The Handmaid's Tale

I really wasn't sure they would be having another season after what happened at the end of Season 2. If you haven't seen this show it is about a futuristic way that mankind must re-populate the States. There is different caste systems in place. Most of the higher ups are in charge of the country yet the women they are married to can not conceive. Therefore, they must capture other women who have children. They take the children away from them and put them all together in a place unknown to the Mothers.

Then the women that can pro-create actually go through a re-programming. They are then taken to the Government personel's homes as a lower caste person known as the Handmaid. Then when they are in their cycle to get pregnant the Master and his wife take them into the bedroom. The wife lies in bed with the handmaid on top of her and her husband does his thing with the Handmaid. I wasn't sure I was going to like this show due to this part. However, I kept watching.

The drama of the Handmaid's having to go through a pregnancy and the Woman of the house having a baby shower without the Handmaid is rather odd but it is to be realized that the Handmaids are nothing but a means to have a child similar to surrogates that are used today but not treated as nicely. After giving birth some of them breast feed and want to keep their baby as Maternal instincts kick in. Some suffer horribly and some are sent away to another home to give another General a chance for his wife to have a baby to love. Some of the Handmaid's try to escape and are terribly treated and sometimes scarred or their tongue is severed. Some are sent to the mines if they can not re-program the handmaid.

Many handmaids try to escape to get back to their husbands if they weren't killed when the women and children are captured. The handmaids go shopping with another handmaid. The must keep their eyes downcast and greet one another with the phrase "Praise Be" or they talk about the weather. There are guards everywhere and if they hear of a handmaid talking about her life before or about escaping they take them captive.

Lesser women who are in the lower caste yet can't bear children are used as maids and cooks. The ones unsuitable for these jobs or they are disobedient are sent to the mines where many die of diseases while working there.

So for those of you that are familiar with The Handmaid's Tale I want you to know Season 3 is now being filmed for this Spring. This is an Original Hulu series.