The second season of Hulu's breakout series "The Handmaid's Tale" is already on the way. While an exact date has yet to be announced, the people behind the dystopian drama spilled enough details to relieve fans from the long wait. By the looks of it, things will be more intense when the show returns.
In a chat with Entertainment Weekly, showrunner Bruce Miller revealed season 2 will explore more of the Republic of Gilead, the dystopian setting of the story. He added that even though they're moving beyond the book in some ways, the season will "stay true Atwood's world and Atwood's tone."
As Amanda Brugel has been promoted to series regular, fans will surely see more of her character, Rita, this season. Still, Offred (Elisabeth Moss) will remain in front and center.
"Her spirit of rebellion and her careful march away from being a well-behaved handmaid and making some trouble is where the season is rolling towards," he told the outlet in a separate interview. "After that, season 2 is what happens after you become a little rebellious."
Rebellion aside, the second installment of "The Handmaid's Tale" will also us explore the theme of motherhood. The first season ended with Offred learning she was pregnant with Nick's (Max Minghella) child, so fans will pretty much see how she will deal with it.
As Moss explained at a pre-Emmys event in August, "What does it mean to be a good mother? It's about the way we mother the people in our lives."
Speaking of moms, Offred's mom, who is a big character in the book, will also be appearing next season. Miller noted Offred's "vibrant" memories of her mother and her activism in the novel. Although the show had been talking about her since the beginning, the showrunner said it did not seem enough to do her character justice. "The Handmaid's Tale" season 2 will reference Offred's mother, but it remains to be seen how.
"The Handmaid's Tale" will return to Hulu with 13 episodes sometime in 2018.
