricted like everything was from Offred. The episode like 'The Other Side' really made it interesting. We need more those kind of explanation of what's going on on the other side. Especially for a television series, they have all the time to detail out from all the angle. That's what I like in the series, otherwise I'm always a film fanatic, love to watch short and sweet tales. So I'm waiting for the season 2. _7/10_

Every now and then a production comes along that such an absolute gem, it has you lost for words. A Handmaids Tale, is based on the novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood . I have not yet read the book but if this series is anything to go by, it will, I'm sure, make its way into my collection very soon. On the surface the premise behind the series seems novel. Yet when you consider the fate of women in contemporary and historic theocratic societies, its not so far fetched. Indeed, what Atwood has rather cleverly done, is transplant aspects of life in theocratic societies, most notably Medieval Europe and Puritan colonial America, into a futuristic setting using civil war as a vehicle. A biological imperative is introduced too, in the form of pollution induced human sterility. Fertile women in Gilead (formerly the USA) are reduced to human incubators, their only imperative to produce children. On face value, this might seem to be a story about the subjugation and commoditization of women. Indeed, it is that. Yet, what this series is ultimately about is the hypocrisy of intolerance. Not just women but any individual or group, who diverge from the rigid religious script, meet a grim fate. Meanwhile, those controlling the dialogue, are more or less free to make and break their own rules, as they see fit. Even those who do follow the societal script, often do so for reasons that are in opposition to those they claim to uphold. For my money everything about this series is superb. Elizabeth Moss is a wonderful, off beat choice, for Offred the handmaid to a powerful commander, who is directly responsible for hers and others suffering. Joseph Fiennes, is capable in the role of the superficially charming but emotionally empty commander. Update: Yes a decent series but, for my money, its run on too long and now simply appears to be recycling the original script with a few twists and turns. At times, in my opinion, perilously close to looking like misandry, too. In short, an engrossing, thoughtful and engaging series but it needs to come to a close, as it no longer has much more to say, that has not already been said.