The Handmaid's Tale

:

Season 1
  • Network: HULU
  • Series Premiere Date: Apr 26, 2017
Season #: 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 532 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 429 out of 532
  2. Mixed: 31 out of 532
  3. Negative: 72 out of 532
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User Reviews

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  1. drlowdon
    Apr 27, 2022
    8
    In the near future, where fertility rates have dropped dramatically, a Second American Civil War leads to the establishment of a theocratic society in which fertile women (Handmaids) are forced into child bearing slavery.

    The Handmaid’s Tale is a tough watch, especially during the early episodes, but the fantastic cast and well-written script means it is worth sticking with.
  2. All_ButTrU4
    Dec 19, 2021
    10
    Holy **** this was powerful!
    This adaptation had alot going for it even before it's release from the big name cast to the exceptional source material. But with the stark prospect of a Trump presidency which would've meant a tightening on many rights sich as those of lgbtqia folkx (specifically trans) and on women. The right has been especially vocal in it's religious leanings or it's    Holy **** this was powerful!
    This adaptation had alot going for it even before it's release from the big name cast to the exceptional source material. But with the stark prospect of a Trump presidency which would've meant a tightening on many rights sich as those of lgbtqia folkx (specifically trans) and on women. The right has been especially vocal in it's religious leanings or it's opinions on reproductive rights and this is placed centerfold. A horrifyingly possible "what if church was state" dystopia that rather than reaching for sci-fi or extra-terrestial threats our own zealous opposes us. Offred who is given a name in this adaptation is relentlessly compelling. Her asides are just as stunning as the scenes Elizabeth Moss dominates. Extremly nuanced political drama in the sense it's says alot with it's realities to how we behave in ours,the flashbacks giving difficult epiphanies to all the things we take for granted as freedoms or even how powerlessness can become an easier choice. Unflinching writing that honestly improves on the source material. You are constantly uncomfortable, anxious and scared. You ask yourself the credibility of this only to realize the roots of these nightmares exist around you.the ache of June's separation or the other handmaids exploitation. It's disingenuous to say rarely is a show this visceral when television is as great as it is but to not acknowledge how monumental this reason is in comparison cannot go unsaid. A master of tension,emotion and storytelling you can tell not a single piece of this vision hasn't been laboured over,from the crystalline cinematography to the award worthy music choices&scoring.irrespevtive of the rest of the show trajectory after this it's sure to say it started with a bang, landmark television    … Expand
  3. geewah
    Jul 21, 2021
    10
    A disturbing dystopian tale that cuts close to the bone.
    Atmospheric, complex and brilliantly constructed this is an excellent adaption of Atwood's classic novel.
    One of the best shows of 2017.
  4. nichholast
    Oct 25, 2020
    10
    I felt so much pain and sorrow . I cried the whole time . A masterpiece ! Excellent
  5. goggomobile
    Sep 25, 2020
    0
    FM! You have to be a narcissistic-misogynist-sadist to watch this torturous & sickening show! It should come with a warning that it may/will cause depression, I'll pass, not for me.
  6. SimboTheKing
    May 18, 2020
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This show is about a dystopia where certain women (known as handmaid's) are made to be forced surrogates/ sex slaves.

    I only made it to episode 4 so take everything I'm saying with a pinch of salt.

    I started watching this show after just finishing the novel. I already didn't think the novel was that great and thus I think this may have affected my enjoyment of the show. I didn't like this and I think it's mainly because it never hooked me, on an individual level most things are good. Acting is fine, cinematography is fine, music etc. but it just felt gratutious. All the torture felt so over-the-top compared to the book and I just ended up finding it boring - there's only so many ways you can show characters having horrible things done to them before they blur together. A lot of the characters just ended up feeling 2D caricatures of villians too.

    Basicallly, I just found myself bored when watching it. I tried to give it a chance but I gotta say that overall it's kinda wack.    … Expand
  7. Felindie
    Jul 15, 2019
    9
    I liked everything on 'The Handmaid's Tale' first season, i have nothing to argument about.
  8. DrollPony
    May 27, 2019
    10
    An excellent adaptation of Margaret Atwood's classic novel. I always appreciate seeing something that's not dumbed down for the audience. Not in the choice of source material, nor in the way it's brought to us. This requires a bit of brainwork by the viewer, and that's refreshing.

