The second installment of the dystopian drama will follow Offred’s (Elisabeth Moss) journey after she is taken from Gilead, as it was left ambiguous at the end of the first series as to whether she was being sent for punishment by The Eyes, or to safety with the Mayday revolution.

As she takes steps to protect her unborn child from the threats of Gilead, Offred is also faced with her conflicting feelings for Nick (Max Minghella) following her discovery that her husband Luke (O-T Fagbenle) is alive and safe.

Elisabeth Moss alluded to the strong theme of motherhood in the upcoming series, and the complicated nature of Offred having the right to care for her child taken away from her. “We’ve talked a lot about the impending birth of the child that’s growing inside of her as a bit of a ticking time bomb, the complications are really wonderful to explore."

She revealed, "She does have the baby, but it gets taken away from her. She can’t be its mother. It makes for good drama.”

The upcoming series will reveal more about life in Gilead and the harsh realities of the tortuous Colonies, as well as a deeper look into the lives of the Commander (Joseph Fiennes) and his wife Serena and their place in Gilead. 

The rebellious Ofglen/Ofsteven/Emily (Alexis Bledel) is set to return, as well as Offred’s best friend Moira (Samira Wiley), who must adjust to life outside of that world after escaping across the border and reuniting with Luke in Canada.

Despite the story deviating from Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel, showrunner Bruce Miller confirmed the author will still be involved in the production process and the story will remain true to the themes of the book.

He commented, “Season two will be exploring lots more to the world of Gilead, and luckily there’s lots to mine in the book, so even though we’re in some ways moving beyond the book, we can stay true to Atwood’s world and Atwood’s tone, which we all love so much.” 

Miller also hinted that viewers will learn about Aunt Lydia's (Ann Dowd) mysterious past, showing how she ended up in her position and what the lives of the Aunts are like.

The thirteen-part series will return to streaming service US Hulu on the 25th April, and will return to Channel 4 later this year.