The Handmaid's Tale (TV Series) Morning (2022) User Reviews

A necessary episode

[critic-97-417657 · 8/10 · 16 September 2022]

June has never been a murderer. Everything she's done in the past has been about survival. Fred's killing was purely about hate and vengeance. It was also done in as horrific and personal a manner as possible... directly by her hands (and teeth!). This episode is about June dealing with the psychological repercussions of her actions. She doesn't regret her actions but she is horrified by them. It was a necessary episode because ignoring what she did - to portray her as an emotionless, reactionary, and conscience-free monster - would make no sense. This episode also allows the show to move on/forward to the next part of the story, rather than having this hover over her character.

Humans deal with trauma. This show is all about watching a character deal with trauma. What else did people think was going to happen?

Slow but necessary

[grynkewichjustin · 8/10 · 14 September 2022]

It feels like this show never left! Elisabeth Moss's acting (and directing!) skills are unmatched. Everyone does a great job all around. I wish Alexis Bledel hadn't left, and I wish more had happened in this episode ... but I feel like it would have been too much if it had been done any differently. Either way, Yvonne Strahovski is definitely the standout in this episode. Also love the cinematography, writing, production design, and the always fantastic original score! I'm so glad this show is back and I think it'll go in a very interesting direction. Hope to see Ann Dowd, Madeline Brewer, and Mckenna Grace soon. Overall, this episode is slow but hey, we've had slower - and it's a solid one! 8/10. (Also why is IMDb saying my review has to be 600 characters?? That's ridiculous.)

A good start, but needs to gear up!

[dakjets · 8/10 · 16 September 2022]

I have missed this series! In my opinion, one of the most important and strongest social dramas ever filmed. Although it is so hard to see and take in. After the last episode of the previous season ended with the biggest climax so far; June's final showdown with Fred Waterford, where she was the angel of vengeance.

The series picks up where the previous season left off, but in a toned down tone. June appears traumatized in her new free life. She is driven by revenge and hatred, and struggles with the terrible traumas that have been inflicted on her. This is perfectly communicated by Elisabeth Moss. It's clear that screenwriter Bruce Miller wants to take us inside June's troubled mind. Revenge and hatred, but also loss and trauma are so well conveyed. But those who wanted a grand dramatic battle against Gilead in the first episode will be disappointed. The episode spends its time portraying June's fierce inner struggle in her new free life in Canada.

I still think that Bruce Miller and the rest of the cast in the series will have to "gear up" going forward in this series. We have been informed that next season will be the last. Then, in my opinion, season 5 must set the stage for the final showdown with Gilead, Aunt Lydia and not least Mrs. Waterford and her supporters.

Finally, the series is still beautifully filmed and is still in a class of its own.

Morning

[bobcobb301 · 6/10 · 5 March 2023]

The Handmaid's Tale had a lot of buzz when it first launched and has been used as a talking point for political discourse, but it has sort of fallen off the radar a bit and not gotten the claim other shows get.

I think they need to dial back the nonstop revenge-oriented June and how one dimensional the character has become. Too much grimacing and anger and bitterness here. That needs to be a part of the character, but it is just a little offputting. There is so much story to tell here and turning her into a revenge zombie is not going to lead to the show getting back to its once prominent award-worthy days.

Underrated episode!

[yomisma1333 · 9/10 · 5 November 2022]

Some low rating reviewers here don't really understand some very basic premises of this series: it's a lot about the psyche and morale. This episode sets out for the season, no matter if it lacks action. Action is not all what THT is about. It was much necessary to dive into June's (and somehow Serena's too) state of mind.

A development in June's character is the most natural thing... No wonder she is where she is now after everything she is been through.

This is a raw series, graphic, painful to watch. Why people accepts the visuals but not what can't be seen, such a raw, hurt, disordered mind - as that of June and many handmaid's- caused by what they had to endure? With everything, June is aware of what she has done, of how she has enjoyed it, but also of how scary the feeling is and the effect that has on everyone around her. But she is not fully crazy, she chooses her family while other handmaid's (like Emily and the one with the guns) prefer to continue the revenge path.

