Last month’s release of the Hulu TV series The Handmaid’s Tale is everything and more. Lauded as a “cautionary tale” by its actors, the show boasts strong ratings, first-rate talent, and a thrilling plot that diverges ever so slightly from Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel of the same name. 

While the material may be too dark and twisted for a casual binge-watching session (THT is set in a near-future timeline where a plague of infertility breeds an unnatural necessity for servant baby-makers), I highly recommend watching the show if you’re into contemporary dystopia and cracks at Tinder.

For an inside look into the psychology of three female roles that dominate the action in The Handmaid’s Tale, read ahead! (Spoilers included.)

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The Commander’s Wife: Serena Joy Waterford

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Serena Joy is the wife of Fred Waterford, a commander high up the ladder of Gilead’s totalitarian society. Formerly a popular televangelist, Serena Joy’s power is now fully restricted to the home, where she finds herself acting as the mistress of an ultra-conservative household.

In the Hulu television adaptation, Serena Joy’s character, while flawed, is handled surprisingly sympathetically. In an excellent portrayal by Yvonne Strahovski, you can see Mrs. Waterford’s steely blue eyes hover between extreme pain and cold determination as she holds Offred’s body for moral support during the intensely awkward monthly copulation ceremony between Offred and Fred. The act is so terrible that you want to look away, but you just can’t.

The Handmaid: Offred

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