The Handmaid's Tale: Season 1

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 41 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 527 Ratings

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7.9

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7.9	Your Score
7.9	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 527 Ratings

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The Handmaid's Tale

Now Playing: The Handmaid's Tale

Season Details & Credits

HULU | Season Premiere Date: April 30, 2017

Starring: Alexis Bledel, Elisabeth Moss, O.T. Fagbenle

Summary: In the totalitarian society of Gilead, a handmaiden enslaved to produce a child for Commander Waterford (Joseph Fiennes) and his wife Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski) named Offred (Elisabeth Moss) seeks the daughter taken from her in this drama series based on Margaret Atwood’s best-selling novel.

Genre(s): Drama, Science Fiction

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Season 1 Episodes

tbd
S1:E10. Night
Air Date: June 14, 2017
tbd
S1:E9. The Bridge
Air Date: June 7, 2017
tbd
S1:E8. Jezebels
Air Date: May 31, 2017

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Kristi Turnquist

Apr 20, 2017

Painfully timely. It's also absolutely enraging, and completely riveting. ... The Handmaid's Tale isn't just the best original show Hulu has ever done. It's one of the most impressive series of the year. Read full review

100

Scott D. Pierce

Apr 24, 2017

At least in the first three episodes, which were screened for critics, everything comes together for A Handmaid's Tale--Miller's script, direction by Reed Morano (who's best known as a cinematographer) and the performances. Moss' performance is arresting. Read full review

100

Tom Long

Apr 28, 2017

[It] sounds pretty dark, and it is, but the wonder of both Atwood’s novel and the series is that it actually manages to be playful and witty at times. Read full review

Verne Gay

Apr 25, 2017

Beautiful, immersive and joyless, Tale can be tough to watch, but “rewarding” trumps “tough.” Read full review

RogerEbert.com Brian Tallerico

Apr 26, 2017

It is ambitious, rich, complex, beautifully made television. It may take a couple episodes to really show you what it has to offer, but then you won’t be able to turn away. Read full review

Kelly Lawler

Apr 25, 2017

The Handmaid’s Tale is something unique, with an adult take on the dystopian genre and a somber and relevant story about the lives and fears of women. The show serves as a wake-up call, and you won’t easily fall back asleep after viewing. Read full review

John Anderson

Apr 21, 2017

The problem with Hulu’s Handmaid is that nothing is dreadful enough. ... Ms. Moss’s Offred comments regularly on her condition with outraged, silent vulgarities, and seems appalled by rituals and outrages that had become routine in the book. ... But the original Offred was almost too terrorized to imagine defiance, much less exercise it. And such calibrated portraiture helped make the novel click. Read full review

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User Score

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7.9

User Reviews

DrollPony

May 27, 2019

An excellent adaptation of Margaret Atwood's classic novel. I always appreciate seeing something that's not dumbed down for the audience. Not in the choice of source material, nor in the way it's brought to us. This requires a bit of brainwork by the viewer, and that's refreshing.

TheAn excellent adaptation of Margaret Atwood's classic novel. I always appreciate seeing something that's not dumbed down for the audience. Not in the choice of source material, nor in the way it's brought to us. This requires a bit of brainwork by the viewer, and that's refreshing.

The series treats the source material respectfully, while hitting all the right notes for a TV series. The pacing works; there is time to let everything sink in and create a tangible feel of dread, yet the story moves along relentlessly. The cinematography, soundscape and overall design is exquisite. So is the cast, led by the astonishing Elizabeth Moss.

There are some small updates made in the series, but they just make it all the more chilling. It's depressing how timeless the novel is: how things can go really wrong at any time, when there are ruthless people with a zealot ideology (regardless of which one), good manipulation skills and weapons at their disposal.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All_ButTrU4

Dec 19, 2021

Holy **** this was powerful!
This adaptation had alot going for it even before it's release from the big name cast to the exceptional source material. But with the stark prospect of a Trump presidency which would've meant a tightening on many rights sich as those of lgbtqia folkxHoly **** this was powerful!
This adaptation had alot going for it even before it's release from the big name cast to the exceptional source material. But with the stark prospect of a Trump presidency which would've meant a tightening on many rights sich as those of lgbtqia folkx (specifically trans) and on women. The right has been especially vocal in it's religious leanings or it's opinions on reproductive rights and this is placed centerfold. A horrifyingly possible "what if church was state" dystopia that rather than reaching for sci-fi or extra-terrestial threats our own zealous opposes us. Offred who is given a name in this adaptation is relentlessly compelling. Her asides are just as stunning as the scenes Elizabeth Moss dominates. Extremly nuanced political drama in the sense it's says alot with it's realities to how we behave in ours,the flashbacks giving difficult epiphanies to all the things we take for granted as freedoms or even how powerlessness can become an easier choice. Unflinching writing that honestly improves on the source material. You are constantly uncomfortable, anxious and scared. You ask yourself the credibility of this only to realize the roots of these nightmares exist around you.the ache of June's separation or the other handmaids exploitation. It's disingenuous to say rarely is a show this visceral when television is as great as it is but to not acknowledge how monumental this reason is in comparison cannot go unsaid. A master of tension,emotion and storytelling you can tell not a single piece of this vision hasn't been laboured over,from the crystalline cinematography to the award worthy music choices&scoring.irrespevtive of the rest of the show trajectory after this it's sure to say it started with a bang, landmark television… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

DukeCumberjack

Apr 26, 2017

Don't believe the low user ratings. Excellent distopian drama. Leave politics aside while you watch--it has been an incredibly well done series so far after three episodes.

