Season two of The Handmaid's Tale is streaming at SBS On Demand. We all know from season one that the show is beyond gripping, but it's extremely harrowing to watch. The show is unrelenting in how bleak the darkness of the show is, so it's important to be in the right mindset when watching the show. It's not an easy one just to plonk yourself on the couch to watch.
There are a few things to prepare yourself for if you are going to survive watching season two of The Handmaid's Tale:
Snacks
Sometimes you just have to do it. You have to be able to eat your feelings. Go into The Handmaid's Tale with some snacks at the ready. If you pre-plan, you can make sure the snacks are at least a bit healthy.
It's smart to have snacks ready in advance of watching. We all know the dangers of your stomach getting inspired after you've been hooked into watching a couple of shows on SBS Food Network, then finding yourself hunting ravenously through the pantry for something - ANYTHING!
If you're binge-watching, don't go overboard. We all know the horrors of realising that the entire pack of Tim Tam's have vanished just three-episodes in.
Have friends on call
After watching an episode of the show, you're going to need some friends to talk through the show with. It's important to process all of your feelings - whether that be the horrors of what Offred and the other women go through on the show, the way Offred navigates the difficult relationship she has with Serena and Aunt Lydia, or the emotionally fraught affair Offred is having with Nick while her partner Luke is in Canada. You're regularly going to need to unpack all of your feelings. Make sure you're either watching with a friend, or have someone you can text with.
We understand the importance of having some friends to work through your thoughts with about The Handmaid's Tale. Each week after watching the show, you can join fans of The Handmaid's Tale Fiona Williams, Sana Qadar, and Natalie Hambly with their weekly SBS podcast about the show Eyes On Gilead. On every episode they will discuss the big moments from each show, how it has left them feeling, and offer some insights into some of the little things you may have missed.
Avoid binge-watching
We heard stories about people watching the entire first season in 24 hours and that sounds like a really bleak day.
The Handmaid's Tale is not an easy watch - it explores some of the darkest behaviours and mindsets that humanity can experience in a time of crisis. You might be tempted to watch the whole thing in one sitting. And that's fine - you do you. But make sure you give yourself a few moments to let the sun in, alright?
"I can't believe I just watched the whole season. Has anyone fed my cat?" Source: SBS
But totally binge-watch
On the first episode of the podcast Eyes On Gilead, Natalie Hambly revealed that she only recently binge-watched the first season despite being advised not to. Her comments were a reminder that the show is worth it regardless of how much you watch it in a sitting: "I have binged this. Everyone said: 'Don't binge it'. But actually, what I didn't realise, what people kind of didn't say enough, or perhaps I just didn't hear it clearly enough was the show is so good. The quality of it is fantastic. It's one of the best shows I've seen in a while. The acting is amazing. The production values. All of it is so good. It actually is must watch TV, aside from the traumatic content. Just deal with it. It's worth it."
Season 2 of The Handmaid’s Tale is streaming now at SBS On Demand:
More on The Handmaid's Tale at SBS:
Subscribe to Eyes on Gilead - a Handmaid's Tale Podcast
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