Usually, when a TV or film adaptation gets to a point when its story surpasses its source material, it means trouble for viewers. But that's not so much the case with Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale, which has author Margaret Atwood on board to help shape the new directions the live-action narrative will take. That expanding narrative will apparently hint at a younger generation of Gilead defenders, and The Handmaid's Tale has added up-and-coming actress Sydney Sweeney to balance the resistance in Season 2.
When Sydney Sweeney gets her big introduction into The Handmaid's Tale Season 2, she will be taking on the recurring role of Eden, a 15-year-old girl who does not share the same negative views about Gilead life that Offred and Moira have. Eden is part of the new wave of loyal and faithful believers of the Gilead cause, and her aims to become a Commander's wife one day are not kept secret. Her misguided zealotry and lack of insight will make her appear quite naive to others, but that naivety can also be very dangerous to those around her.
It'll be a short while before Eden is around to cause trouble on The Handmaid's Tale, as Sydney Sweeney isn't set to show up until Episode 5, according to Variety. That means viewers should be fully invested in the Season 2 storyline before the young girl arrives with her wide-eyed piety, and Offred's pregnancy should be a major focus at that point. Fans will probably find it quite difficult to sympathize with Eden, since she'll be backing up Aunt Lydia's twisted ideals in the face of other women's misery and heartache.
Season 2 of The Handmaid's Tale is set to expand upon the dark and dreary universe introduced in Season 1, taking us deeper into how these colonies work, and what happens when the handmaids attempt to disrupt the new world order. As well, Offred will spend the season trying to figure out how to raise her as-yet-unborn child in this world that has already ripped everything else away from her. Eden likely won't be drawing a lot of laughs when she shows up.
While Sydney Sweeney may not be the most familiar actress going into The Handmaid's Tale, 2018 is going to completely change all that. Beyond joining the Emmy-winning Hulu hit, the actress will also be heading to that other streaming giant, Netflix, for the 1990s high school throwback comedy Everything Sucks!. Fans of novel adaptations will get to see her in another major new project in 2018, too, as she'll be in the Amy Adams-starring Sharp Objects drama on HBO, which will be based on Gillian Flynn's bestselling mystery.
The Handmaid's Tale Season 2 will premiere in April 2018, though an exact date has yet to be set. Until we find out more about the show and its other new characters, head to our fall TV premiere schedule and our 2018 midseason schedule to see all the other new and returning shows.
