Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1546033
T H E T E S T A M E N T S | P E R S P E C T I V E 5 1 During Trump's first term, many people felt powerless, watching in horror as he sought to dismantle years of progress toward equality for women. The Handmaid's Tale's massive success in those years may in some part be owed to the show helping viewers feel engaged with what was happening. Perhaps they sought catharsis. I read an opinion piece recently that theorized relying on storytelling for catharsis dulls our drive to act against real-world oppression. For me, making the series was a profound experience—my work intersecting with my lifelong interest in educating myself to pursue a world based on freedom and equality. As protesters around the globe donned the Handmaid's red cloaks, perhaps for the first time my storytelling contribution felt relevant and useful, offering a tangible form of resistance. For others, watching The Handmaid's Tale became all too much. Fictional depictions of unimaginable horrors on top of the real-world potential that some of them could come true. Bruce Miller arrived in Toronto for the final weeks of shooting The Handmaid's Tale which overlapped with the prep for the new series. He, the cast and the crew were emotional, celebrating and saying goodbye to an almost decade-long project and the relationships that evolved out of it. As they laid to rest those memories and achievements, Bruce was also there to give birth to our new show. Off the long, successful run of The Handmaid's Tale, the network was very interested in defining our sequel series with a unique, new feel. Margaret Atwood's book The Handmaid's Tale, B. LYDIA ACADEMY DINING HALL CONCEPT RENDER BY ETIENNE GRAVRAND AND MICHAEL DERRAH. C. & D. LYDIA ACADEMY DINING HALL PRODUCTION STILL. D C B