The Handmaid's Tale

[B2G]

Did anyone see it? It almost makes me want to sign up for Hulu...

[dhol82]

1. Looking forward to watching it tonight.

[chelsea0011]

2. Just finished episode 1 and my humble opinion is, meh.....

Not bad, not great. A very creepy society they have there though. I will continue.

[tammywammy]

3. Heard a good review on NPR this morning.

I look forward to watching it.

[politicat]

4. Vermeer, via the Hell filter.

If you've read the book, there's additional material and that material doesn't pull punches. If not, stay away from any thread anywhere, because spoilers.

Like the book, it starts a little slowly. Trust that -- it needs to open up slowly.

I thought the casting for Serena Joy was... sketchy... but the actor has the chops. Also, the time setting shift (the book would have been set in the late 80s or early 90s; the series is set probably no later than 2025) makes the shift more plausible, given that wealthy/powerful women today spend much more time, effort and money maintaining their looks (and are more successful at it) than the women of the same class 30 years ago. (See: Geraldine Page, age 50, in "The Trip to Bountiful", for which she won Best Actress in 1985, or Dame Maggie Smith, who was 40 in "A Room with a View" in 1985, versus Nicole Kidman, who turned 50 this year. It's sort of frightening, actually, how good we've gotten with beauty technology.)

I don't know if I'll be able to finish it, to be honest. I love the book, and I love what they've done, but I also realized that the books is my emotional kyptonite, a mood regulator in printed form. I knew I couldn't read it if I was edging up on a depressive episode, because it would knock me down hard. And this is punching me harder than the book does. Which, in a perverse way, says a lot for the quality of what they've done.

[B2G]

5. I'm thinking I want to read the book first

and then view the series.

[NewJeffCT]

6. I think I read the book around when it came out

30+ years ago. I liked it at the time, but have almost no memory other than liking it and a few key points that I shall not reveal here.

[politicat]

7. If you read by audiobook, the Claire Danes narration is exceptional.

The book's own internal premise is that it is spoken word, so it works well as audio; Danes has a pleasant voice and is good with voice performance. There are some interesting production aspects that fit within the internal narrative, and the recent re-release comes with some additional commentary.

(also, it's on sale right now. )

[onlyadream]

8. If Pence watched this

What would be his thoughts?

I'm actually worried that it would give him ideas.

[politicat]

9. They already have these ideas.

Quiverful, Christian patriarchy, fertility control, covenant marriage -- this is already in the Dominionist playbook. Those subcultures may be minority positions within fundamentalism, but they have disproportionately loud voices.

Even the so-called New Evangelicals, such as Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill (now formerly; he's been turfed for corruption), who cloak their reactionary actions with motorcycles, rock music, come as you are dress codes, and men's craft beer ministries, are pushing for patriarchal marriages.

[smirkymonkey]

10. Yes, I watched it. I thought it was good.

Frightening, but something was lacking. I can't quite put my finger on it. I know it was supposed to be drab and depressing, but it wasn't the most watchable production I have ever seen. Still, it was an interesting portrayal of a future dystopia where women are reduced to nothing but baby factories.

[Greybnk48]

11. The book is outstanding. I read it in 1990

in a University Lit class, and it was shocking at the time (still is now). There was a movie made a while back that was pretty good, with Robt. Duvall as the Commander and Faye Dunnaway as Serena Joy, his wife. This adaptation came out circa 1990 and as I said, is well done.

What I loved is that Margaret Atwood made no secret back in the late 80's and early 90' that Serena Joy was to be thought of as Phyllis Schafly! One of the most horrid creatures of the 20th century...and Schafly knew it was supposed to be her. So elevate Margaret Atwood to:

Right Wing Troll Level: EXPERT! She is a hero of mine!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyllis_Schlafly

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099731/

[B2G]

12. I had Serena Joy pegged as Tammy Faye Bakker