The Handmaid’s Tale is a heavy show depicting what could happen should a totalitarian regime take over. It’s similarly represented in Margaret Atwood’s book of the same name on which the show is based, though season 4’s latest storylines are a complete departure from the original story.
It’s not the type of show that would initially be considered fodder for memes. However, this is precisely what has happened with fans who have taken pivotal scenes, moments, or context and turned them into powerful statements via the meme format. These might not be the types of memes to generate laughs, but they are thought-provoking and beautifully sum up what the show is all about.
10. Tuello Then And Now
When Tuello is first introduced in The Handmaid’s Tale, it is clear June is getting extremely frustrated with him, specifically how slowly he seems to be working to take down Gilead. Once she escapes, she is eager to stop the regime and, most notably, save her daughter. But she needs his help.
It is only when the announcement of New Bethlehem, yet another Gilead territory, is made that Tuello realizes he can not work the slow and stealthy way anymore. He has to move quickly because Gilead is in on not only him but Canada as well. The race to be ahead of Gilead is a constant theme on the show, with the other side often losing to the powerful force the society continues to become.
9. Aren’t You Angry?
Through much of the series, it seems like June is the only handmaid or even woman in Gilead who is willing to fight back. Everyone else has seemingly just quietly gone along with the new way of living, resigning themselves to the fact that this is their life now.
8. Laws Of Gilead
It’s a sad fact, but in Gilead, women are not permitted to read. There’s no need for them to educate themselves if their jobs are to be handmaids and Marthas. This meme takes that serious and heartbreaking story and expresses it through the Arthur cartoon.
While the young child is looking at a sign that might say not to enter or closed, she isn’t phased because, if she represents the women of Gilead, she isn’t able to read it anyway. Even if she can read, she is still forbidden to do so. The oppression of women in ways like this is a big part of the story of The Handmaid’s Tale.
7. Rescuing My Daughter
June cheats death frequently on the show, in many of the most gut-wrenching moments from Gilead on The Handmaid’s Tale. Every move she makes is not only to try and escape but also to reunite with her daughter. She fails regularly, and every time she is threatened in a new way. But she never lets up.
The meme of this smiling child with angel wings might seem far lighter and happier than June. However, this is precisely the attitude she has. Nothing will stop her from trying again until she gets her daughter back.
6. Fred Is Dead
The image of this woman devouring a tasty hamburger and looking into the camera hilariously shows how fans feel when Fred meets his end.
5. My Queen Elisabeth
Elisabeth Moss plays June on the show, and she is a queen to others in Gilead. She risks her life, time and time again, to stand up for what’s right. She helps others escape while staying behind for her daughter. She also orchestrates an entire plan that sees hundreds of handmaids, Marthas, and children escape to the safety of Canada.
While Queen Elizabeth was indeed the Queen of England, to fans of The Handmaid’s Tale, Moss is the Queen Elizabeth that makes a difference to these characters and continues to fight through to the end of the series.
4. First Time?
Through her years in Gilead, June goes through various types of torture. In one scene, all the handmaids have nooses around their necks as Aunt Lydia threatens to have them hanged, one of the cruelest things Aunt Lydia has ever done in The Handmaid’s Tale. She later stops the process to reveal she is just giving them a warning.
3. Art Imitating Life
Interestingly, many stories in The Handmaid’s Tale are mirrored by real-life events. In this meme, the image of handmaids sitting together and talking is made to look like they are discussing Roe vs. Wade being overturned.
The caption says it all, making a political statement about the overturning of that law and how many people feel about it. In Gilead, women don’t have control over their bodies, and they are used as vessels to bear children for wealthy and barren women.
2. Sorry, Serena
Throughout the majority of the series, Serena is a clear villain who uses and abuses June. There are many examples of how Serena is the worst person on Earth in The Handmaid’s Tale. She treats June like a second-class citizen and nothing but a vessel to bear her a child. Interestingly, in a major twist, Serena finds herself pregnant, living with the Wheelers, and slowly being treated like a handmaid herself.
It is a sweet moment for fans who revel in her discomfort, the same discomfort she puts June through. Many fans likely have expressions just like the guy in this meme, with smug smirks on their faces.
1. Spot The Differences
Another meme that pokes fun at how things have gone full circle for Serena and how she is experiencing a bit of karma. The first image shows Serena bowing to the unborn child in June’s womb. According to Serena, this child is hers, even though she (nor Fred) has anything to do with the conception, and the pregnancy is completely against June’s wishes.
