The award-winning Hulu series "The Handmaid's Tale" has been confirmed for a second-season return during the TCA.
During the event, Hulu has revealed the premiere dates for their spring line-up series, including the season two of "The Handmaid's Tale." A short trailer was also released alongside the announcement, giving fans a peak on Offred (Elizabeth Moss) and her determination to fight the new dystopian misogynist regime.
"The Emmy-winning drama series returns with a second season shaped by Offred's pregnancy and her ongoing fight to free her future child from the dystopian horrors of Gilead," read the official synopsis of the series."'Gilead is within you' is a favorite saying of Aunt Lydia. In Season Two, Offred and all our characters will fight against – or succumb to – this dark truth."
More details about the series were revealed during the Television Critics Association panel on Sunday, with hints that the show would expand slightly from the novel where the series was based.
When asked whether the second season would be full of original plots, Executive Producer Bruce Miller said: "I certainly don't think we're going beyond the story that [Margaret Atwood] was telling. She's very much the mother of the series."
"In the first season we took things that were mentioned in the book and turned them into whole episodes. The second season, really a lot of the stuff we're doing is still an extrapolation of that world — the colonies, what life is like for refugees and what happens if a handmaid tries to run away. All of those things from Margaret Atwood's world are still very much a part of our world," he added.
Aside from original cast member Elizabeth Moss, other returning cast and characters include Yvonne, Strahovski, Joseph Fiennes, Samira Wiley, Alexis Bledel, Ann Dowd, and Max Minghella. A new character will also be introduced in season two. Actress Sydney Sweeney will play the role of 15-year-old Eden, a "pious and obedient" girl who dreams of being a Commander's wife someday.
According to Miller, Eden will represent the true believers in Gilead, and her blind faith in the new order will be dangerous to those around her. Her character will firs show in the fifth episode of the second season.
"The Handmaid's Tale" has won several awards in this year's Golden Globes, including the Golden Globe for best television series, and best actress for Elizabeth Moss. The second season will premiere on April 25 on Hulu.
