Season One

A woman's desperate fight for freedom in a theocracy that owns her body.

Season One of The Handmaid's Tale introduces viewers to the dystopian future established after a Second American Civil War. In this setting, a theonomic, totalitarian society subjects fertile women, called "Handmaids," to child-bearing slavery. The season premiered on April 26, 2017, on Hulu, marking the beginning of a six-season run that would conclude with the sixth season in 2025.

Quick Facts

Setting: The Republic of Gilead

Lore & Background

The Republic of Gilead is described as a theonomic, totalitarian society where fertile women are stripped of their rights and forced into child-bearing slavery. This system relies on a strict hierarchy that subjects these women, known as Handmaids, to a life of servitude. The narrative focuses on the existence of this regime and the role of Handmaids within it.

Reader's Guide

It establishes the core premise: a dystopian future after a Second American Civil War where a totalitarian society enforces child-bearing slavery upon fertile women called Handmaids. Viewers are introduced to an ensemble cast led by Elisabeth Moss, alongside Joseph Fiennes, Yvonne Strahovski, Alexis Bledel, Madeline Brewer, Ann Dowd, O-T Fagbenle, Max Minghella, Samira Wiley, Amanda Brugel, and Bradley Whitford. The series was created by Bruce Miller based on Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel. This season is the starting point of a total run of six seasons comprising 66 episodes.