Eleni K – Google

It's well-made and well-acted with good pacing, but I have a problem with it. I feel that the focus on how unfair the treatment of the detective was, when he was penalised for breaking protocol and ignoring the PACE codes of practice, was skewed and potentially problematic. Especially in conjunction with the fact that there's some sympathy towards the cop who at the beginning of the series is prosecuted for sexual misconduct. Although, of course, the way the story is presented, it makes sense that in this individual case the protagonist's choices had the right outcome, I felt that the series was pushing the idea that PACE is unduly restrictive towards the police. This is absolutely untrue. Suffice it to see how many people have died in police custody over the years and how many have suffered from police brutality. It felt that the message was "let cops do their jobs and don't impose unnecessary rules on them" which is pretty much the OPPOSITE of what should be happening, seeing as the police is one of the most problematic institutions, filled with scandals, misconduct, abuse, and corruption. Like, tell us the crime story without unnecessary apologia for police misconduct thank you very much.

An easy and enjoyable read, but quite disappointing when you think it's a new instalment in a fictional world that has been a cultural icon for decades. The most problematic aspect is that the book actually builds on the TV series' 2nd season. So rather than being a stand-alone story or at least one that follows directly from the original book, it uses material from the world of the TV series, and not even the whole of that world: the series' 3rd season has already steered the plot away from the trajectory in Testaments, to an extent that you can even call it contradictory. Using characters we know from the series makes it read like fanfiction and unfortunately that's not the only thing that "cheapens" the experience. The plot is very weak, if not naive. There is more emphasis on characterisation rather than making the plot plausible or compelling, but still the overall outcome is disappointing. It's truly baffling why Atwood chose to reuse known characters rather than tell a new story, which would give new insights and make new voices of the oppressed and the revolutionaries of Gilead be heard.

Like its main character, this show always bounces back! The first season was great, but from season 2 onwards the pattern was a bit less straightforward: it always starts with a few episodes that leave you wondering where this is going and whether the story has run out of steam, but every single time it wins you back by the end. It's equal parts funny, silly, whimsical, and heart-warming. Same goes for the final season and its very fitting finale (I even teared up a little).