20 Great TV Shows That Everybody Turned Against

Based on Margaret Atwood's novel, The Handmaid's Tale takes place in a world where human birthrates are almost non-existent. The story focuses on June Osborne, a woman forced to live in the oppressive town of Gilead, where the occupants are subject to childbearing slavery.

Early seasons pushed the narrative forward while deepening the moral and political questions at the show's core, and there was a constant state of dread since any dissidence in Gilead was met with ruthless and often lethal punishments. But after exhausting the source material, The Handmaid's Tale struggled to justify its existence. Plotlines became repetitive, relying heavily on circular character arcs, June’s frequent escapes and returns to Gilead strained credibility, and the show’s fixation on her internal monologues and close-up shots replaced interesting storytelling. 

Even though there was a deep sense of terror previously, June and her allies were draped in plot armour to the point where they could survive being blown up by a missile. And that's not an exaggeration, as they actually survive being shot by a missile at one point. Although Gilead's guardians are merciless, they kept tolerating June's insubordination, purely because she’s the lead character.

While The Handmaid's Tale is worth checking out, it's recommended to skip the later storylines altogether.