Fantastic closing of Tuello finally putting into words what we were all thinking (and finally openly siding with June, even if no one else can hear it)

Of to a solid start

[lohselind · 7/10 · 25 September 2022]

I was so annoyed with the absurdity of how season 4 ended, so I was pleasantly surprised with the first episode of the new season. June is struggling with her actions, and it is nice to see some humanity in her. I get that she has been through hell and is probably suffering from PTSD, but she had lost her empathy and sanity for a while there.

I have a hard time figuring the relationship between Serena and Tuello. Are they in love/interested in each other? Are they playing each other? Also, how does Serena truly feel about Fred. I always suspected that she mostly used him, but now she is grieving him, apparently. I am very excited to see how this all unfold during this season.

This show can be a little slow from time to time, and it is also the case with this episode. We get a tom of cringy close-ups of June's maniac looking face and it gets old very fast. And is it just me or is it strange that nobody is alarmed by a bunch of bloody women in a diner?

I am so sad to see Alexis Bledel, and thereby Emily, leave the show. She was a favourite of mine. Hopefully, we will heat from her offscreen at some point.

User reviews don't do this justice

[dashwilson-40000 · 9/10 · 21 September 2022]

Exceptional episode.

Poetic, moving and honest. Not a lot of action but it isn't needed. It's setting up the entire season. It reminded me of season 1-3 (4 was a considerable misfire for me). Yes there is the obvious continuity issue that we have been aware of since season 3 (that she would have been put on the wall long ago) but this ep gives me hope that the show is back to its better days.

It's the best ep Moss has directed so far. If they focus this season - it has huge potential now that we know that it will wrap up in 6. I think if you suspend a bit of belief and just enjoy the ride, then this show is still of the best that there is.

Redemption and Resilience

[badeclerck · 6/10 · 26 February 2024]

The premiere episode of Season 5 of The Handmaid's Tale, titled Morning thrusts viewers back into the turbulent world of Gilead, where June grapples with the aftermath of Fred Waterford's violent death. As she navigates the complex aftermath of her actions, June is confronted with new challenges and decisions that will shape her path forward.

June, despite seeking vengeance for years, is stunned by the violent murder of Fred and spends much of the episode contemplating her next move. Encountering other potential members of the resistance against Gilead, June finds herself hesitant to commit to their plans for further executions. Her intelligence shines through as she recognizes the dangers of escalating violence and questions her place within the group.

Meanwhile, those around June are left reeling as she struggles to come to terms with what has transpired. Serena is moved to a safe location, realizing quickly who is behind her husband's death and harboring her own desires for revenge. Emily, who aided June in Fred's execution, grapples with her return to Gilead, while Moira and Luke attempt to rein in June's increasingly erratic behavior.

The episode reaches a climax as June turns herself in to the Toronto police, only to be released without charges due to the jurisdictional complexities of Fred's murder. However, she is cited for sending Serena her husband's severed ring, a symbolic gesture of defiance. Mark Tuello's reassurance that June made the right choice emboldens her, propelling her further into the resistance movement and solidifying her as a legendary figure of defiance.

As the episode unfolds, Serena's role in Gilead's political landscape becomes increasingly uncertain. Her determination to bury Fred in Gilead hints at her desire to maintain her position of influence, even as she navigates newfound visibility in Canada. Serena's complex position as a pregnant widow of a commander underscores her potential to reshape Gilead's political landscape.

The episode's conclusion, with June cradling Nichole, reinforces her unwavering commitment to protecting her children and underscores her humanity amid moral ambiguity. June's quest to save Hannah and her love for Nichole remain at the core of her character, driving her actions even as she grapples with the compromises she must make.

Overall, this episode sets the stage for a season filled with redemption and resilience as June navigates the complexities of her newfound freedom while continuing her fight against Gilead's oppressive regime. As June's journey unfolds, viewers are left eagerly anticipating the twists and turns that lie ahead in Season 5 of The Handmaid's Tale.

