‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Will Make Your Uterus Cringe

It’s here! Hulu’s original series The Handmaid’s Tale premieres today, and there’s just a few things you should know before you dig in to the dark and disturbing drama. You’ve probably heard about some of the controversies, but if you’re someone who identifies as a female, there are a few extra things you should be aware of before settling in for a viewing of this show, based on the Margaret Atwood novel.

It’s scary as it is, a dystopian not-so-distant future, in a place called Gilead which used to be part of the US. The environment has gone to shit and not enough babies are being born, so women belong to the state. The ones that are fertile get linked up with a Commander, and their job is to get pregnant. Oh, and they’re “lucky” and “privileged” to do so. They must be obedient to the Commanders’ wives, and the maid-types called Marthas and fellow Handmaids could be spies, so you have to be a perfect lady at all times.

Elisabeth Moss plays a Handmaid named Offred, a woman who must deal with the sad situation she’s found herself in, separated from her husband and daughter, with her main goal becoming the hope of reuniting with her. A horrifying situation for any, but it will hit women directly in the stomach to imagine being ripped apart from your daughter, with no idea who is caring for her, what she’s being taught, and where she’s located. And that’s all on top of not having your husband for support.

Instead, any “intimate” moments the women get to engage in are the most unpleasant version of a cuckolding situation imaginable, being held down on a bed while the Commander thrusts away and the wife watches on in stoic agony, pretending this is satisfactory for any of the parties involved.

Because it’s not just uncomfortable for the Handmaids. The wives, who aren’t necessarily considered any less prestigious, still have to deal with their malfunctioning wombs and the internal shame they are filled with every time they must watch their husbands hump away at a lowly Handmaiden, even if it’s not sexy sex.

While the environment is to blame for what’s going on inside these women’s bodies, the Handmaids are taught that God sent a plague of infertility due to female use of birth control pills, morning after pills, abortion, and even Tinder for carefree sex. So now, the pressure is on. As any woman who has tried to get pregnant is all too familiar with feeling, these women are simultaneously in-tune, hopeful, distant, and out of control with what is occurring in their reproductive organs. When you’re both so necessary and so easily discarded, it’s hard to feel proud to be a woman, but what are the other options?

Not to mention, this is a world where women really aren’t allowed to have friends. There’s no gossiping over mimosas at brunch, no swigging wine at a viewing of The Bachelor, and no catching up during mani-pedis. You can’t commiserate over the presence or lack thereof of your period, you can’t talk about sizes or shapes or how enjoyable a commander is during business time — because that’s what it is — and you can’t giggle over the cute driver guy and be met with an “I know it girl!”

Part of the intensity of all this, comes with the IRL knowledge that women’s bodies remain a political topic of discussion each and every day, with rights constricted and debated and judged at every turn. The Handmaid’s Tale shines an alarmingly bright light on the pressures, insecurities, and worries women must face about their own bodies and their futures. Pleasurable sex is out the window, as is running to the store to stock up on batteries, and if you thought Cosmo was bossy about telling you what to do with your body, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

The entire season of the show will continue to explore these themes to varying degrees of horror throughout. In other words, if you were planning on making this your maternity leave watch, you might want to rethink that decision. The Handmaid’s Tale is not just an important watch, but it does prove to be highly entertaining despite the points outlined here. Check it out — just be prepared to give your nervous vagina a reassuring pep talk after each episode, reminding her just how important she continues to be.

Where to watch The Handmaiden's Tale