The Handmaid's Tale - Hulu Original (**Spoilers**)

Galwayguy35

Watching it on RTE now, it's kinda boring so far have to say.

Fred Swanson

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Slydice

BuilderPlumber

This is a current TV series I've heard some people praise. What is the general consensus? Good or another Striking Out. Will do some research here later. Do not know one thing about it, what genre it is, where it was made and so on. I do not want to waste time watching a poor drama though and do not want to see something about some professional woman dealing with mundane issues akin to Amy Hubermann's Tara in Striking Out. Someone compared to the Kevin Costner film The Postman too. That film was very interesting conceptwise and based on a very good book but the end result was very flawed. Is Handmaid post apocalypse? I had the feeling it is a legal drama but may be wrong. Any advice is appreciated.

The Black Oil

Mod - Threads merged. Be aware, in the event of spoilers in earlier posts.

SusieBlue

It has absolutely zero similarities with Striking Out aside from the fact they’re both shown on RTÉ.

Slydice

*googles Striking out*
*finds wiki*
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Striking_Out

Striking Out follows the suddenly tumultuous professional and personal life of Dublin-based solicitor, Tara Rafferty, and her fledgling legal firm. With the help of Ray Lamont, her street smart and opinionated client-turned-assistant, Meg Riley, a tech guru and private detective, Pete, the easy-going owner of the cafe where she makes her new office, and Senior Counsel Vincent Pike, Tara's mentor and friend, Striking Out follows Tara in her often surprising, sometimes poignant cases - their findings, fallouts, and resolutions.

Oh no.

No.

No, that is not like The Handmaid's Tale.

Oh no. It is not.

Here's some keywords I think from the The Handmaid's Tale wiki page:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Handmaid%27s_Tale_(TV_series)
near future,

human fertility rates collapse

, totalitarian, Christian theonomic government of "Gilead"

BuilderPlumber

SusieBlue wrote: »

It has absolutely zero similarities with Striking Out aside from the fact they’re both shown on RTÉ.

I know that now and I think I will give it a go. Someone did mention it bore similarities with The Postman, Kevin Costner's 1997 flawed film. I always felt that film had such an interesting backstory which is very similar to The Handmaid's Tale: a post second civil war fascist American society. The Handmaid's Tale gets good reviews and seems to have explored the possibility of an America run by fascists in an intelligent manner.

I wrongly had the idea in my head it was yet another legal drama. I am glad it is not and it looks promising. Striking Out was watchable but poor and while I watched the first series I did not feel compelled to watch the second.

BuilderPlumber

Watching it the last few days. Very enjoyable so far, best TV serial I enjoyed since Love/Hate and Breaking Bad. Decent drama and complementary to similar like Mad Max. Fills in the gaps a lot of the time.

BuilderPlumber

Loving this so far. Have watched around half of the episodes. Without giving away spoilers, I find the world here very interesting and it is clear we are in a sort of a world pitched between our present one and an apocalypse. It is a cousin of the world we seen in Blade Runner 1982 (without the sci fi of course) and especially Mad Max 1979. Like that first Mad Max movie, some things look very normal in The Handmaid's Tale: the houses, the clothes, often normal life. But the rest is not: while the Max movie showed a society out of control, Handmaid shows us one very much under control of a religious fanatic. To compare it to another Mad Max film, the attitude of those in power in Handmaid is very similar to Immortan Joe in Fury Road: the best seems to be kept by the elite but Gilead has more to offer than the barren wasteland of Fury Road: there is plenty wine and whiskey, travel and posh houses as well as food and good clothes for the rich to enjoy.

Serena seems to be the nastiest character so far as do the Christian Brother-like 'teachers' of the handmaids. Commander Fred will be interesting: he seems to have a 'kind' side to him but is this a trick? I am not looking up the end of what happens and will enjoy the rest of the episodes and then will read the book version and look forward to series 2.

It is interesting to see films set between our world and the onset of a full apocalypse. This, Mad Max 1979, Blade Runner 1982 and a handful of other films explore that territory and it is interesting to tell the story of how a world crumbled.

s8n

Fan of mad max I take it ?

Glebee

Just finished off Season 1. Dont know what took be so long to get to watch this. Brilliant series and hope that Season two is as good. How does Season 1 compare progression wise to the book?

5uspect

Glebee wrote: »

Just finished off Season 1. Dont know what took be so long to get to watch this. Brilliant series and hope that Season to is as good. How does Season 1 compare progression wise to the book?

Season 1 covers almost everything in the book. Season 2 can only be completely new material. I’d highly recommend the book, it is essentially Offred’s recollection of events and doesn’t cover many of the scenes depicted in the TV show such as some of the world building and interactions between other characters.

Galwayguy35

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

Watching it on RTE now, it's kinda boring so far have to say.

I take this back, it's actually quite good.

