“The Handmaid's Tale” is an Emmy award-winning series that depicts a disturbing dystopian scenario during the rule of Gilead, a totalitarian state that has taken over what was once the United States of America.
In this era, when the environment is heavily polluted and birthrate is falling, women are treated as state property. Men make all the rules, and hold most of the power. The women have almost no rights. It is even considered heresy for them to read. Inevitably, following this imbalance, where competition is intense and there is little room to breathe, women tend to do cruel things to each other. In an effort to repopulate the earth again, the few women who are found to be fertile are forced into sexual servitude under a banner of religion, and are called Handmaids.
The TV series created by Bruce Miller, is based on the best-selling book written by Margaret Atwood. Even though the book was published 34 years ago, it now more relevant than ever, with what is currently happening in a fractured USA. As the the recent ruling against abortion in Alabama, Ohio and Missouri shows, “The Handmaid's Tale” is no longer a metaphor - it is fast becoming a reality.
Season 3 of “The Handmaid's Tale” ups the ante as the resistance grows against the regime of Gilead. Offred (Elisabeth Moss), who has sacrificed her chance to escape, returns to fight back, with all the allies that she can garner, and with whatever means that she can muster. It is time for each and everyone to take a stand.
Cast members Joseph Fiennes, Yvonne Strahovski, Alexis Bledel, Madeline Brewer, Amanda Brugel, Ann Dowd, O-T Fagbenie, Max Minghella, Samira Wiley and Bradley Whitford reprise their roles in Season 3 together with Elisabeth Moss, who plays Offred with such astonishing defiance and ferocity.
Red Dot Diva admits that it can be difficult to watch the ugly scenes that unfold during some of the episodes in “The Handmaid's Tale”. However, these are very same scenes that speak to her regarding her existence as a woman, and reminds her not to take the rights that she now have for granted. It is also a cry to continually make a stand for more freedom to be accorded to women, and for more barriers to be broken.
On 6 June, 3 episodes of “The Handmaid's Tale” will premiere in Asia, exclusively on HBO GO. A new episode of the 13-episode third season will premiere every subsequent Thursday. Red Dot Diva highly recommends that you watch the past two seasons before beginning with Season 3. All the episodes of Season 1 and 2 are available on the streaming platform for your binging needs.
For those who prefer a non-streaming platform, the series is also available on HBO On Demand.
