By Grace Rodriguez
The revolution unravels quickly with the release of three new episodes of “The Handmaid’s Tale” season four on Hulu.
Margaret Atwood’s novel “The Handmaid’s Tale” (1985) inspired the hit show released in 2017. The show detailed a dystopian future in which women were treated as property in a male-controlled Gilead.
The first three seasons are graphic and realistic and this is definitely paralleled throughout the new episodes in season four.
There are plenty of shocking revelations and internal conflicts.
Fans have been waiting for the release of season four for almost a year and so far they will not be disappointed.
In Gilead each couple is assigned a handmaid.
The handmaids are raped on a regular basis because Gilead’s primary concern is procreation.
Season one explains the way the US slowly turned into this totalitarian government.
Viewers are introduced to June, played by Elisabeth Moss.
June, whose name is changed to Offred in Gilead, is a handmaid assigned to Fred, played by Joseph Fiennes and his wife Serena, played by Yvonne Strahovski.
June becomes a martyr and role model for many, after her attempts at escaping Gilead.
Season two and three detail the lives of all the handmaids— before and after Gilead.
Over the course of the three first seasons viewers fall in love with June’s perseverance and fighting nature.
This is somewhat lost in season four but a new character inspires the little fight she has left.
The first three episodes are a lot to unpack. Most surprising for viewers is finding out who doesn’t make it.
Each episode leaves viewers guessing what’s to come. How will June bounce back from this?
Both the book and movie bring up a discussion of women’s roles in society.
Although the society depicted in the book is not a direct reflection of the 80s nor today, a lot can be learned and realized because of these pieces.
This novel was ahead of its time. Atwood was most likely inspired by the changing times of the late 80s when she wrote this book and she would be pleased to know how much things have changed since the 80s as well.
Bruce Miller, the creator of the show, did a great job at sticking closely to the novel and at making viewers fall in love and really empathize with each of the characters.
While not every cast member carries their weight, those that do do it effortlessly.
One of the new characters that is introduced is named Esther, played by McKenna Grace. She is absolutely stellar. She plays a child traumatized with becoming a wife in Gilead.
Her story captivates the audience and inspires June to keep pushing.
Episode four was released this Tuesday.