Gettin' Happy

[slak96u · 9/10 · 14 September 2022]

How Long Can A Good Thing Last?

Clearly June is riding on a high, well deserved after the torture she, and us as viewers, have been through over the run of the series. Watching her wreck a breakfast and follow it up, slurping'ly, with a milkshake is about as satisfying a moment this series has ever had, borderline fan service. I literally made bacon, waffles a la mode (nilla ice-cream) after watching this episode. Yet, June moves through much of the episode still bloody, incapable of washing it from her hands and body. Multiple times she tries to cleans herself, yet still leaves traces of blood throughout.

The tension is high, the episode starts at an extreme pace and continues the tone through the first half. We finally get a breather midway, much needed after all of that intensity. Luke's reassurance and comfort is welcomed, thoroughly. Then, a bit predictably, June tries to blow up her life, it's a bit masochistic. While June is coming off her high, Serena deals with the aftermath and the remains of her life. Some great scenes between Mark (Jaeger) and Serena (Strahovski). Clearly the season is setting up for Commander Fred's Dead to be a martyr and Serena to be the face of some sort of Gilead movement, I'm looking forward to Serena being the big-bad as Strahovski is a brilliant actress.

Elisabeth Moss provides excellent direction, this is clearly her baby now, and she takes ownership well. All the production values are as good as they've always been, no downturn at all. The writing is also excellent, many great scenes, especially Jaeger and Fagbenle who get the juiciest dialog. In a series that has so many fierce actresses, it's satisfying to see the males characters get some shine.

One of the best season premieres of the entire series, absolutely satisfying.

A good start with a major continuity issue

[ghoshi-kol · 8/10 · 18 September 2022]

Barring a major continuity gap from season 4, this first episode of the new season of The Handmaid's Tale shows a lot of promise. Firstly it doesn't seem to be beating around the bush like it's previous seasons (barring season one) had. It also seemed to steer the story forward and laid all the cards on the table for the season to go ahead. But in doing so the writers seem to have forgotten that they had already disclosed Fred's death to Serena in the previous season's finale when June had sent her the ring and the finger. Other than that the episode went well, the cinematography was top-notch like always, and the performances too were great especially Yvonne who I presume will be overshadowing everyone else this time.

Why were these questions not asked?

[logbinder · 4/10 · 18 September 2022]

June Osborn is just a bizarre cringe character at this point. And I'm sorry, but if Serena is a prisoner, why is she talked to and treated like a member of a royalty? She's pregnant so yeah, I understand, she's taken care of for the baby, but why is she even able to make wishes and demands? And why do we have a close up every 30 seconds, mostly on June's face, but it seems like it's almost everyone getting close up and doing some serious cringe over acting? And why is the plot just basically going around the same thing over and over instead actually being interesting like in season 1 and 2? And why no one on their team is asking these questions? Are there only "yes men" on the team? This show is now mediocre and at times bad. But seasons 1 and 2 were so strong that I will still watch it to is how it ends.

June is ruining what's left of the thin story

[ellisacklin-62249 · 1/10 · 13 October 2022]

Wow, so that was the opening the producers came up with to keep us engaged? The storyline has devolved from a psychological drama showing what could happen if a country's moral compass becomes perverted to a revenge crusade that predominantly features close up shots of a seething Elisabeth Moss. Is anyone else tired of these June zoom-ins?? I literally had to fast forward through these drawn out head-shots of her angry or teary eyed face in order to try to find some semblance of a story line. We get it, she is pissed off, but enough of the June outrage and close-ups already.

I haven't given up on the series just yet but am close. The only thing that keeps me tuned in is the hope of a payoff in seeing aunt Lydia meet her demise and hanging from the wall.

