On Wednesday April 26, 2017, Hulu released the first three episodes of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ adapted from Margaret Atwood’s Nebula nominated dystopian novel of the same title. Since Hulu began releasing promotional clips surrounding the show’s debut, it was revealed that Samira Wiley (Orange is the New Black) would appear as main cast.
I immediately assumed Wiley would play the Martha, Rita, who was described as a person of color in the book. After viewing the first episode, I was delighted to discover Wiley has been cast as
Moira!
Moira, the protagonist Offred’s (Elisabeth Moss) best friend from college, was a refreshing diversion from the main story line in the books. It makes sense that Wiley was not Rita, because of age difference and the red-colored dress Wiley wore in the promos. Martha’s wear green. It will be interesting to see where Moira’s arc lands considering the conclusion given for the character in the book is dissimilar to the one in the premiere episode entitled “Offred”.
Hulu ordered 10 episodes of the eerie yet relevant book-to-show. The first 3 were made available this week. Subsequently, each new episode will arrive on Wednesdays until the catalog is sufficed.
There is only one question left to ask. At this point in history, can we truly consider Hulu’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ fantasy or fiction?
Nat P. for The Journeyed Heroine
The Journeyed Heroine 