Welcome to the 15th episode of my podcast, this one is all about the 4th episode of “The Handmaid’s Tale” season 5. We’re going to dig deep into what I’ve always found to be one of the most interesting episodes in the series so far. It’s the episode I’ve always found to be most on the nose about Gilead, though, which is why for the first time I’m going to be spending quite a bit of time talking about what it means in terms of our current political climate. So if you don’t want to hear any of that, I do have an outro at the end of this episode that takes about 10 minutes and is separate from any news events.
Introduction to The Handmaid’s Tale
In the dystopian ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, Margaret Atwood writes about a world where women and girls have lost their rights. The story is set in the Republic of Gilead, and follows a woman, Offred, as she narrates her experiences through a personal account of her life before Gilead.
A release date for @HandmaidsOnHulu season 5 has just been announced #HandmaidsTale https://t.co/FMSRbyqnFz
— Daily Express (@Daily_Express) June 14, 2022
Offred is one of what are called “handmaids,” women who are assigned to be impregnated by high-ranking men to bear children for them to restore the nation’s dying population. The novel was published in 1985 and was later made into a series in 2017. The book has received many positive reactions, including being listed as one of the best books of the 20th century by TIME magazine and winning the first Arthur C. Clarke Award. It has been assigned reading in many high school curricula since its publication, but the book’s discussion of female oppression and sexual violence has also caused controversy in schools and book clubs.
Names of the characters in The Handmaid’s Tale
Here are the celebrity’s names mentioned below:
- Alexis Bledel as Ofglen
- Max Minghella as Nick Blaine
- Sydney Sweeney as Eden Blaine
- Yvonne Strahovski as Serena Joy
- Madeline Brewer as Ofwarren
- Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia
- Samira Wiley as Moira
- Bradley Whitford as Commander Joseph Lawrence
- Joseph Fiennes as Commander Fred Waterford
- Zawe Ashton as Oona
- Mckenna Grace as Esther Keyes
- Elisabeth Moss as June Osborne
The storyline of The Handmaid’s Tale
The Handmaid’s Tale is a novel written by Margaret Atwood in 1985. Set in the Republic of Gilead, formerly Ohio, during the height of American society’s backlash against feminism and increased conservatism, The Handmaid’s Tale depicts a world where all women are forbidden from accessing knowledge or money, and those who are still fertile have become commodities. The most fertile women are known as handmaids, and their sole purpose is to bear children for the ruling class.
The Handmaid’s Tale offers an important criticism of American society and humanity’s use of religion as a means to control others. Specifically, Atwood points out how society passes these rules through religion when in actuality the control is rooted in politics, economics, and individualism. Human nature allows for this type of violence and oppression to exist because humans are naturally aggressive creatures, both against one another and their environment.
The Handmaid’s Tale season 5 premieres on Hulu
The Handmaid’s Tale, Hulu’s critically-acclaimed and Emmy-winning drama series, is returning for its fifth. The first look of the season was just released! Fans of the series (and bestselling novel) will be thrilled to see that Offred/June (Elisabeth Moss) is back in her red uniform and bonnet. The trailer gives us a glimpse into the final episodes of the series. The Water fords will continue to be the main focus, as did in previous seasons.
We still don’t know where we are heading, but it is best to wait until we get there (apart from spoilers). The Handmaid’s Tale has just completed its fourth season on Hulu.
So, what do you think about The Handmaid’s Tale?