The Handmaid's Tale - Hulu

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by Deesky, Apr 29, 2017.

  1. Deesky

    Deesky Forum Resident Thread Starter

    I agree, it was extremely well paced and developed. If I had to pick a slight lull, it would be that single episode that examined Offred's husband's plight after the kidnapping. There was nothing wrong with it as it filled in the blanks as to his plight, but it did divert the narrative momentum from the much more interesting Offred centered story. But that's such a minor quibble in the grand scheme of things.
     
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  2. Finally just watched this series over the past week. One of the best dramas I’ve ever seen on television.

    Beautifully written and shot and wonderfully directed.

    Chilling. Especially in these times.
     
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  3. Agree the Music was perfect. Not overdone.
     
  4. Handmade was 10 episodes. It was perfect
     
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  5. Leviethan

    Leviethan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR
    You should probably run far away from the new Twin Peaks.
     
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  6. Purple Jim

    Purple Jim Senior Member

    Location:
    Bretagne
    Oh dear. Thanks for the warning!
     
  7. That was my second favorite series this year.
     
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  8. Splungeworthy

    Splungeworthy Forum Rezidentura

    Wall of text incoming.

    So I've just binge watched the series after all of the Emmy love the show was given, and now that I've developed a close personal relationship with all of Elizabeth Moss' pores I'd like to weigh in.
    So I guess we're doing some spoilers but not others? Tread with care all ye who read on.

    I think you can make a case for the subject matter of this show to be the darkest of the dark to have ever been attempted by a TV show. I mean it's a tough slog getting through this, knowing what these girls are going through and the society that has evolved that makes it all ok. I think the biggest thing that strikes me about it all is the rampant hypocrisy on display here by the people in power. It all boils down to these guys just being dirty old men on power trips just doing things in the name of a higher calling. And obviously women who are complicit (I'm looking at you Serena).

    I can see why Moss got her Emmy. She literally carried this show on her face. There has not been a show that focused on a character in this kind of detail ever. It was probably tough for her to watch. Yvonne Strahovski's work was a revelation-I've liked her in other things but she really brought it here, and is in nomination for villain of the year. Ann Dowd proves once again she is the MVP of supporting character actors. The cinematography was a little too artsy for my taste, but it served the story well, and the sense of claustrophobia in some of these scenes was overwhelming.

    I thought the use of music, especially the pop songs at the ends of episodes (especially "Don't You (Forget About Me)") was genius. The overall soundtrack had a sense of foreboding that reminded me of some of Radiohead's work.

    In terms of specific story points, they really took their time revealing backstory through the use of flashbacks. It was a little frustrating at times because I really wanted to know more quickly about how June got to where she was, the whole indoctrination process. Also more about specifically how the environment of the Earth changed so drastically to cause the mass infertility that drove the story. There are so many heartrending scenes, just too many to mention, but a few stand out. June getting "red tagged" is the stuff of nightmares. The scene where Serena basically tortures June by going to see her daughter but just out of reach-I challenge anyone to watch that and not feel gutted. When it was revealed Janine was the subject of a Salvaging I almost turned the TV off, I was so horrified. And of course all the raping. So much raping.

    I did not read the book but it almost seemed like the show runners were counting on some knowledge of the story. Apparently the ambiguous ending is how the book ends as well (but, being a mass consumed product that was well received we're getting a second season-yay Hollywood?!).

    So where does this place in this year's hierarchy of great dramas? In terms of impact hard not to see it as the show of the year, and the awards obviously reflected that. I thought the Leftovers was a more challenging story, and I thought Fargo and Better Call Saul were just more enjoyable to watch on a weekly basis. Since I binge watched The Handmaid's Tale (in retrospect, not a great idea), it may have had more impact than if I had watched it weekly, but I can now say I survived this unique show and can recommend it to all who have some Prozac at the ready, with maybe a chaser of Brooklyn Nine-Nine afterwards.
     
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  9. Veltri

    Veltri ♪♫♫♪♪♫♫♪

    Location:
    Canada
    I don't think so.

    It took a long while in the novel to understand what was going on. Hard to remember, but possibly up to 50 pages.

    And the novel was one person's written account, so it was just about what was salvaged and what little was written down. The tv series can look at all person's perspectives so can be less ambiguous about many things.
     
