“AND she said, behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.” Genesis 30:1–3, King James Bible.
This passage sets the tone for the dystopian series, The Handmaid’s Tale.
In the not-too-distant past, or future, the US is at a turning point in its history.
The chance of a successful pregnancy has been massively reduced because of pollution, and adultery is everywhere.
A far-right fundamentalist Christian terrorist group launches a plot to take over the country and succeeds.
I’ve been a huge fan of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale since I first read the book a few years ago and I’ve been impatiently waiting for the new television series to drop for some time.
Like the book, the series focusses on the story of a Handmaid called Offred, played by the incredible Mad Men and Top of the Lake actor Elisabeth Moss.
Set in the fictional country of Gilead, a theocratic Christian version of the US, Offred must come to terms with having her rights and control of her body stripped away.
In Gilead, women who committed any form of adultery (such as marrying twice in Offred’s case), but can still bear a child are forced to become Handmaids and have children for other couples.
The first episode of the series introduces us to Offred’s world, her Commander (played by Joseph Fiennes) and his wife (played by the captivating Yvonne Strahovski).
A series of haunting flashbacks shows the brutality of the Handmaids’ training centre.
Moss’ ability to subtly showcase the emotions and thoughts of her character creates a first episode full of tension.
The episode, written by Bruce Miller and directed by Reed Morano, is beautifully shot and directed.
The Handmaid’s Tale serves as a reminder of what can happen if certain rights are restricted and stripped back.
The entire first series of The Handmaid’s Tale is now available on SBS On Demand.
This review originally appeared in the South Burnett Times.