They actually found a way to start season 5 off worse than season 4

[abcprivateemail · 1/10 · 29 September 2022]

Are the people who make this once great show in a game of chicken with Hulu or its fans, to see how bad they can make it before they get canceled or fans stop watching? I just wrote a review earlier today praising The Americans for making engaging entertainment without resorting to constant fights, chases, or emotional outbursts, but with Handmaid's Tale they've taken it to the extreme of hardly anything of note ever happening, and it has become so boring. Whoever is writing this is hyper-focused on conveying emotion via fascial expressions, sacrificing plot and realistic details in the process. You can't make a show that is 90% Wayne's World unnecessarily extreme close-ups of June or Serena's face, 9% dialog that sounds like the actors were told about the scene seconds before shooting it and had to improvise every word, and 1% stuff actually happening. This episode was awful. Remember that thing that happened in the past? Here's 5 minutes of June thinking about and her facial expressions as she gets emotional. Now here's 2 minutes of Serena thinking about it and her face as she gets emotional. Oh, and Season 4's absurd Canadian government behavior continues, & they hold prisoners in cushy resorts, letting prisoners meet with each other as they please or as it fits the writer's needs.

Season 1 was pretty good. Season 2 was ok. Season 3 it started tanking and the plot began meandering aimlessly. Season 4 was horrendous. Season 5 is looking abysmal. While I'm griping, from a past episode, I still can't believe the tank on a truck transporting milk would have interior lighting, or an interior liquid release valve.

Not a strong start

[rnmsqxf · 5/10 · 14 September 2022]

They are really REALLY overdoing the "Elisabeth Moss extreme closeup" shtick. There is a closeup shot in just about every single scene that she is in which is just silly. It is not going to be fun if this is the directorial style for the rest of the season.

Plot-wise, it seems like a descent continuation. With the most major and charismatic antagonist now out of the picture, it's going to be interesting to see how the dynamics between the remaining characters will develop.

It's not the strong start that I wanted, at least not style-wise. But it's only the first episode and thankfully they switch directors all the time. So fingers crossed...

Season 5 starts off with a plop...

[Justin-354-218379 · 3/10 · 14 September 2022]

Opening episode was terrible. The Handmaid's Tale story line is circling the toilet. Elisabeth Moss is drunk on her own hype and her self obsessed narcissism is ruining the character she portrays. The story has devolved from a psychological experience of a nation's morale compass becoming perverted with its ideals being corrupted in the wake of facing a pandemic of infertility into some rah rah woman's power watch David beat Goliath by the Mouse magically becoming mightier than the Lion ridiculousness. This season feels like it is diverting from the original novel material and the quality of the writing and the plot is of vastly inferior quality.

Really lost its way

[imdb-18282 · 1/10 · 2 November 2022]

They really should've just let the series end at the end of season four. Moss has proven to be a poor director. As many others have said here, she spends a good portion of this episode - even more than in others - on extreme close-ups, where she practices as many different facial expressions as she can. All the other actors get their turns at the close shots also so we get to count their pores. The plot has now become a chaotic, emotional roller coaster that really goes nowhere and doesn't make any sense. I lost interest after the first 10 minutes and have no desire to finish the season. Too bad. Her character, and the story, started out so interesting and went downhill after the first few seasons.

It keeps getting worse

[DoSiDoe · 1/10 · 29 September 2022]

I stopped watching The Handmaids Tale in the middle of season 4 when the writing got so bad I couldn't watch it any longer.

Well, I got bored and thought I'd give season 5 a try and episode 1 was worse than season 4, so I'm giving up on this series. It's not worth the money nor my time.

All of episode 1 seems to consist of Elizabeth Moss (June) channeling her inner Clint Eastwood. Walking around scowling and reciting lines. At least the Clint Eastwood movies were more engaging and interesting.

The plot and dialog were so mind-numbing that it was hard to follow what was going on. Though a person could walk away from the show, for a beer or snack, come back 10 minutes later and missed nothing.

Bum numbingly bad

[patlee2000 · 1/10 · 25 October 2022]

What a disappointment! I thoroughly enjoyed the first series of The Handmaid's Tail but found subsequent series to be less addictive. This, however, takes the biscuit. It is a masterpiece of overacting, "clever" camera work, whispering emoting and general daftness. As my mother used to say: "They're giving you more than they've got" - and believe me, they don't have a lot. Had set my recorder to record all ten episodes but have now cancelled. Them as it is so bad. All those responsible should have given up when they were winning as this is embarrassingly bad.