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  10. bartels76

    bartels76 Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    CT
    Just finished watching this. One of the best TV shows of the year. Well deserved Emmys for the players involved.
     
  11. Gavinyl

    Gavinyl Remembering Member

    Big black SUV'S....
     
  12. Splungeworthy

    Splungeworthy Forum Rezidentura

    So Elizabeth Moss, Anne Dowd, and the show itself were nominated for Golden Globes. In looking at the competition in each category, I see very little reason why they shouldn't win in each one. The most interesting race is Handmaid's vs. Game Of Thrones. I'll be very interested in seeing who wins that (probably GOT, even though it shouldn't).
     
  13. chacha

    chacha Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    mill valley CA USA
    Thrones has had enough accolades. Time to honor new innovative excellence.
     
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  14. PageLesPaul

    PageLesPaul To be a rock and not to roll...

    Location:
    Lithia, FL USA
    Looking forward to Season 2!

     
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  15. Most excellent! We just finished and it really put the creep in creepy...and SAD! Scary.

    It got just a tiny bit tedious moving toward the end, but that's minor. The second season can't come soon.

    I'll be calling my wife OlfNick for the next few weeks. :D

    Seriously, though, how demeaning for these women. Such a bleak possible future.
     
  16. mds

    mds Forum Resident

    Location:
    PA
    Season 2 starts April 25th, can't wait. So many great shows are continuing their seasons this month; The Handmaid's Tale, Westworld, and the Expanse. Next month is Almost Human.
     
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  17. Encuentro

    Encuentro Forum Resident

    The first two episodes of season 2 are already available. That's weird.
     
  18. raphph

    raphph Taking a trip on an ocean liner…

    Location:
    London
    Is this confirmed? I'm in the UK and need to "acquire it"
     
  19. Encuentro

    Encuentro Forum Resident

    Yep. I just double-checked. The first two episodes are now available to stream.
     
  20. Deesky

    Deesky Forum Resident Thread Starter

    I haven't started (properly) watching the new season yet, but it looks like Alexis Bledel is going to feature - yay Rory! :)
     
  21. Mylene

    Mylene Senior Member

    The first ten minutes of episode one are the best ten minutes of TV this year. Also extra great for Kate Bush fans.
     
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  22. Season 2, Episode 1, was a pretty killer episode, however...
    I wonder if the crime fit the punishment that they would not only get the ol' hangman's gag, but also the rock-in-hand torture, as well as the hand-to-fire extravaganza. In other words, we had never seen an act of defiance perpetrated en mass like this, so maybe it's standard procedure. Either that, or that old biddy was improvising for the devil's pleasure. In other words, it was cruel af.
    But hey, one got a clitoridectomy, last season, so who knows, right?

    Then, Olffred gets
    a ride in the meatmagon. How cool was that? If I'm being nitpicky, though, it would seem that Olffred's whole speech at the end of Season 1 was really preparing her for defiant acts in Season 2.
    It didn't really go off that way, because
    she can't be captured. If she's captured she will certainly be killed, right?
    I don't know, but perhaps it's because...

    Season 1, Episode 2: I wanted something else to happen. I don't know what, but I really didn't like the direction that Episode 2 took. There's not enough drama outside of the baby making factory, and what little there was in Episode 2 was masked by a sex scene, and then a weird sex scene.
    I'm not opposed to sex scenes,
    but the second one was gratuitous because it immediately followed the first one. What's more, the first sex scene they are knocking boots, only to have June get off of his junk by sliding straight down! This motion would have broken his pecker off!

    So, I guess I'll have to reserve judgement for Episode 3, for right now it's no longer "under his eye."

    Blessed Bee!
    [​IMG]
     
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  23. hybrid_77

    hybrid_77 Forum Resident

    Location:
    New England
    Blessed be the fruit. Going to start watching tomorrow night. Had to watch The Americans tonight.
     
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  24. Gavinyl

    Gavinyl Remembering Member

    Season 2 is off to a great start...
     
  25. Deesky

    Deesky Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Two very powerful episodes. As usual, Elisabeth Moss gives a great performance, but Alexis Bledel was just as impressive in the second one.

    It was interesting to see more flashback scenes around the time authoritarianism broke out and how quickly things can devolve. Under His Thumb!

    Excellent start.
     
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