What to read before watching today's new episode of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Watching Staff
A scene from the first episode of “The Handmaid’s Tale.”George Kraychyk/Hulu
Based on the dystopian novel by Margaret Atwood, Hulu’s TV adaptation of “The Handmaid’s Tale” is one of the year’s most acclaimed shows. The series, which was renewed today for a second season, begins after a religious totalitarian regime has taken over what used to be the United States. Because of environmental toxicity, very few women are able to carry healthy babies to term; those who can are forced into reproductive slavery as “handmaids,” assigned to the wealthy and powerful. The series’s fourth episode is now available on Hulu. Before you head back to the Republic of Gilead, catch up on our writing about the show, from interviews with its creators to individual episode recaps. [More]