'The Handmaid's Tale' Season 1 Opens With Three Dark Episodes
The first three episodes of the highly anticipated television adaptation of Margaret Atwood's classic dystopian novel "The Handmaid's Tale" has finally aired to mostly positive reception. The series, however, does not leave much promising future for its beleaguered characters.
The series opened up by showing a glimpse into Offred's (Elisabeth Moss) previous life as a wife and mother before she was apprehended while trying to escape from Gilead with her family. By all indications, it seemed that her husband had already died, while her daughter's fate remains unknown. She has since been forced into becoming one of the Handmaids geared up to serve the male leaders of the Republic of Gilead by bearing their children, because an unfortunate fertility crisis has befallen the world, rendering most women barren.
Three episodes in and the series lead's life, as well as the lives of those around her, only looks bleaker, with seemingly no hope for independence or a chance to taste a salty caramel ice cream once again. How will she be able to survive this kind of life, and what plans does she have for her future?
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Viewers of the initial episodes of the series praised the setting compounded by the casts' on-point acting, mesmerizing cinematography and thoughtful direction in bringing this classic tale to life. Moss, especially, captivated the audiences with her portrayal of a character buried neck deep in a dystopian nightmare, and her voiceovers have a way of adding both a haunting and comforting feel to the overall experience of watching the show
One particular feature that is worthy of note was the Handmaids' attire, which was designed by Ane Crabtree. In an interview with Vanity Fair, the renowned costume designer talked the origins of the attire, citing her research into real-life religious and military groups that controlled societies through a dress code.
"I always think about Miuccia Prada in 1990," Crabtree shared. "Here's this amazing Italian brain, and she said the smartest design comes from military uniforms, and I couldn't agree with her more. As much as I disdain certain ideas about the military, they got the design thing down."
"The Handmaid's Tale" season 1 episode 4 is expected to be released on Wednesday, May 3, on online streaming site Hulu. Watch the official trailer for the series below.