32 of 60 users found this helpful3228

j1train

Jun 14, 2017

It starts out brilliantly, it really does. But the "big moments" go a beat too far much too often in the second half of the season. It's easy to think that the expansion of the book (which at first seemed welcome) has thrown out all the subtly of the source material. But for the most part,It starts out brilliantly, it really does. But the "big moments" go a beat too far much too often in the second half of the season. It's easy to think that the expansion of the book (which at first seemed welcome) has thrown out all the subtly of the source material. But for the most part, it's captivating, wonderfully acted, and gorgeous to look at.… Expand

5 of 16 users found this helpful511

Quietlionmusic

Nov 18, 2017

This was an enticing series that really makes you think about the current state of events and what could easily be a reality given the right circumstances. While I found this show to have very amazing production value and meaningful writing, I found the material to be very heavy stuffThis was an enticing series that really makes you think about the current state of events and what could easily be a reality given the right circumstances. While I found this show to have very amazing production value and meaningful writing, I found the material to be very heavy stuff without much relief. I felt as though I needed to cleanse my palette after watching, just because it was so depressing. I know the source material is meant to be heavy, but it is hard for viewers to keep watching when it seems as though each episode gets worse and/or the characters have no hope. I had similar problems with Breaking Bad. I have hopes next season will be a little easier to digest.… Expand

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

OlivierPiel

Apr 21, 2018

vastly overrated show. If I were American I would be on the left side of the political spectrum but this kind of show does a lot of disservice to what some critics can consider "the cause": The premise of the whole exercise seems illogical (if procreation were to become such a hot commodity,vastly overrated show. If I were American I would be on the left side of the political spectrum but this kind of show does a lot of disservice to what some critics can consider "the cause": The premise of the whole exercise seems illogical (if procreation were to become such a hot commodity, then women with that power would naturally rise to political power as well). Likewise, if a Franco-like government were to rule America, the country would fall into rapid economic decline and not be such a belligerant state.
To me, it seems to try to just pay lip-service to what some conservatives rightfully call libtards, trying to exploit all these female empowerment, LGBTXQEYZ#$% rights nonsense that is masking the true economical problems of America.… Expand

6 of 19 users found this helpful613

wrightfd

Feb 9, 2019

I have not read the book so I will only comment on this TV show, from what I have seen this is a poor propaganda at best, that pushes the narrative extremist men will enslave all women for the purposes of procreation, i'm not really buying the acting, the main character is a perpetual victimI have not read the book so I will only comment on this TV show, from what I have seen this is a poor propaganda at best, that pushes the narrative extremist men will enslave all women for the purposes of procreation, i'm not really buying the acting, the main character is a perpetual victim that is hugely sexist, all the men are one dimensional evil sexual deviant, even in the most barbaric of countries this type of treatment has not become mainstream, so suspension of disbelief is particularly hard.

TLDR; acting really poor, propaganda piece that soviet Russia would have found reasonable.… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

SEE ALL 73 REVIEWS

Seasons & Episodes

81

Series Overview
Season 5

63
- Season 5 Overview
  Air Date: September 14, 2022
Season 4

62
- Season 4 Overview
  Air Date: April 28, 2021
Season 3

68
- Season 3 Overview
  Air Date: June 5, 2019
Season 2

86
- Season 2 Overview
  Air Date: April 25, 2018
Season 1

92
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: April 30, 2017
- tbd
  S1:E10. Night
  Air Date: June 14, 2017
- tbd
  S1:E9. The Bridge
  Air Date: June 7, 2017
- tbd
  S1:E8. Jezebels
  Air Date: May 31, 2017
- tbd
  S1:E7. The Other Side
  Air Date: May 24, 2017
- tbd
  S1:E6. A Woman's Place
  Air Date: May 17, 2017
- tbd
  S1:E5. Faithful
  Air Date: May 10, 2017
- tbd
  S1:E4. Nolite Te Bastardes Carborundorum
  Air Date: May 3, 2017
- tbd
  S1:E3. Late
  Air Date: April 26, 2017
- tbd
  S1:E2. Birth Day
  Air Date: April 26, 2017
- 6.2
  S1:E1. Offred
  Air Date: April 26, 2017