    The series treats the source material respectfully, while hitting all the right notes for a TV series. The    An excellent adaptation of Margaret Atwood's classic novel. I always appreciate seeing something that's not dumbed down for the audience. Not in the choice of source material, nor in the way it's brought to us. This requires a bit of brainwork by the viewer, and that's refreshing.

    The series treats the source material respectfully, while hitting all the right notes for a TV series. The pacing works; there is time to let everything sink in and create a tangible feel of dread, yet the story moves along relentlessly. The cinematography, soundscape and overall design is exquisite. So is the cast, led by the astonishing Elizabeth Moss.

    There are some small updates made in the series, but they just make it all the more chilling. It's depressing how timeless the novel is: how things can go really wrong at any time, when there are ruthless people with a zealot ideology (regardless of which one), good manipulation skills and weapons at their disposal.    … Expand
  9. Bianca9
    Mar 21, 2019
    10
    It´s must-watch show. So deep and wonder. It´s very hard to watch sometimes but realy worth.
  10. Glic2003
    Feb 27, 2019
    10
    This is probably the most perfect realization of Atwood's terrifying novel imaginable. Everything hits the right notes: the cast, the performances, the production. Even the (admittedly very slow) pacing seems right on point. It's still a horrible premise, but it's an excellent adaptation.
  11. wrightfd
    Feb 9, 2019
    0
    I have not read the book so I will only comment on this TV show, from what I have seen this is a poor propaganda at best, that pushes the narrative extremist men will enslave all women for the purposes of procreation, i'm not really buying the acting, the main character is a perpetual victim that is hugely sexist, all the men are one dimensional evil sexual deviant, even in the mostI have not read the book so I will only comment on this TV show, from what I have seen this is a poor propaganda at best, that pushes the narrative extremist men will enslave all women for the purposes of procreation, i'm not really buying the acting, the main character is a perpetual victim that is hugely sexist, all the men are one dimensional evil sexual deviant, even in the most barbaric of countries this type of treatment has not become mainstream, so suspension of disbelief is particularly hard.