Definitely a case of not knowing when less is more.

No no no

[armandogpa · 1/10 · 25 September 2022]

It is sad how a perfect show has become a shadow of itself. It is obvious that nobody knows where this is heading.

June was intelligent, meticulous, reflexive, smart and thought about every word, gesture and action she made during the first 2 seasons in order to survive the hell she was living in.

This June is hysterical, impulsive, irreflexive and very very changing.

First she is happy with what she did with Fred (we all were), then she runs cover in blood like Carrie to have breakfast with her accomplices just to tell them she doesn't know if she feels like helpong them...what!!!???

Then she breakdown and turn herself in Canada's police because she feels guilty about killing the man who kidnapped her and her daughter, raped her every month, and almost killed her... what!!!???

Then she goes on a date to the ballet like if everything was ok in her life... what!!!???

Where is her preocupation about her missing daughter!!!???

Only because Serena shows her in tv june realizes Hannah still exists!!!???

No no no.

Sad state of affairs

[jamesskessler · 1/10 · 15 September 2022]

It's sad to watch this show as it spins down the toilet. The need to make the protagonist thrust herself on the sword AT EVERY TURN has gotten so old I can't watch the show any longer. The scene where she says "there can't be no punishment" when once again doing the most selfish thing makes me sick to my stomach to watch. Not because I want better for Joan. If she wants to suffer. Go for it. I'm sick of watching a show force a martyr down my throat. This show sucks. This actors sucks. I hate what they did to this amazing story. If it wasn't for the fact that I had invested so much in the first two seasons I don't think I would have made it this far. But the fact is I felt like they would turn things around. They never did. And now. Years down the road. I can only look at this as a lesson learned. Never hold on to hope of a show being what it used to be. It's okay to give up on something. Just because you started it doesn't mean you need to finish it. Half of this review was because I needed six hundred words to post and this episode sucked so bad I finally reviewed a show after using this app for years. So there you have it fellow reader. I hate this show. Not what it was but what it is. Good night.

Shamefully bad

[Leofwine_draca · 1/10 · 26 October 2022]

Another absolute travesty of an episode, if this is the first one then I dread what the next nine are going to be like. It follows directly on from the traumatic, violent events of season four's climax, but as is all too often the case with this show these days, there's next to nothing happening. A lot of the regulars show up to remind us who they are, there's an excruciating scene of people eating in a restaurant, massive misunderstandings of political workings and international law, and long, drawn-out moments just focusing on people's faces again as they pull sorrowful expressions. Incredible that Moss was brought back to direct here...

Way, way, way too dramatic for a drama series

[fangel-31778 · 5/10 · 18 September 2022]

Still, June is the worst thing for the series. She changes from Scene to scene of motivations and everyone around her just follows her no Mather what. Her husband is so useless it's so exasperating.

And Serena is also such a crazy person, I mean, one minute she's a friend and the next she's afraid of her or her husband. Why is she sad that Fred died? She said she hated him.

Also, this first episode has not of the extraordinary photography that the series has been known for? Why? Such a nice and recognizable trademark just for looking at June's crazy face.

And finally, when did the series become 70% of June's face closeups?

Why?

Someone should tell Elizabeth Moss that she needs to have a little bit of humility when directing.

Hope it gets better but last season and half of the third one, was also weird and very inconsistent.

Disappointed to say the least

[dzulalita · 1/10 · 26 February 2023]

I was so obsessed with this show but it kept getting worse and worse.. I had high hopes for season 5 but it was a big fat disappointment, June keeps getting more and more hysterical, she escaped Gilead to be with her husband and child only to then kill Fred AND confess?? Hoping to be prisoned? Such a selfish act, if she misses gilead so much she maybe.. should've stayed there? At this point I feel like serena is a better character than June tbh, what's up with all the women who escaped gilead wanting to go back? Why did you leave then lol, Emily being the stupidest of them all, a lot of thing don't make sense.