Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale Cameo You Likely Missed

written by Virginia Singh

September 9, 2023 8:40 am

Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale Cameo You Likely Missed — Image credit: Legion-Media, Hulu

Here’s one reason to rewatch the show from the beginning.

As the entertainment world continues to suffer from the open will of the WGA and SAG AFTRA strikes, many viewers will have to sit out this TV season because their favorite shows are not coming back.

Whether due to the production restrictions caused by the strikes themselves or out of solidarity, showrunners are refusing to release even the content people have been waiting for for years.

Viewers of The Handmaid's Tale are still in the dark about an upcoming season 6. For all we know, the season will be released at some point and it will wrap up the story. However, there are no more details about it, including the most important one for the audience: a release date.

For now, the only thing left for fans to do is to re-watch the content that's already been released. And with each new viewing, they may be able to find more fun and meaningful details to make their experience more exciting.

Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale Cameo You Likely Missed - image 1

One of those little details would certainly be a cameo from the original creator of The Handmaid's Tale universe, the author of a book that was used as a basis for the events of the series, Margaret Atwood.

While you might think that Gilead is not a place you'd want to leave your mark on, it must feel different when you're the one who came up with such a scary dystopian setting.

Atwood appears on screen for less than a minute at the very beginning of the show, in season 1. She portrays the Aunt who slaps Offred in the face and immediately sets the tone for the rest of The Handmaid's Tale.

Did you notice Margaret Atwood’s cameo?

While some fans find the cameo obscure because it's not the most meaningful one, and all the author gets to do is give a slap, others find it symbolically perfect. Just as the horror of Gilead feels like a slap to readers, this moment explains the dynamics of a terrible system to the show's viewers in the same way.

All 5 seasons of The Handmaid's Tale that have already been released are currently available for streaming on Hulu. Join the binge-watching marathon to help pass the time while you wait for any news or updates about season 6.