    TLDR; acting really poor, propaganda piece that soviet Russia would have found reasonable.    … Expand
  12. carlossolrac
    Nov 16, 2018
    8
    The dystopian feel is there but doesn't feel like Boston at all. To all those who think this is timely and some sort of criticism of current men and their power well....eh.
  13. mrharrybeck
    Sep 25, 2018
    9
    Timely. Will be for a long time. The Handmaid's Tale is a tale that needed to be told. Not only does it manage to capture the pain & sorrow of every entity it's presenting but also expose a greater side of what's going on behind closed doors.
  14. GrantD243
    Aug 6, 2018
    8
    The first season of The Handmaid's Tale sets up a world in which birthrates have dropped to dangerously low numbers, so all of the fertile women are gathered up and forced to serve powerful men in the new society. Their sole purpose is to get pregnant. It's a scary, but rather realistic, portrayal of what life would be like if an extremist group seized control of the United States. EveryThe first season of The Handmaid's Tale sets up a world in which birthrates have dropped to dangerously low numbers, so all of the fertile women are gathered up and forced to serve powerful men in the new society. Their sole purpose is to get pregnant. It's a scary, but rather realistic, portrayal of what life would be like if an extremist group seized control of the United States. Every episode is jam packed with revelations and critical story points, and it never drags. I did find it interesting that it really is hard to care for any of the characters in this show. They are all frustrating at times, but that doesn't take away from the quality of the show at all. It's well worth the watch.… Expand
  15. echorley
    Jul 26, 2018
    10
    Excellent series. Each episode is gripping and the plot develops well, never seeming to 'tread water' for the sake of filling time. Well acted, filmed and directed. The story explores issues of prejudice and bigotry that resonate all too sadly in the twenty first century.
  16. Masquic
    Jul 11, 2018
    9
    Is it too late to rate this season? I think not. It's a brilliant story with powerful characters, all the roles and aspects are promising and it will be one of the bests tv shows ever.
  17. Cyanurea
    Jul 5, 2018
    8
    Good, but cheaper than the novel. Like the source material, it's angry and feminist, but while the source material was filled with poignant despair and a study of the way power remains powerful, the TV show takes a leaf, seemingly from YA dystopian works, to bring flashy promises of revolution from solidarity. The updates to bring modern relevance are sometimes compelling, sometimesGood, but cheaper than the novel. Like the source material, it's angry and feminist, but while the source material was filled with poignant despair and a study of the way power remains powerful, the TV show takes a leaf, seemingly from YA dystopian works, to bring flashy promises of revolution from solidarity. The updates to bring modern relevance are sometimes compelling, sometimes cringeworthy; mostly leaves me feeling like this is a leftist version of the conservative "the future liberals want" meme. Color work is beautiful but there are far too many lingering shots of Elizabeth Moss staring blankly into the camera with her mouth half-open. However, random Girl Power moments aside, it is basically faithful to the spirit of the novel in a good way.… Expand
  18. Hedy44
    Jun 27, 2018
    2
    Oh my gosh why did I watch this depressing show.. c'mon Hulu! Your very disappointing.. this show is PERFECT for people enjoy seeing the suffering of others with no type of revenge or self empowerment..it is sick to watch, when you think it's about to get awesome and finally get some justice it just get more sick and depressing.. if there is a season 3 you have a while lot of work to makeOh my gosh why did I watch this depressing show.. c'mon Hulu! Your very disappointing.. this show is PERFECT for people enjoy seeing the suffering of others with no type of revenge or self empowerment..it is sick to watch, when you think it's about to get awesome and finally get some justice it just get more sick and depressing.. if there is a season 3 you have a while lot of work to make things right for a comeback other then that..I'm sticking to Netflix.
    Acting was good tho ;)    … Expand
  19. rhonda09
    Jun 21, 2018
    0
    You and the actors and actresses would have to be sick to like Hand maidens Tale. Margeret Atwood is obviously sick to have that sort of imagination. No wonder the world is like it is today, no thanks to you.
  20. Lpenn
    Jun 20, 2018
    9
    Handmaid's Season 2 has the ability to over-promise and under-deliver unlike I've ever seen. Flawless execution on that front. Save yourself time and assume the end of season 1 was the end of the series.
  21. ndrgdsdc
    Jun 10, 2018
    4
    The show is set in Gilead, a male-dominated dystopian society clearly intended as a reflection of the patriarchy/misogyny/homophobia present in far-right Christian politics in the US. However, the portrayal is so hyperbolic that any useful social commentary gets lost. For example, this is how the show deals with misogyny: all male characters in the show are two-dimensional, most are whollyThe show is set in Gilead, a male-dominated dystopian society clearly intended as a reflection of the patriarchy/misogyny/homophobia present in far-right Christian politics in the US. However, the portrayal is so hyperbolic that any useful social commentary gets lost. For example, this is how the show deals with misogyny: all male characters in the show are two-dimensional, most are wholly evil, and all policy they seek to implement in Gilead is motivated solely by their desire to dominate women sexually. Religion is used by them to justify all their bad behavior and is portrayed with the same lack of complexity. Ultimately, the show leaves itself open to reasonable accusations of misandry, bigotry toward Christians, and that it relies on mostly straw-man arguments to make its point, which is, ironically, that misogyny and bigotry are bad.… Expand
  22. jmart1963
    Jun 7, 2018
    10
    Outstanding. One of best series ever produced for television. Clearly not everyone’s cup of tea, but neither were The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, The Wire, and many other acclaimed series. Keep up the good work Hulu!
  23. DiogoOliveira
    May 25, 2018
    10
    incrível, única, realista, fora do padrão, uma serie que vai além do esperado, num ritmo que te prende, num ritmo que te faz refleti, ate onde iria a humanidade com a infertilidade, choca, e incrível.
