Showrunner Bruce Miller told critics at the TCA press tour that “Every time someone reads [The Handmaid’s Tale], it’s timely,” and he’s probably right. After you watch the trailer above, it’s an easy knee-jerk reaction to say “this is now” or something along those lines. It isn’t in reality, but that kind of sentiment is sure to help the show once it premieres on Hulu in April.
The 10-episode series will tell Margaret Atwood’s dystopian tale of an America brought down by terrorism and replaced by Gilead, a place described by The Hollywood Reporter as a “simplified world in which fertility issues abound and women’s rights are a thing of the past“:
In order to keep the population up, government officials in a totalitarian society send young and fertile women — the “handmaids” — to affluent families, where they are forced to help couples procreate via sexual servitude.
There’s no doubt that reproductive and women’s rights will hit close to home for many viewers, especially in light of current events like the proposed cuts to Planned Parenthood. It’s very easy to find parallels, which some of the stars did very well during their TCA presentation according to Variety:
Co-star Samira Wiley, who plays Offred’s best friend Moira, views her role almost as a duty. “It’s our responsibility as artists to reflect the time we’re living in,” she said. “This show is showing us the climate we’re living in. For me, personal issues are, specifically, women and their bodies and who has control of our bodies. Do we have control of that, or does someone else?”
Aside from that, it doesn’t seem that you need to find yourself entrenched in political discussions to enjoy the series. The book itself is 30 years old with numerous adaptations, showing its strength as a story. While this series will stray a bit, the core will be there and will present a world worthy of exploring thanks to strong performances and some striking visuals.
(Via Variety / The Hollywood Reporter)