The Handmaid's Tale

[fightinfunbags]

There's already a tension between people who's lives are guided by religious beliefs and those who follow different guidelines from other sources.

In the show a crisis in child birth brought on by world pollution (or the godless policies of the educated elite depending of the point of view) caused a war and revolution.

It IS science fiction and seems an unlikely possibility but not an impossible scenario.

Some people just can’t connect with the art form of a dystopia. A dystopia doesn’t need to be plausible in order to be effective. Fiction lends itself to the willful suspension of disbelief. The dystopia isolates an aspect of society or the human condition and to borrow from Spinal Tap, pumps the condition up to 11 so that the issue in society is highlighted to show how horrible and awful it is. I read the original Handmaiden’s Tale and the makers of this show have done a great job creating their own art based on the original premise. One of the better series on tv right now. Anxiously awaiting season 4.

 

[PatsFan2003]

Some people just can’t connect with the art form of a dystopia. A dystopia doesn’t need to be plausible in order to be effective. Fiction lends itself to the willful suspension of disbelief. The dystopia isolates an aspect of society or the human condition and to borrow from Spinal Tap, pumps the condition up to 11 so that the issue in society is highlighted to show how horrible and awful it is. I read the original Handmaiden’s Tale and the makers of this show have done a great job creating their own art based on the original premise. One of the better series on tv right now. Anxiously awaiting season 4.

Oh I agree. its what science fiction is all about. I like the book too and think the series is very good. It just that the show is also slow moving where they focus on a few aspects of this distopia in gruesome, depressing detail and that made it hard for me to get through.

 

[BusSport]

Season 4 trailer:

 

[Wazmankg]

The first 2 seasons were terrific, but season 3 was a bit of a slog and after 4 episodes of season 4 I'd probably bail out if my wife wasn't so into it. The performances are still uniformly outstanding but plot and writing are in a cyclical rut. If that doesn't change I doubt I'll stick around for season 5.

 

[calsnowskier]

The first 2 seasons were terrific, but season 3 was a bit of a slog and after 4 episodes of season 4 I'd probably bail out if my wife wasn't so into it. The performances are still uniformly outstanding but plot and writing are in a cyclical rut. If that doesn't change I doubt I'll stick around for season 5.

I couldn’t make it through the premier of S3. I was watching it and all I could see was a huge neon sign flashing on my tv...

YOU ARE NOT IN THE TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC FOR THIS SHOW
...
YOU ARE NOT IN THE TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC FOR THIS SHOW
...
YOU ARE NOT IN THE TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC FOR THIS SHOW
...

I turned the show off mid episode and I haven’t missed it one second since.

 

[Wazmankg]

I couldn’t make it through the premier of S3. I was watching it and all I could see was a huge neon sign flashing on my tv...

YOU ARE NOT IN THE TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC FOR THIS SHOW
...
YOU ARE NOT IN THE TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC FOR THIS SHOW
...
YOU ARE NOT IN THE TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC FOR THIS SHOW
...

I turned the show off mid episode and I haven’t missed it one second since.

I couldn't remember where I was with this series when season 4 came out when we decided to get a refresher by watching of the end of season 3. We started 3 episodes from the end and I realized that I hadn't seen any of it, though my wife had. Then I remembered that I'd bailed out with a few episodes left. I'd still recommend the first 2 seasons.

 

[wilwhite]

The first 2 seasons were terrific, but season 3 was a bit of a slog and after 4 episodes of season 4 I'd probably bail out if my wife wasn't so into it. The performances are still uniformly outstanding but plot and writing are in a cyclical rut. If that doesn't change I doubt I'll stick around for season 5.

Completely agree. In place of actual dramatic movement they're just going to extremes now, and sometimes really poorly done.

Everything about that train crossing was ridiculously bad.

 

[Wazmankg]

Completely agree. In place of actual dramatic movement they're just going to extremes now, and sometimes really poorly done.

Everything about that train crossing was ridiculously bad.

Yeah all of the extended slo-mo and silent pained expressions.. sheesh. Then the 2 of them are just standing there as the train whizzes by with there pursuers on the other side, until they finally start jogging down the road .. ("get out of the street, you dummies").

I almost wish they'd go full bore fantasy and turn her into an avenging superhero or something. Anything is better that what they're doing.

 

[ThereIsNoPlace]

I'm trying to get into it....finding it hard.




















That's what she said....

 

[Diamondeye]

Yeah all of the extended slo-mo and silent pained expressions.. sheesh. Then the 2 of them are just standing there as the train whizzes by with there pursuers on the other side, until they finally start jogging down the road .. ("get out of the street, you dummies").

I almost wish they'd go full bore fantasy and turn her into an avenging superhero or something. Anything is better that what they're doing.

June is basically James Bond and Jack Bauer wrapped into one at this point.

Also, the "you go, girl"/ women power theme is being applied to nauseating extents now, though there was always going to be some level of that due to the general premise of the show.

The tense, horror film-like feel of the early seasons is long gone, as they've gone full Lifetime or Hallmark original now.

With that being said, I'm not sure how much the writing and direction can be blamed. The plot just wasn't made to be stretched out over four seasons.

It would have been best served as a condensed mini-series.

 

[Wazmankg]

June is basically James Bond and Jack Bauer wrapped into one at this point.

Also, the "you go, girl"/ women power theme is being applied to nauseating extents now, though there was always going to be some level of that due to the general premise of the show.

The tense, horror film-like feel of the early seasons is long gone, as they've gone full Lifetime or Hallmark original now.

With that being said, I'm not sure how much the writing and direction can be blamed. The plot just wasn't made to be stretched out over four seasons.

It would have been best served as a condensed mini-series.

They've gone well beyond the book and original plot at this point and frankly I don't have a problem with turning her into some sort of avenger dealing payback to her tormentors. It was all of the extended, no dialog, slo-mo filler scenes where I guess we're supposed to be sympathizing with whatever inner torment is being experienced. That just seems like filler to stretch things out because they don't have much more to say. That's what had grown really tiresome to me.

But if the next (and final) season is a continuation of her being some sort of avenging angle, I'm fine with that. It won't be great drama but at least it moves with action and a sense of purpose.

 

[Diamondeye]

They've gone well beyond the book and original plot at this point and frankly I don't have a problem with turning her into some sort of avenger dealing payback to her tormentors. It was all of the extended, no dialog, slo-mo filler scenes where I guess we're supposed to be sympathizing with whatever inner torment is being experienced. That just seems like filler to stretch things out because they don't have much more to say. That's what had grown really tiresome to me.

But if the next (and final) season is a continuation of her being some sort of avenging angle, I'm fine with that. It won't be great drama but at least it moves with action and a sense of purpose.

The whole personal avenging thing is kind of predictable and boring, though.

The writing is just all over the place, as apparently getting her daughter out of Gilead is not that much of a priority anymore, given how the last season just ended.

The only real suspense left for season 5 is whether she actually kills Serena.