THE HANDMAID'S TALE Continues

Article first published as TV Review: THE HANDMAID'S TALE Season 2 on Seat42F.

Hulu’s THE HANDMAID’S TALE is back for a second season this week. The streaming service released two episodes last Wednesday, with additional installments spooling out weekly over the coming months. The tale of women in a strongly religious, male-dominated society continues, and we immediately get to see different corners of the world than previously shown. Viewers finally witness what life is like at the dreaded colonies first-hand, as well as get a glimpse at an underground railroad-type situation for ladies fleeing their forced fate. Somehow, none of the shock value has worn off, as things get darker still.

June Osborne, a.k.a. Offred (Elisabeth Moss), is left in a precarious position last season, having led a peaceful protest against Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) to save Janine’s (Madeline Brewer) life. Aunt Lydia promised consequences, and they unfold right at the start of episode one. While the actual threat is obviously just that, merely a threat, as fertile women are too precious a resource in this reality to waste, it’s easy to see how the victims of it would be terrified, believing it real. They’ve been treated so poorly and terrorized so much, they can be forgiven for not thinking the situation through logically.

June herself, however, is spared as soon as her pregnancy becomes known. This gets into a psychological game, as June is immune from some, but not all punishment, and she is still vulnerable to being shamed in front of the others. Or is she? We know June has a strong fortitude, and her battle of wills with Aunt Lydia, much of it non-verbal, is gripping in this initial hour. June has additional scenes throughout both installments where Moss shines with physical performance and facial expression.

Episode two divides its time between some former newspaper offices, where horrible acts were carried out, and one of the colonies, where Emily (Alexis Bledel) has been sent for hard labor. I’m not sure what I pictured the colonies as being like, but the bleak, desolate, radiation-filled landscape is not exactly it. This feels even sadder, more isolated, than I imagined, and life is extremely hard there. A subplot involving a new arrival at the colony (Marisa Tomei, The Big Short) is moving and shocking, but also feels a little bit satisfying, which is needed every now and then in the series.

One thing that is different about THE HANDMAID’S TALE from other shows is that it saves all its credits for the end, so you’ll never know which characters will be showing up. This works very well in this particular program, as it allows a larger element of surprise. The end credits also only list the stars of that particular hour, so Alexis Bledel’s name isn’t in the premiere, leaving you to wonder how much she’ll be involved in the season. Similarly, Yvonne Strahovski and Joseph Fiennes aren’t in the second hour, so their names aren’t present. Will they be back? Who knows? There is a freedom for the story to go anywhere without being beholden to past places and characters when even the central cast isn’t listed in this manner.

THE HANDMAID’S TALE continues its customary flashbacks in both parts. Normally, this is a conceit in a television show I would grow tired of pretty quickly. And there are times in these initial offerings where it’s easy to become impatient, wanting to get back to the main timeline. However, Emily’s bit in episode two is particularly moving, and both episodes help fill in exactly how this oppressive regime was able to take power, thankfully shown indirectly. It’s helpful for understanding the situation, and also as a warning not to allow current political forces to move in the same direction. It’s uncomfortably easy to imagine how it might.

THE HANDMAID’S TALE remains powerful, timely, and intensely compelling. Watch it exclusively on Hulu.

THE HANDMAID'S TALE Creepily Relevant

Article first published as TV Review: THE HANDMAID'S TALE on Seat42F.

Hulu has had a few good dramas over the past year or two, but I am hard pressed to think of one as well made and as engaging as THE HANDMAID’S TALE, which premieres this week exclusively on the streaming service. Based on the 1985 book of the same name by Margaret Atwood, and already adapted into a movie almost three decades ago, the story takes place in a dystopian future in which the rapidly decreasing number of fertile women are pressed into slavery to help those in power reproduce.

THE HANDMAID’S TALE feels especially prevalent right now. Despite all the strides made in gender equality since the novel was published, America recently elected a president who brags about sexual assault and at least partially ran on a sexist platform. We’ve also never been closer to a destabilizing war in most of our lifetimes, with an erratic, ignorant leader in the Oval Office. One can’t help but wonder if there’s some probability of the events of the series coming true as political situations unfold. Now, that may sound far-fetched to some, and I do not seek to turn off anyone by making this too political. But the possible parallels are too striking to ignore, and Trump’s election only makes this series more important.

Taking THE HANDMAID’S TALE at face value, it’s a chilling portrait of one woman who is old enough to remember a time before this system, having had a husband and child, and now has to put up with the subjugation, seeing no way out, even though her entire being screams that this is wrong. It’s a plight that viewers may not quite be able to relate to, at least not at the raw level depicted, but one we can comprehend and be freaked out by.

Elisabeth Moss, the excellent actress from such critically acclaimed hits as Mad Men, The West Wing, and Top of the Lake, once again chooses her projects wisely, taking the lead role of Offred, the Handmaid belonging to Commander Fred Waterford (Joseph Fiennes, American Horror Story: Asylum, Flashforward). Desperate to escape to look for her daughter, mourning those she has lost, Offred isn’t even allowed to keep her name as she is trained under the strict rule of Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd, The Leftovers) and raped while lying in the lap of Waterford’s jealous wife, Serena (Yvonne Strahovski, Chuck, 24: Live Another Day). She isn’t even allowed to leave the Waterford’s house without being accompanied by another Handmaid, Ofglen (Alexis Bledel, Gilmore Girls).

Offred’s predicament is absolutely heart breaking. As we see what she has gone through and what she has lost, we cannot help but feel for her. Moss makes us cry, and lets us experience the terror her character is living. When she gets angry and acts out violently, we understand why and instantly forgive her. Any tiny hint that things might change for her is cheered, but those are few and far between.

