are lined with armed guards and conspicuous black vans who abduct criminals in plain view to terrorize the populace. One day, June and Ofglen attend a public ceremony at which a man accused of rape is to be killed. Handmaids are encouraged to savagely beat him in a "particicution" led by Aunt Lydia, the woman who abused them in the flashbacks. Offred gives into violent impulses and takes charge, kicking him to death. As she and Ofglen leave, Ofglen reveals that she does not believe in the theocratic cult ruling their lives and warns Offred that Offred's household has a spy known as an "Eye" who may report anything suspicious. This revelation empowers Offred to remember that her true name is June and to resolve to find Hannah. Production The series was announced by Hulu in April 2016, with Elisabeth Moss starring as Offred and serving as one of the producers. The adaptation was created by Bruce Miller, who is an executive producer with Warren Littlefield, Fran Sears, and Daniel Wilson. Miller also wrote the first three episodes and the season finale "Night". Atwood serves as consulting producer, giving feedback on some of the areas where the series expands upon or modernizes the book and has a small cameo role in "Offred". That June, Reed Morano was announced as director of the series and Ann Dowd, Max Minghella, and Samira Wiley joined the cast in July, followed by Madeline Brewer, Joseph Fiennes, and Yvonne Strahovski the following month, and by Amanda Brugel and O. T. Fagbenle in September. In October, Ever Carradine was announced as another actor, and Alexis Bledel was added in January 2017. Filming for the first season took place in Toronto, Mississauga, Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville, and Cambridge, Ontario, from September 2016 to February 2017. The series premiered on April 26, 2017. Reception Critical reception Critical assessment for the episode, first season, and series has been extremely positive. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the episode is assessed at 100% with an average rating of nine out of 10, based on 13 reviews, meaning that all critics surveyed recommended watching the episode. Popular reception At the time this aired, digital streaming services like Hulu had no third-party services that publish ratings, such as Nielsen Media Research ratings for traditional broadcast television. Nielsen added Hulu and YouTube TV in July 2017. The commercial success of the first few episodes can