I wasn’t initially sure whether or not to give it a chance, but ultimately I decided to start watching. The draw was another dystopian storyline. It was a brief run with ten episodes, and I have mixed feelings about it. The series is based on a novel from thirty years ago, which feels like an incredibly long time in today’s entertainment landscape. Since that book's publication, numerous films and television shows have explored similar themes, including one earlier movie adaptation. It seems the script borrowed heavily from its original source material, though I anticipated some changes would be made. Despite feeling a sense of familiarity, I did find myself enjoying it. My main problem was how slow-paced everything felt. The whole season dragged on; it seemed designed to lead into another season, or perhaps even more in the future. I was particularly let down by the ending – it felt like a mid-season conclusion and suggested there was much more to come within the same season. However, that might just be my assumption, as this season concluded roughly halfway through. They appear to have withheld quite a bit of information to save for subsequent seasons, which is an interesting choice from the production team’s point of view, but it left me feeling unsatisfied. The strengths were in the casting and production quality. Elisabeth Moss delivered a strong performance; her expressions carried parts of the earlier episodes. Notably, her smile during those circus-like scenes, instead of showing tension or confusion, revealed something about her character—a desire to survive for a specific reason. As the story unfolds later on, you’ll discover more about those reasons. Alexis had a limited role, as did many others. Overall, the characters were well-designed, but I was hoping for more development from the narrative perspective. The series is set in a near future where humans have lost their ability to reproduce, with only a few men and women still fertile. Those who can bear children are taken away from their families to serve as surrogate mothers for couples desperate to have kids. The story follows Offred, one of these assigned “maids.” It depicts her struggles against the couple she’s been placed with and how society treats her and others like her. The American dream is gone; many people have fled to Canada, while some are attempting to reach it. However, Offred isn't focused on that—she needs to find her daughter first. Each episode was acceptable, but only a few stood out as exceptional. At least now we know what to expect from the next season. The story’s perspective was very limited; everything unfolded through Offred’s eyes. An episode like 'The Other Side' really made things more engaging. I think it would be beneficial to see more of these explanations about what is happening elsewhere. Especially for a television series, they have ample time to explore events from every angle. That’s something I appreciate; otherwise, I generally prefer films—shorter and more self-contained stories. So I'm looking forward to season 2. _7/10_

Source on TMDB