Season 2 of The Handmaid's Tale will go beyond the book

Elisabeth Moss plays a still-fertile woman separated from her family and forced to become a breeder in the show
Elisabeth Moss plays lead in 'The Handmaid's Tale' (Getty Images)
Elisabeth Moss plays lead in 'The Handmaid's Tale' (Getty Images)

Season 2 of The Handmaid’s Tale, which is set to return to your TV screens on Wednesday, may be moving past the narrative of the book on which it is based, especially since the show has technically reached the end of its source material, Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel of the same name.

The second season of the dystopian show premiered last Thursday, April 19, at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Hulu's critically acclaimed series — the first show produced by a streaming site to take home best drama Emmy — tells the story of a woman enslaved under a patriarchal, theocratic dictatorship called Gilead that has replaced the United States of America.

Elisabeth Moss plays the the lead role of Offred in 'The Handmaid's Tale' (Getty Images)

The show, which stars Elisabeth Moss in the lead, has been in the limelight for how much relevant the story is in Donald Trump’s America than it was when first published in 1985.

A still from 'The Handmaid’s Tale' (Hulu)

The 35-year-old actress plays Offred, a former book editor who is one of the few fertile women left. She is forced into becoming a handmaid — a sex slave — for The Commander, played by Joseph Fiennes, and his wife Serena Joy, played by Yvonne Strahovski. The story follows Offred’s struggle for survival and her quest to find her lost daughter.

Cast and crew of 'The Handmaid's Tale', winners of Outstanding Drama Series, pose in the press room during the 69th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 17, 2017 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Alberto E Rodriguez/Getty Images)

The show won the Golden Globe this year for Best Drama television series and Moss herself bagged the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Drama Series. Last year, The Handmaid’s Tale swept the Primetime Emmys with eight awards and four other nominations.

The series is an Original production by Hulu, the premium streaming service that is home to such hits as Future Man, Marvel’s Runaways, The Path and 11.22.63.

Check out the teaser of Season 2 here:

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

The three-part docuseries explores the fascinating story of doomsday cult Eternal Values and its leader, Frederick von Mierers
9 hours ago
Throughout the previous episodes, Carter skipped school and looked upon Dwight as some sort of a mentor
10 hours ago
Fan-favorite Netflix show is set to premiere its upcoming season next week on June 11.
11 hours ago
'NCIS' Season 23 finale ended on a cliffhanger after Wilmer Valderrama's Nick Torres confronted Mateo [Patrick Keleher]
12 hours ago
Here's everything we know about Sadie Sink's new FX series 'The Marriage Plot'
13 hours ago
The next season of the crime drama series will see Jon Hamm's Coop deal with the aftermath of Owen Ashe's death
13 hours ago
Katie Robbins and Ellen Pompeo previously collaborated on Hulu's limited series 'Good American Family,' which premiered in 2025
16 hours ago
Created and executive produced by Taylor Sheridan, the drama focuses on a family trying to rebuild their lives after a devastating loss
18 hours ago
Peter McFerrin returned for his next game and went head-to-head with Susan Moskop and Webster Guan
19 hours ago
The June 4 episode of ‘General Hospital’ featured a major departure following a last-minute deal for freedom
20 hours ago