The Chilling Reality of Gilead: A Look Back at The Handmaid’s Tale Season One
With the sixth and final season of The Handmaid’s Tale poised to premiere in April, concluding its narrative arc while simultaneously setting the stage for the sequel series, The Testaments, it’s an opportune moment to revisit the show’s origins. While the initial fervor surrounding the series may have waned for some viewers, particularly given the considerable time gap since season five’s conclusion in 2022, the enduring power and unnerving prescience of its first season remain undeniable. A retrospective glance at that inaugural installment reveals just how chillingly plausible its bleak alternate reality has become, blurring the lines between dystopian fiction and potential future realities.
When The Handmaid’s Tale debuted on Hulu in April 2017, it landed in a socio-political landscape ripe for its exploration of a nightmarish future. The inauguration of Donald Trump into his first presidential term just months prior had left a significant portion of the American populace, especially those identifying as politically progressive, feeling a profound sense of unease and disillusionment. The show, with its potent themes of feminist resistance in the face of extreme oppression, resonated deeply with these frustrations, providing a cathartic, albeit unsettling, viewing experience.
Each week, audiences witnessed June, or "Offred" (as Elisabeth Moss’ character is initially known, stripped of her identity and forced to adopt the name of her male oppressor), navigate the horrors of her new reality in Gilead. Her journey was one of adaptation, resilience, and simmering rebellion, a constant struggle for survival punctuated by moments of quiet defiance and the unwavering determination to reclaim her stolen life.
The world of The Handmaid’s Tale presents a drastically altered United States, now known as Gilead. This totalitarian theocracy is governed by far-right Christian conservatives, fostering an atmosphere of pervasive paranoia and mutual suspicion. Armed men in black vans patrol the streets, ready to enforce the regime’s draconian laws and suppress any form of dissent, however minor. Violence is the default response to any perceived transgression, with cruelty systematically employed to instill fear and discourage any rebellious inclinations.
The distinct linguistic tics of Gilead, phrases like "Under his eye," "Praise be," and "May the Lord open," along with the iconic red dresses and white winged bonnets worn by June and her fellow handmaids, quickly permeated popular culture. These visual and linguistic markers became symbols of resistance, appearing at women’s rights protests, particularly those focused on reproductive rights, and even found their way into more playful contexts, such as cosplay at conventions like San Diego Comic-Con.
The Handmaid’s Tale achieved immediate critical and commercial success. At the 2017 Primetime Emmy Awards, it made history as the first streaming series to win the coveted Outstanding Drama Series award. In addition to the series’ top honor, individual accolades were bestowed upon Moss and her co-stars Ann Dowd and Alexis Bledel, as well as for the show’s exceptional writing, directing, cinematography, and production design.
However, the sociopolitical landscape has undergone a significant transformation since 2017, arguably shifting further to the right than many anticipated. This shift arguably surpasses even the conservative climate of the 1980s, when Margaret Atwood’s original novel was first published. The overturning of Roe vs. Wade in 2022 by a Supreme Court heavily influenced by far-right appointments during Trump’s first presidency served as a stark reminder of the fragility of established rights and freedoms. And with Trump having recently begun a second term, a sense of unease permeates the political atmosphere, mirroring the anxieties explored in dystopian narratives.
The opening scene of The Handmaid’s Tale’s pilot episode, "Offred," immediately throws viewers into a chaotic and terrifying situation. June, her husband, and their young daughter are desperately attempting to evade armed men who are relentlessly pursuing them. The initial audience reaction is a natural question: "What have they done?" But the horrifying truth soon emerges: in a world grappling with plummeting fertility rates, children are considered precious commodities, and women who have proven their ability to bear healthy children are imprisoned and forced into sexual servitude as handmaids, repeatedly raped until they conceive.
As this initial shock subsides, viewers are confronted with a relentless parade of horrors, as rights are systematically stripped away from anyone who fails to conform to Gilead’s rigid moral code. While June is often unable to openly express her feelings, her internal monologues provide insight into her thoughts and motivations. Through frequent flashbacks to her life before Gilead, we gain a deeper understanding of her character and the gradual erosion of her freedoms.
Some of these memories are filled with joy, depicting time spent with her family and friends, including Moira (played by Samira Wiley), who tragically loses her partner in the "dyke purges" and is ultimately forced into handmaid training alongside June. We also learn that some individuals, including the wife and child of another lesbian handmaid, Emily (played by Alexis Bledel), managed to escape to Canada when the situation began to deteriorate. Canada emerges as a crucial safe haven throughout the series.
An organized resistance movement begins to take shape in the first season, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the overwhelming darkness. Another compelling character is Serena Joy (played by Yvonne Strahovski), the wife of the commander to whom June is assigned. Serena Joy was a prominent conservative leader and author in the pre-Gilead era, but she finds herself relegated to a subservient role in the very society she helped create. She is both pitiable and repugnant, making her a consistently captivating presence.
However, the heart of The Handmaid’s Tale remains firmly centered on June, and through her experiences, we witness the insidious process by which Gilead came into being. The initial step involved the dismantling of the government following a terrorist attack, an event that is heavily implied to be a false flag operation designed to justify the suspension of the Constitution. Martial law was subsequently imposed, including in Boston, where June resides. Gradually, aspects of everyday life that had seemed unshakeable began to crumble. One day, June’s debit card is rejected at a coffee shop, and she discovers that women are no longer permitted to have bank accounts or own property. Armed men raid her office, forcing her boss to dismiss all female employees.
"They can’t just do this," June exclaims to Moira, but the chilling reality is that they can, and they do. "Now I’m awake to the world," June narrates from the depths of her Gilead nightmare. "I was asleep before. That’s how we let it happen."
The premise of The Handmaid’s Tale doesn’t feel quite as fantastical as it once did. Still…it could never really happen, right? Right?
Seasons 1-5 of The Handmaid’s Tale are currently available for streaming on Hulu and on Hulu on Disney+. Season six is scheduled to premiere on April 8th.