The wives don't seem to get to have sex with their husbands at all while the Commander and his buddies bend the rules to suit themselves.

Colser

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

I take this back, it's actually quite good.

The wives don't seem to get to have sex with their husbands at all while the Commander and his buddies bend the rules to suit themselves.

I really didn't enjoy the first episode at all and only persevered due to reviews I read on here..got totally hooked and absolutely loved it..gripping.

wakka12

Personally its the best show Ive seen in a very long time. It may be largely due to the fact I love post apocalyptic themes but I find the actors to be incredible, such a strong lead and I adore the girl from orange is the new black too, the plot is so tight and never really gets dry or boring, its just very well directed a few scenes stick in my mind as they actually gave me shivers!

That scene when the mexican ambassador visits and they bring the children of gilliad out during the dinner party to show them..the music..agh just so well done.

Slydice

iamwhoiam

I got sucked into it a few weeks ago and had missed the first episodes . I had to catch up by reading the synopsis online
But what an amazing drama , The acting is outstanding and chilling , I must confess I have to grip the remote and change channels at some of it
The ending last night was terrifying and gripping . And I was sure that the refugee centre in Canada was a big ploy to catch the escapees , my heart was in my mouth for Moira !

The Handmaid's Tale season 2 starts Thursday April 26th at 10:35pm on RTE2

RTE have secured the rights to broadcast it it will be aired the day after its first broadcast in America; so very good news for Irish fans

Galwayguy35

Deleted User wrote: »

The Handmaid's Tale season 2 starts Thursday April 26th at 10:35pm on RTE2

RTE have secured the rights to broadcast it it will be aired the day after its first broadcast in America; so very good news for Irish fans

I nearly fell off the chair when yer one announced it last night, RTE getting something right for once.

BuilderPlumber

iamwhoiam wrote: »

I got sucked into it a few weeks ago and had missed the first episodes . I had to catch up by reading the synopsis online
But what an amazing drama , The acting is outstanding and chilling , I must confess I have to grip the remote and change channels at some of it
The ending last night was terrifying and gripping . And I was sure that the refugee centre in Canada was a big ploy to catch the escapees , my heart was in my mouth for Moira !

It is an amazing drama and really gets into its subject matter here. Scarily, it is a possible predictor of the future. One of the last TV dramas to grab my interest in a similar way ironically preceded very similar future events: that was of course Love/Hate and a year after we see Nidge shot up, we get the Hutch v Kinahan feud. Let's hope we don't see America turn more and more into Gilead but sadly with the likes of John Bolton in power, people who disrespect all aspects of democracy and who are consumed with hatred could possibly do a lot of damage.

If one thinks the sort of religious and racist fanaticism we see in The Handmaid's Tale does not exist in America, think again! America is unlike Ireland, the UK, Europe and Russia when it comes to religious bigotry and just a flick through some of the American religious channels that are around the 590-600 area on satellite TV will show you how these types think and it is pure Gilead. Serena Joy of course was of that background before Gilead!

If Love/Hate was the drama that defined a recession ridden crime ridden 2010-2014 Ireland and reported it in an all too realistic manner (a year afterwards, the events of this became all too real as said), then The Handmaid's Tale is very much doing the same with regard to where the present situation in America may take us. The bottom line is many good dramas are based on fact and even the sci fi ones can become all too real. For example there may be Jedi knights, alien monsters and rivalry within galaxies in Star Wars, but the synopsis is about a greedy powermad dictatorship versus those who want to stand up to it (The Jedis and Offred may seem poles apart but their dream for a better future is the same).

Agent Coulson

The opening two episodes to season 2 were really strong continuing on from season one.

The opening 20 minutes of the first episode with no talking was amazing it felt like 5 minutes.

The tension built up in episode two was great.

Also getting to see more of Gilead.


Also Marisa Tomei

Fred Swanson

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Agent Coulson

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Dropped on Hulu last night/today.

Agent Coulson

The opening two episodes of season 2 start on RTE 2 tonight.

corkie

Stupid RTE, started the show about 5 to 10 mins earlier than advertised!

It is repeated late tomorrow night 23:55, if you set it to record?

Marje

corkie wrote: »

Stupid RTE, started the show about 5 to 10 mins earlier than advertised!

It is repeated late tomorrow night 23:55, if you set it to record?

I was lucky that I decided to stay on RTE2 for it to start as it said it was going to begin at 9:45 and not 9:30

Would have missed a great start to it.

I would guess it will be available on rte player as well.

Posy

Fantastic that this is back!

Missed the first 15 minutes though because I had it set to record. :mad:

iamwhoiam

Tough going watching this but I can't not watch . It pulls you in and keeps you there

Marje

Would agree that it can be hard to watch sometimes but you don't want to miss anything.
Even though I feel it's moving slow you could easily miss something especially as there was parts without any dialogue.