The Handmaid’s Tale is back with a fresh set of new episodes, causing more exhaustion than excitement. The reemergence of Hulu’s flagship drama takes viewers back to the dreaded post-apocalyptic Gilead and the sight is far from mesmerizing. Handmaid’s fourth season is far more frustrating than the previous two.
The creators of the show haven’t been able to do justice to the content penned down by Margaret Atwood. The Handmaid’s Tale seems to have suffered immensely in terms of plot execution, relying heavily on making June (Moss) suffer rather than building the story for a better climax. The direction has been disappointing to say the least considering it had the opportunity to weave a plot like no other. The series could have run for years to come if the real essence of The Handmaid’s Tale was kept alive.
People had high expectations from the fourth season as the devout fans were hoping to see the story unfold in a systematic manner. However, the eight episodes of Season 4 are like a suffering in progress; viewers are taken far ahead in the future and suddenly brought back to the present. By the end of the eighth episodes, there is an iota of hope left amongst viewers for the show to bring something promising.
New episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale return after a long hiatus that was forcibly imposed because of the ongoing pandemic. Season 3 ended with a cliffhanger where June lay wounded after helping children leave Gilead for Canada. The fourth season picks up from the same moment where June and other handmaids are rushed to Mayday’s house where the young Mrs. Keyes (McKenna Grace) and her old husband look after them.
The following episodes gave fans a perspective into the lives of June and other handmaids, who each have a motive of their own. The scenes cover June’s switch from a trauma-stricken escapee to a powerful leader, who is soon asked by the abused Mrs. Keyes to teach her the ways of revenge. To add to the plot, June’s tiff with her lover Nick (Max Minghella) and former commander (Bradley Whitford) does not help in lightening her force of destruction and she eventually ends up going towards the war base in Chicago, where the remaining people are battling Gilead.
When the producer of The Handmaid’s Tale spoke to critics back in February, he promised the fourth season would be packed with energy. However, the episodes seem to do the job only to a certain extent. The viewers undoubtedly learn more about a world beyond Gilead, but one of the episodes is far too grotesque as it follows June being subjected to all kinds of torture by Gilead interrogators.
Despite the apparent flaws, the new season of The Handmaid’s Tale does have a few appealing aspects to it. From Moss’s impeccable acting to the supporting cast performing extra well, the season does give a stellar feel to the show’s beginning. But a few good actors won’t be able to hold up a show for too long. With the pandemic far from being over, most viewers want to take a break and The Handmaid’s Tale is seen doing exactly the opposite.
