Started April 26, 2017 · Ended · Based on 6 seasons, 66 episodes through May 27, 2025 · TV-MA
The Handmaid's Tale is a dystopian TV drama about June Osborne's fight for freedom after being forced into reproductive servitude in the authoritarian theocracy of Gilead. The series, which concluded after six seasons in 2025, adapts and expands Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel with ongoing stories of resistance, loss, and survival. It prominently displays identity-driven themes of gender oppression, with extensive political dialogue critiquing patriarchal religious rule and traditional social norms as tools of control, often drawing explicit connections to modern debates on women's rights.
Community feedback
Was our 91% Woke rating accurate?
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for The Handmaid's Tale.
Woke representation / casting
Features strong female ensemble in premise-appropriate roles with some diverse and LGBTQ+ supporting characters in the resistance; modern updates add visibility but align with story logic rather than overt signaling.
35%
Woke political dialogue
Heavy use of dialogue and voiceover that directly challenges the regime's ideology of gender hierarchy and religious control, frequently mirroring current events on reproductive rights and authoritarianism.
80%
Identity-driven story themes
Story centers on female identity, fertility, and collective resistance to male-dominated theocratic oppression, with visible queer elements in characters opposing the regime.
75%
Western institutional / cultural critique
Frames religious institutions and traditional gender roles as inherently abusive systems that strip rights and enforce submission, presenting them as cautionary models for unchecked conservatism.
70%
Woke character or canon changes
Expands the novel significantly with new seasons, character developments, and diversity adjustments for TV relevance while preserving the core dystopian warning.
25%
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Numerous conservative reviews and social media posts decry it as anti-Christian and anti-conservative propaganda that exaggerates threats from traditional values and religious faith to push progressive fears.
65%
Creator track record context
Involves feminist literary icon Margaret Atwood plus several writers and directors with documented progressive engagements on gender, voting rights, and social commentary.
50%
Production
TV Show · 2023
Maggie and Negan travel to post-apocalyptic Manhattan - long ago cut off from the mainland. The crumbling city is filled with the dead and denizens who have made it a world full…
TV Show · 2019
A grim drama that unfolds against the backdrop of a global catastrophe. An unknown new virus turns Moscow into a city of the dead.
TV Show · 2019
In the dark, early days of a zombie apocalypse, complete strangers band together to find the strength they need to survive and get back to loved ones.
TV Show · 2020
As humans turn into savage monsters and the world plunges into terror, a handful of survivors fight for their lives — and to hold on to their humanity.
TV Show · 2023
After washing ashore in France, Daryl struggles to piece together how he got there and why, as he navigates a fractured, walker-infested landscape to find his way home.
TV Show · 2022
An episodic anthology series focused on both new and established characters set in the world of "The Walking Dead."
TV Show · 2023
After the party of heroes defeated the Demon King, they restored peace to the land and returned to lives of solitude.
TV Show · 2019
After a demon attack leaves his family slain and his sister cursed, Tanjiro embarks upon a perilous journey to find a cure and avenge those he's lost.