While Moss is the most obvious person to give credit to, I would be remiss if I didn’t praise the rest of the cast as well. Dowd, Fiennes, and Strahovski are creepy and complex, adding to the dreary atmosphere. Samira Wiley (Orange is the New Black) is terrific as Offred’s friend from her past, and Bledel keeps us guessing as to whether we can trust Ofglen or not, a huge if in the current circumstances. There is no weak link in this cast, which is large enough to include several more regulars.

Everything from the production design to the score to the pacing to the direction reinforces the central warning message of THE HANDMAID’S TALE. There appears to be a singular vision, and each element contributes to a high-quality whole. Depressing and disturbing as the show can be, it’s also magnetic and engrossing. The pilot alone has stuck with me and occupied my thoughts for days, and I feel compelled to finish the other hours as they are released.

Several hours of THE HANDMAID’S TALE will be available to Hulu subscribers this Wednesday, April 26^th, with the rest of the season doled out weekly thereafter.

Mad Men continues evolution as another year comes to an end

AMC's Mad Men characters have undergone quite a bit of change throughout the fifth season. Society around them continues to evolve at a rapid pace, and as one era ends, another moves forward. This can be unsettling to many, as the series embraces this new world order, as well as the differing reactions the characters have to it, with realism and skill. "The Phantom," this week's season finale, is a superb example of this, enhanced by the artistic, beautiful image of the five partners in their new, empty office space.

Lane's (Jared Harris) suicide still haunts, but the firm moves on without him. He helped them get the ball rolling, but is not necessary for the future of the company. The things he tries to promote, not always successfully, such as financial stability and caution, fall to the wayside as the other partners think about expanding their offices. And why not? They've made a lot of money, and things are looking up. Plus, Lane's insurance policy provides an influx of cash.

How long will this last? Only Joan (Christina Hendricks) voices any concern, but this quickly falls to the wayside. Everything is fleeting, and they've all lived through the volatility of their industry. They would do well to remember those lessons, and the hardships of the lean times, as they move forward.

Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce is not remotely the same company it is when season five begins. A lot happens. They are now integrated. They have a female partner. Said partner, Joan, sells her morality and her body to satisfy her ambition and to prove her loyalty. Roger (John Slatterly) tries to find inner peace, and does briefly, before collapses in on himself again. Bert (Robert Morse) shows signs of his aging, and the loss of his firmly held beliefs. Don (Jon Hamm) deals with the absence of his drive and talent. Employees come and go. Old friends are looked in on. And the business grows, but at what cost?

Does Don feel guilty for his role in Lane's passing? After all, it is not long after Don confronts and fires Lane for his embezzlement that Lane ends his life. There is definitely a connection, and Don realizes this. However, not being pulled down too much by grief and regret is not something for Don to be ashamed of. After all, Don is kinder than he has to be to Lane, and he does not expose Lane's wrongdoing to the other partners. Whatever Lane's wife (Embeth Davidtz) may say, Don shouldn't take the blame personally, and I don't think that he does.

Instead, Don has his toothache to worry about. Yes, the physical ailment is real, and may even be the reason that Don hallucinates his departed brother (Jay Paulson). But the underlying cause of the uneasy feelings stem from the rocky place his marriage with Megan (Jessica Paré) currently is in. Megan wants to be an actress, but Don is afraid that Megan's professional life may drive a wedge between them, taking her far away. These feelings are not without merit, but that doesn't mean that Don should hold her back. He realizes this, and is willing to let her go so that she can follow her dreams.

Will Megan keep returning to Don's arms as she promises, now that she is building a life apart from him? The question as to whether the character will return next season remains unanswered, and it seems like Don is contemplating life without her as "The Phantom" comes to an end. It could honestly go either way, as Mad Men has proven unpredictable. What is certain is that Megan isn't content to be a housewife, and Don truly loves her enough to want what is best for her, irregardless of the cost to himself. That alone shows major positive development for him. He may lose her, but he has a better self to compensate.

It is Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) that helps Don make this decision in "The Phantom." Peggy has long been Don's protege, and he does not take the news of her striking out on her own very well. But encountering her in a movie theater, things are good between them. Don is proud of the successful woman that she has become, and she is grateful for his help, though determined to now spread her wings outside of his influence, a logical next step.

If Peggy returns to the firm, and hopefully she will, the dynamic will be drastically different. They may even have to make her a partner to entice her back into the fold. It's also possible that Peggy will return defeated, though that is less likely, and not a happy possibility.

Though Don is probably thinking more about Megan than Peggy during their conversation, as the parallels between the two stories are obvious and intelligent. Don may say things that Peggy takes as applying to her, but his main concern is Megan.

Interestingly, Pete (Vincent Kartheiser) begins Mad Men wanting to be just like Don, the big man on campus. By season five, Peter has gotten his wish. He lives with a beautiful wife (Alison Brie) he doesn't really love in the suburbs, and fools around with an unavailable woman (Alexis Bledel, Gilmore Girls). This is exactly Don's past, golden on the outside, rotten within. Pete is dissatisfied and frustrated, not sure what will fill the hole that he feels. A great lesson can come from the old adage, "Be careful what you wish for." Don found an escape from the prison; will Pete?

There will be much speculation about season six, but the truth is, there aren't a lot of clues as to the direction that Mad Men is heading in "The Phantom." It has always been a show full of twists, which usually seem natural when they occur, but are hard to see coming. Rather than characters always forcing change because of their actions, many of the stories are driven by outside events, and explore how the characters deal with these growing pains. With only two seasons left, there is not yet a sign of any slow down, and it should remain a fantastic ride through the end!

Mad Men will return to AMC next year.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Please click here to catch up on Mad Men with streaming episodes and DVDs. Article first published as Mad Men continues evolution as another year comes to an end on TheTVKing.