History Awesome / TheHandmaidsTale

* The show practically sweeping at the 2017 Emmys, winning 8 Emmys out of 13 nominations (across 11 categories), and taking every category it was up for on the main telecast. Further achievements included:

** The fact that the Series win made Hulu the ''first ever streaming platform'' to win either Drama Series or Comedy Series in Emmy history, when, for years, it appeared that the honor might go to either Netflix (which had ''Series/HouseOfCards'', ''Series/OrangeIsTheNewBlack'', ''Series/StrangerThings'', ''[[Series/TheCrown2016 The Crown]]'', ''Series/MasterOfNone'', and ''Series/UnbreakableKimmySchmidt'' in contention over the years) or Amazon (which had ''Series/{{Transparent}}'').

** The fact that the Series win made Hulu the '''first ever streaming platform'' to win either Drama Series or Comedy Series in Emmy history, when, for years, it appeared that the honor might go to either Netflix (which had ''Series/HouseOfCards'', ''Series/OrangeIsTheNewBlack'', ''Series/StrangerThings'', ''[[Series/TheCrown2016 The Crown]]'', ''Series/MasterOfNone'', and ''Series/UnbreakableKimmySchmidt'' in contention over the years) or Amazon (which had ''Series/{{Transparent}}'').

** The fact that the Series win made Hulu the '''first ever streaming platform'' to win either Drama Series or Comedy Series in Emmy history, when, for years, it appeared that the honor might go to either Netflix (which had ''Series/HouseOfCards'', ''Series/OrangeIsTheNewBlack'', ''Series/StrangerThings'', ''Series/TheCrown'', ''Series/MasterOfNone'', and ''Series/UnbreakableKimmySchmidt'' in contention over the years) or Amazon (which had ''Series/Transparent'').

** Alexis Bledel win for Guest Actress helped to solidify the sense of SheReallyCanAct that had built around her performance. Additionally, it meant that the show had managed to take ''all three'' female acting prizes in the Drama categories.

* The show's performance at the 2017 Emmys, with Elizabeth Moss thanking her mother for teaching her to be "fucking badass" and Margaret Atwood herself joining the crew for its Best Drama win.

* As Offred's [[spoiler:being taken away by either The Eyes or Mayday]], The Commander and Serena are losing their minds and constantly asking where their pregnant and abused Handmaid is being taken to, only to be ignored. Serena angrily confronts Offred, only to be met with a silent and defiant smirk. Offred has no idea [[spoiler:if she's being saved or being punished]], but after everything she's been through at the Waterford house, she's going with a smile on her face.

* When the Handmaids are commanded to [[spoiler: stone Janine]], none of them likes it. Led by Offred and likely inspired by the [[spoiler: Second Oglen's outburst]], they refuse to, despite being warned there will be punishment for this. And the handmaids' PowerWalk afterward.

* When the Handmaids are commanded to [[spoiler: stone Janine]], none of them likes it. Led by Offred, they refuse to, despite being warned there will be punishment for this. And the handmaids' PowerWalk afterward.

* After Commander Putnam is brought forward to the Commanders for his extramarital affairs with Janine and promises to run away to Canada with Janine, [[spoiler:which lead to her BungledSuicide]], one of them reveals to Commander Waterford and the others that Mrs. Putnam came forward and asked that he received the ''harshest punishment possible'', which the viewer then discovers is that he gets his left hand surgically removed.

* After Commander Putnam is brought forward to the Commanders for his extramarital affairs with Janine and promises to run away to Canada with Janine, [[spoiler:which lead to her BungledSuicide]], one of them reveals to Commander Waterford and the others that Mrs. Putnam came forward and asked that he received the ''harshest crime possible'', which the viewer then discovers is that he gets his left hand surgically removed.

* When the Handmaids are commanded to [[spoiler: stone Janine]], none of them likes it. Led by Offred, they refuse to, despite being warned there will be punishment for this.

* After Commander Putnam is brought forward to the Commanders for his extramarital affairs with Janine and promises to run away to Canada with Janine, [[spoiler:which lead to her BungledSuicide]], one of them reveals to Commander Waterford and the others that Mrs. Putnam came forward and asked that he received the ''harshest crime possible'', which the viewer then discovers is that he gets his left hand surgically removed.

-->'''Offred''': [[spoiler: What is wrong with you? ''What is wrong with you?'' How can you do this? You're deranged. You're...you're...you're fucking evil. You know that? You are a goddamn motherfucking monster! Fucking heartless, sadistic, motherfucking evil [[CountryMatters CUNT]]! Fuck you, Serena! You are gonna burn in goddamn motherfucking hell, you crazy, evil bitch!]]

* There's something subtly awesome about the fact that, in the TV series, we get to learn the Handmaid's names. No matter what the Commanders and Wives call them, these women are all individuals with their own stories and names, and Gilead can't take that from them.

* Offred carving her own message in the wall of her closet, indicating that she wants the next Handmaid, the next Offred, to remember her.

-->'''Offred:''' "And blessed are those who suffer for the cause of righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven." I remember.

* In the book and ''especially'' the TV series, Ofglen is ''extremely'' brave. No matter what happens, she's determined to go down swinging.

* In the movie: Kate/Offred ends up killing the Commander with Mayday later rescuing her. She was true to her word that no one would take her baby or control her, and the shots of the battle between Gilead and the Rebels is nothing short of amazing.

* The Epilogue reveals a few things: that the Gilead regime had ended and a new world was brought up, one where women regained their rights e.g. one of the professors at the presentation.