Earlier today, Hulu announced via TCA that THE HANDMAID'S TALE, an unsettling saga which hails from creator-showrunner Bruce Miller, has been renewed for a fourth season.
The Emmy, Golden Globe and Peabody Award-winning drama is based on the novel by author Margaret Atwood. The series takes place in Gilead, a totalitarian society in what used to be part of the United States. Gilead is ruled by a fundamentalist regime that treats women as property of the state, and is faced with environmental disasters and a plummeting birth rate. In a desperate attempt to repopulate a devastated world, the few remaining fertile women are forced into sexual servitude. One of these women, Offred (Elisabeth Moss), is determined to survive the terrifying world she lives in, and find the daughter that was taken from her.
As long as it's been on the air, THE HANDMAID'S TALE has proven itself to be a smash hit for Hulu, despite a slight dip in viewership during its third season. Following the release of the show's debut season, Miller's dystopian drama won eight Emmy Awards, including drama series and actress in a drama series, Elisabeth Moss, who leads the show alongside a roster of other talented contributors. Hulu announced the Season 4 renewal just ten episodes into the show's third season.
As time has ticked on, many viewers have dubbed THE HANDMAID'S TALE a standout among other programs looking to hold a mirror to how society as a whole treats its women. Some activists have even turned the show's signature red and white garb into a symbol of power, and have worn the oppressive outfit while staging protests for women's rights around the globe. With another chapter confirmed for the powerful program, one can only suspect that the women of Gilead are looking to smash the patriarchy in ways we'll never expect.