How Could the Second Season of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Possibly Be Darker Than the First?

Over the weekend, a handful of lucky reporters had the opportunity to preview the second season of the Hulu original series, The Handmaid’s Tale. Additionally, star of the Golden Globe and Emmy-winning series, Elisabeth Moss, alongside executive producers Bruce Miller and Warren Littlefield revealed a few tantalizing details about the new season, premiering on Wednesday, April 25.

“So much of the season is about motherhood,” Elisabeth Moss shared, who recently took home a Golden Globe for her work as June on the series. “It’s a bit of a ticking time bomb. And the complications of that are really wonderful to explore… It’s a dark season. I would say, arguably, it’s darker than season one — if that’s possible.”

For those who haven’t tuned into the utopian hellscape of The Handmaid’s Tale, it’s hard to imagine how the second season could be any darker than the first. With families torn apart, women used as breeding slaves, and death to anyone who dares to defy the Gilead establishment, the first season of the critically-acclaimed series packed with emotional punches at every turn.

And apparently, the world created by author Margaret Atwood is only going to get more divisive and tense in the upcoming season. However, showrunners are also taking their cues from the current political landscape in the United States.

“The scary things in this series, some of them are happening today,” commented executive producer Bruce Miller, referring to the flashbacks to how the show’s totalitarian regime rose to power. “We have a few more months to go before we premiere, and currently things can catch up with us. We’ve written things and then seen them on TV. I don’t think it’s a reason to jump in and start changing stuff. We’re separated enough [from reality] that it’s never going to feel like it’s happening out there in the world.”

Also revealed over the weekend was the fact that Oscar-winning actress Marisa Tomei will join the cast, although no information was given about the role she would play. Alexis Bledel, who received an Emmy for her performance on The Handmaid’s Tale, will reprise her role of Ofglen in the second season. Cast members also returning include Samira Wiley, Ann Dowd, Max Minghella, Joseph Fiennes, and Yvonne Strahovski.