The Handmaids tale

[DumbledoresArmy]

Anyone else planning on watching this at 9pm on channel 4?

Too many ads. Made it unwatchable.

did watch it, dh found it quite slow. not read book. one of the reasons we watched it because the girl is the one from MadMen which we are watching also at the moment.

I tend to wAtch things about 20 minutes after they start and skip through all the ads.

It's set in Canada isn't it?

I haven't read the book for years so I remember the rough plot & the sheer horror of it, but not what order events came in. Which may be a good place to be for watching.

I'm watching at US pace and some of the things mentioned on this thread as being omitted do show up later (no spoilers!)

Oh gawd, yes, I am fully intending to fast forward through the ads

Set in US I think, they were trying to escape to Canada.

It's set it Gilead, which is part of what was the US.

Canada still exists.

Empress no it's the US as it is Canada they are trying to escape to.

It was fabulous. Like others have said it is really faithful to the spirit of the book.
As Atwood said, she 'imagined' nothing. Everything in the book has happened to women somewhere.
The 3 men hanging at the wall, priest, abortionist and gay man. Tells you exactky what you need to know.
I don't recall Luke Hannah or Moira being black in the book. I wonder is it relevant or are we supposed to assume racial tensions have faded away in the light of their other problems.

I agree with the above posters who felt it was a shame that "mayday" wasn't said. I first read the book over 20 years ago and that part really stayed with me.

And also agree about the particicution scene coming much, much earlier than in the book and missed out an important interaction between Offred and Ofglen. (In the programme last night, was it Offred who ran forward first to kick the rapist in the head?)

Maybe the two things above will be explored in slightly different ways in the remaining episodes.

Loved that Offred told us her name at the end.

Overall, thought it was very, very good albeit harrowing. Felt the casting was spot-on and that the scenes were pretty much as I imagined. Although, like a previous poster, I had imagined a small, old-fashioned grocers shop, but it made total sense for it to be a skewed version of the supermarkets we are used to.

I thought it was a brilliant adaptation. Chilling.

I don't think there were any black people in the book though. They were called The Children of Ham (after the biblical figure) and had all been relocated to their own territories far far away.

I recorded it last night and currently watching today

Not what I thought at all. Never read the book and now want to

I'd always thought Moira was black but I don't know why.

Just watched episode 1 - fantastic! Read the book earlier this month and it's a fantastic adaptation so far.

Watched last night and really enjoyed it apart from all the advert breaks

I want to read the book too. Should I read it now or wait until the end of the series? I want to read it but then the deviations from the book might annoy me too.

I wasn't too bothered by some of the deviation from the book, Atwood was involved and it's speculative fiction. It's not like what happened to the film adaptation of The Beach shudder

Love some of the tension at the end between Serena Joy and the Commander.

Lesley Gore's You don't own me for the end credits was perfect.

I agree the partition scene was brought in too early, the understanding between Offred and Offgrlenn was much deeper at the stage it was in the book.

haven't read the book for years so I remember the rough plot & the sheer horror of it, but not what order events came in. Which may be a good place to be for watching.

Me too, so I find I'm not too caught up with what I'm faintly aware are deviations, though it's so well done I'm not sure I'd care anyway.

Looking forward to rereading the book in a couple of months' time - it's been 20 years

not partition, partition.

I give up. Bloody AC.

Particicution?

Wow, that was tough work to watch - and only gonna get harder :(

Fantastic adaptation so far, I am very impressed

I think that people are too hung up on 'The Book'. This is a TV adaptation, therefore, needed to be, er, adapted! It's ruining your enjoyment of it to be constantly comparing it to the novel. To those of you who haven't read the book (although most have as they keep telling us!), I would leave it until you've finished this series. Why spoil the plot for yourselves?

On the whole, I loved it. I loved the way it related to the present day, Tinder, gay marriage, salted caramel ice-cream...

So far, so good for me. Just wish it was longer episodes over 5 weeks!

Loved it- I hadn't read the book.
yy to updated references, Tinder uber and salted caramel and grrrr at all the adverts.