The Red Center: A Handmaid’s Tale Discussion

Handmaid's Tale creator Bruce Miller has worked in TV for years, but this show presented a singular challenge. “Usually the books you adapt stink,” he says. “This is a great book. So you really want to capture that feeling, that greatness, on TV. ... I was you. I didn't want to see the ruined version of this either.”

We got to speak to Miller about the show this week, for a special bonus episode of The Red Center. He talks about working with Margaret Atwood, where the show will go in season 2, and the joys of writing profanity. We also ask him if Jeannine is really dead, to mixed success.

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Shows are often crunched for time in season-ending episodes, and The Handmaid’s Tale is no exception. Its creators managed to pack a lot into the hour, and though Gilead persists, it’s clear that season 2 won’t be strapped for material. Rose and Laura talk, however, about how the source material of Margaret Atwood’s book is indeed exhausted by the finale, in some unexpected ways.

How does it end? We can’t really say.

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The ninth episode of The Handmaid’s Tale, “The Bridge,” shows us women on the edge. Janine literally so, but other women more metaphorically: June, Moira, Serena Joy, and even the Waterfords’ housekeeper seem ready to revolt. The cracks in the Gileadan system are now clear to everyone — not just the handmaids. Rose and Laura are left to wonder: is Aunt Lydia the only clear-cut villain of Gilead?

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In episode 8 of The Handmaid's Tale, “Jezebel's,” we visit a brothel and get to know Nick a little better. And so, this week on The Red Center, hosts Rose Eveleth and Laura June discuss that brothel and Nick, and express dread over the potential Fred-centric episode they hope is not coming soon.

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It’s no exaggeration to call episode 7 of the Hulu series The Handmaid’s Tale a “game changer.” The episode steers almost completely clear of its novel source material, choosing instead to build a whole other world. It also answers some pressing questions about Gilead, about what remains of the US, and about what became of one of June’s family members: Luke. It is the Luke episode, and Rose and Laura have a lot to say about it.

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The Red Center is back this week to talk about episode 6 of The Handmaid's Tale, “Faithful.” Hosts Laura June and Rose Eveleth run down the episode’s major developments, and then consider whether Gilead could ever be a functioning government.

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This week we’re joined by very special guest Annalee Newitz, the tech culture editor at Ars Technica. She’s here to dig into episode 5 of The Handmaid's Tale, and later on in the episode, we discuss the aspects of surveillance in the show, and whether the technology and circumstances in Gilead are realistic.

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We're back this week to discuss episode 4 of The Handmaid's Tale. The show remains grim and Fred remains easy to hate, but there's at least a little hope left in Gilead.

The discussion this week turns to religion. The new government in Gilead is obviously Christian, but how much of a role does that really play in the regime? Is religion at the heart of why women are treated so poorly? And what makes Scientology any more creepy than other religions? We dig into these questions (and others!) this week.

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This week, hosts Rose Eveleth and Laura June tackle the first three episodes head on: is The Handmaid’s Tale a feminist story, or not? And how closely does the show seem to be adhering to the novel it’s adapting?

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The Red Center, a podcast about The Handmaid's Tale, hosted by Laura June and Rose Eveleth.

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