AUTHOR LINDSAY DETWILER
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Books
  • About
  • Contact
  • READ FREE!
  • The Dark Side
Contemporary Romance Author

Chillingly Stark, The Handmaid's Tale is Truly a Must-Watch

4/26/2017

0 Comments

 
Handmaid's Tale

Chillingly Stark, The Handmaid's Tale is Truly a Must-Watch

I was a high school senior when I read Margaret Atwood's haunting novel, The Handmaid's Tale. Labeled as speculative fiction, this dystopian novel stuck with me for over a decade. The chilling connection to realities of society coupled with my fascination with the overall plot made it one of those books you come back to again and again. Thus, when I heard Hulu was making an original series out of the book, I was counting down the days.

The show didn't disappoint. Today was the release, and I finished all three episodes on Hulu already. 

The Handmaid's Tale is set in a futuristic society that is eerily not too far from our own. In this society, females have been targeted and rights have been stripped away. Due to pollution, the society is having major reproductive problems. Women are mostly infertile and, those who can bear children, can't carry them to term. However, a select group of women are able to bear children. These women are rounded up and forced to become handmaids. The handmaids basically serve as surrogates for wealthy, influential families in the society. However, it is much more sinister than that. Essentially, these women are kept as submissive servants, raped, and forced to give up their children. They have no freedoms, no rights, and no love. Women who were once revered in society, career-oriented, and part of loving families are degenerated to objects.

The story is told from the perspective of Offred--not her real name; they are forced to abandon their real names, given names Of + the man they serve.  She tells the story of her life with the Waterfords and, through flashbacks, shows us how things have changed. 

The first three episodes didn't disappoint. The acting was amazing. Elizabeth Moss does a stunning job at capturing the dual-sided Offred, showing the shiny, superficial woman society expects her to be and the gritty, raw woman she is on the inside. Alexis Biedel breaks away from her Gilmore Girls role in this series, showing a much more determined, rebellious woman. Furthermore, the filming in this series is stunning. Every detail of the world shows the atmosphere and gives the viewer a sense of the oppression. The flashbacks are worked in perfectly to give just enough backstory when it is needed.

This is not your light, weekend watch. It is heavy and truly guts you to the core. It sinks right into your bones and haunts you, making you put yourself in Offred's position and wonder how you would keep going. The devastation of the characters comes through the filming. You feel hopeless and powerless when you watch the show, which is similar to what Offred experiences. 

The series is about power and what happens when you become powerless. It's message is that anyone can become powerless, and that society can turn on you in an instant. It is terrifying how realistic the series is. This is not some distant, sci-fi-like series that you assure yourself could never happen. The grounding of the tale in our society and its values is the most frightening aspect. You see how we are not immune to terrors like this potentially taking over our world. It's a cautionary tale in a way, too. It shows how Offred was somewhat naive in her old live. She mentions that she was asleep before, that she didn't bat an idea when they changed things. She thought something like this couldn't happen. However, her story shows that change can be for the worst. It also shows how fear can get people to agree to any conditions. 

At the end of it all, we are run by fear and the desire to live. Thus, we can fall prey to situations we never imagined.

The series' dark, stark nature also highlights the beauty of freedom. It makes you not want to take anything for granted again. It shows how freedom is the liveblood of humanity and spirit. Without it, the world is a very dark place to live.

The Handmaid's Tale, just like the book, is not a fluffy read meant to please. It is not censored. Offred's narration isn't sugar-coated. It's raw, real, and difficult. You feel every pang of her loneliness. You feel her crazy desperation. You feel her searing pain.

This series is a must-watch for every woman and man. It makes you realize how quickly freedom can be taken away. It also makes you realize what matters most.

The only complaint I have about the series is that Hulu only released three episodes. However, maybe this is a good thing. If all episodes were available, I'm pretty sure I'd be getting absolutely no sleep tonight because it is so good.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.


    Banners for Best Romance Book Blogs
    Author Lindsay Detwiler
    Picture
    *As an Amazon Affiliate, I get a small fee for any books purchased through the links below.
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Then Comes Love
    Who We Were Romantic Comedy
    Where Love Went
    Where Love Went Free Read Holiday
    To Say Goodbye
    Picture
    Remember When Lindsay Detwiler

    Archives

    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016

    Categories

    All
    Aging
    Am Reading
    Animal
    Animals
    Animal Testing
    Author
    Author Chat
    Authors
    Bark Box
    Beach
    Beauty
    Beauty Blog
    Beauty Box
    Beauty Review
    Body Image
    Book
    Book Blog
    Book Review
    Books
    Book Sale
    Bookworm
    Box
    Caregiving
    Cat
    Chick Books
    Chick Lit
    Childfree
    Childless
    Children
    Classics
    Clothes
    Contemporary Romance
    Contest
    Cook
    Cosmetics
    Creative
    Creative Writing
    Cruelty Free
    Dad
    Dating
    Divorce
    Dog
    Dogs
    Dream
    Dreams
    Empowerment
    Facebook Live
    Family
    Fashion
    Father's Day
    Fear
    Female Writers
    Fiction
    Free
    Free Book
    Free Reads
    Friendship
    Fulfillment
    Funny
    Gaming
    Giveaway
    Good Books
    Graduation
    Growing Up
    Hair
    Holocaust
    Inspire
    Keith Urban
    Kindness
    Life
    Literary
    Literature
    Live Show
    Love
    Lularoe
    Makeup
    Maplewood
    Marriage
    Mastiff
    Modern Love
    Mom
    Mood Boosters
    Mother
    Mothering
    Mother's Day
    Movie
    Movie Review
    Must Read
    Netflix
    New Author
    New Release
    Organization
    Parents
    Pets
    Phobia
    Pieces Of My Heart
    Poet
    Poetry
    Prize
    Prizes
    Reading
    Refresh
    Relationships
    Review
    Reviews
    Romance
    Romantic Comedy
    Sale
    Self Care
    September 11th
    Show
    Simple Living
    Simply Love
    Stitch Fix
    Story
    Style
    Summer
    Sweet
    Sweet Romance
    Tattoo
    Teacher
    Teaching
    Tech
    Teenagers
    Television
    Thankful
    Thirty
    Tidying
    Valentine's Day
    Vegan
    Wedding
    Win
    Winter Blahs
    Woman
    Women
    Women's Fiction
    Writer
    Writing
    Young Adult

    RSS Feed

Lindsay Detwiler

  About
Contact
Hot Tree Publishing

Disclosure: 
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

This site is also a part of the Intellinfluence Program, where we receive free products and payment for posting about certain products.

We are also a participant in the Stitch Fix Influencer program, in which we receive fees when you click on the Stitch Fix advertisement. I am also a part of the Jane.com Affiliate program through ShareASale and earn fees when you purchase using the affiliate links.



​**This website uses Google Analytics to improve user experiences. We also use Adsense to create revenue and Amazon Affiliates.

Privacy Policy
© COPYRIGHT 2015. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Books
  • About
  • Contact
  • READ FREE!
  • The Dark Side