Offred

This show has gotten such rave reviews, I had to check it out. Now that I've seen the pilot, and only the pilot, I have to wait and see how things progress, but for now I can focus on what I see as the biggest pro and the biggest con, thus far.

The pro: visually stunning. That depth of field is enrapturing. The color tones, too. Just perfect.

The con, and it's a common one: beautiful visuals often happen at the expense of story. And, story-wise, I expected the pilot would have more going for it. We didn't see anything new or innovative. And perhaps the pilot steering away from the pressure to out-dramatize other shows' pilots will turn into a strength, if the rest of the show ends up being compelling, but for now it feels flat and caricaturized, relying on the works of other people to imbue the concepts and visuals with dramatic purport.

I will say, the moment where the two handmaidens realize they both saw each other as fakely pious was eye-opening. This gives me hope that the continuing episodes will attempt some originality, without relying on borrowing tension from other skilled writers and filmmakers. (And yes, I'm taking into account that this show is based on a book.)