The Handmaid's Tale

I'm a little surprised that I've never actually blogged about this...

I read "The Handmaid's Tale" way back in 2010. My reaction at the time was that it was exceptionally well-written, and quite disturbing. However, I took considerable comfort in the consideration that not only was it not the world we lived in, but also that it wasn't realistic - too many people would have to operate in a manner contrary to their own interests for that to happen. (And I don't mean that women could stop it. We have four entire industries (fashion, cosmetics, diet, and glossy magazines) whose entire business model is based on women spending lots of money. They would be the ones to stop it.)

That said, I've since watched the electorate in both the UK and the US voting contrary to their best interests, so maybe there's something in it after all...

Anyway, we watched the first season of the show last year. It's not exactly fair to say we 'enjoyed' it, since we didn't, but it was extremely well made. That said, the quality wasn't uniform. In particular, there was a clear divide between the bits that were in the book and those areas where it was changed or expanded - with the new material being markedly weaker.

The first season, of course, adapts the whole of the book. Which leaves them in a position where everything in the second season is going to be new material. Which doesn't bode well.

But there's also a big problem. The end of the book (and also the first season) is delightfully ambiguous - things really don't look good for Offred, with her being bundled into a van for... some purpose. We're also told that, at some point, Gilead will fall, but there's no clear indication as to the time-scale involved.

So, this leaves a big question: where does the show go from here? And I don't find any of the answers particular satisfying...

The 'realistic' answer is that Offred is in for a world of hurt. A society such as that depicted would have all manner of control mechanisms in place, such that Offred's various rebellions would not be tolerated. And given the issues with the other handmaids in the last episode, they would be coming down with a hammer blow. So the likely outcome isn't good - here come ten episodes, essentially, of torture porn followed by her giving birth and then, probably, a rather nasty public execution. I have no desire to watch that.

The other possibility, which is the one I rather expect them to go with, is much the same for the first several episodes, followed by a heroic rescue, the tide turning, and Offred spearheading a fight against Gilead. With the season ending in one of two ways: either Offred is reunited with her husband or, more cruelly, them being reunited some time earlier followed by his dying at the end of the last episode. The problem with that is that it's too fantastical - if Gilead is so easily defeated (in that it pops up and falls all in a single generation), that rather undercuts the menace of the series. I have no desire to watch that.

The third possibility, of course, is TV stasis - because they want to run the show for the indefinite future they'll move the pieces around a bit, but ultimately the second series will end up pretty much in the same place as the first one did. Only with Offred now having two children to search for, rather than just one. And given that I didn't enjoy the first season that much, I think I'll give that a miss, too.

The bottom line: I'm not going to be watching the second season of "The Handmaid's Tale". And, frankly, I'm reasonably sure that they'd have been much better to just leave it at one.

I'll still recommend the book, though. Because it's very good.