  24. Dpriest
    May 16, 2018
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I was leery of where they could take this show after season one as season one ended exactly where the book ended. So far everything seems a bit far-fetched except for June's storyline. I think it was a mistake to include the colonies because there is no way they could've accurately captured the toxic wasteland hell that was described in the book. I don't understand what kind of "work" the women there are supposed to be doing. Why are they just digging in the sludge all day? It makes no sense. Filler! There was a reason Atwood didn't make a subplot out of it. The Canada storyline feels like a carrot being dangled in front of our eyes. I can see this show turning into season after season of June trying to escape. If it does go down that cliché road, the show is done. The torture that we have to watch her endure would not be worth the payoff. If this season doesn't end with June having a realistic path to freedom, I won't watch anymore. I feel there are too many side stories happening also. I only care about what happens to June and how the resistance is going to take down Gilead. I really don't care about any of the other characters. The Luke and Moira situation fell flat as soon as it showed them in Canada together. It's clear that the writers had no idea how to approach that. They skipped over their relief at finding each other and went straight into the humdrum of day to day life. So far, I'm not impressed with this season. The writers have taken way too many liberties with the story. There is one part in particular that makes no sense at all, women that aren't handmaids or wives that were allowed to keep their children. Ha!… Expand
  25. P4inskiller
    May 6, 2018
    4
    This TV-Show is not bad written with good and professional actors. BUT: A very shortsighted view on the world: the decadent lifestyle of the american society what destroys our planet is not criticized: "the USA before were simply perfect". The "morality" opinions behind this show seem to be from Scientologists (make money, make more money, think selfish and unresponsible and don't reflectThis TV-Show is not bad written with good and professional actors. BUT: A very shortsighted view on the world: the decadent lifestyle of the american society what destroys our planet is not criticized: "the USA before were simply perfect". The "morality" opinions behind this show seem to be from Scientologists (make money, make more money, think selfish and unresponsible and don't reflect your behavior). Instead of capitalism critics (what would be really necessary) every episode is filled with feminist propaganda. Also there is a lot of misrepresentation and defamation of the christian religion as the evil itself. As the result the message of this show is very simple: it is ok when you destroy the environment for all the following generations as long as you can be a lesbian...is this the "modern" thinking of the americans what rate this show so high?? Simply ridiculous and boring. ;-)… Expand
  26. WildnOutAdvntr
    Apr 30, 2018
    10
    This series has left me speechless on several occasions. You never know which direction it's going to go in and I love it! It is very relevant for the times. It is epically good!
  27. OlivierPiel
    Apr 21, 2018
    4
    vastly overrated show. If I were American I would be on the left side of the political spectrum but this kind of show does a lot of disservice to what some critics can consider "the cause": The premise of the whole exercise seems illogical (if procreation were to become such a hot commodity, then women with that power would naturally rise to political power as well). Likewise, if avastly overrated show. If I were American I would be on the left side of the political spectrum but this kind of show does a lot of disservice to what some critics can consider "the cause": The premise of the whole exercise seems illogical (if procreation were to become such a hot commodity, then women with that power would naturally rise to political power as well). Likewise, if a Franco-like government were to rule America, the country would fall into rapid economic decline and not be such a belligerant state.
    To me, it seems to try to just pay lip-service to what some conservatives rightfully call libtards, trying to exploit all these female empowerment, LGBTXQEYZ#$% rights nonsense that is masking the true economical problems of America.    … Expand
  28. Ascospore
    Mar 18, 2018
    6
    Overrated and boring. Why is it that the same people who love this show reckon 50 Shades of Grey is the best book they've ever read?
  29. zedzded
    Jan 29, 2018
    4
    tired identity politics, a leaden message which you are browbeaten with at every turn. patriarchy bad. woman good. except for token bad woman and token good man here and there. oh dear spare us from this turgid preachy nonsense.
  30. Vasot
    Jan 14, 2018
    1
    What a boring feminist propaganda piece of trash. With stupid trash like this I am happy that Donald Trump get elected as President. Only good about this movie are the sex scenes everything else in it is sterile boring feminist trash
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Awards & Rankings

6
#6 Best TV Season of 2017
14
#14 Most Discussed TV Season of 2017
4
#4 Most Shared TV Season of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
92

Universal acclaim - based on 41 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 40 out of 41
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 41
  3. Negative: 0 out of 41
  1. Vanity Fair
    Reviewed by: Sonia Saraiya
    Apr 25, 2018
    85
    Beyond those deeper themes, there’s just enough B-movie sensibility in The Handmaid’s Tale to really thrill, from its visceral horror to its clever plotting.
    Read full review
  2. The New Yorker
    Reviewed by: Emily Nussbaum
    May 16, 2017
    70
    The icky, idiosyncratic force of Morano’s early episodes dims slightly, as the show hints at a more conventional path: “Escape from Gilead.” Maybe this move is inevitable; it might succeed. But there’s something lost along the way--the special beauty of a bleak ending.
    Read full review
  3. Under The Radar
    Reviewed by: Zach Hollwedel
    Apr 28, 2017
    85
    Moss is stellar in the role, perfectly able to convey simultaneous resistance and forced acceptance of the bleak social structure. It's in the show's writing, though, that the true genius lies. There's not a single dull moment the whole series. Even when it starts to feel a little too close to home, it's impossible to look away.
    Read full review
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