As the recent Women’s March in Washington, D.C. and around the country demonstrated, many American progressives aren’t too keen on Donald Trump’s presidency. For many reasons, of course, but especially in regards to his (and his administration’s) perceived attitude towards women. So of course Hulu’s adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, capitalized on the subject’s attention this past International Women’s Day with a special teaser. After all, since the main thrust of the plot involves a male-dominated theocracy usurping American government and enslaving women, it’s timely.
Aside from this teaser, however, much of The Handmaid’s Tale‘s promotional materials have either made veiled references to the contemporary connections, or outright ignored them. Not anymore, as a new trailer that dropped Thursday drops all pretenses and gets right to the heart of the matter. Even Offred’s (Elisabeth Moss) narration doesn’t waste time:
“I was asleep before. That’s how we let it happen. When they slaughtered Congress, we didn’t wake up. When they blamed terrorists and suspended the constitution, we didn’t wake up then either. Now I’m awake.”
For much of the nearly two-minute trailer, viewers are treated to previews of Offred’s modern life in Gilead punctuated by flashbacks from her former life. What results is a horrifying portrait of the near future, in which so-called handmaids bear children for male leaders with barren wives. Yet a rebellion is brewing, and if Offred’s newfound wakefulness is any indication, she’ll be at its forefront.
The first episode for The Handmaid’s Tale drops Wednesday, April 26 only Hulu.
