Return to Gilead: 10 shows to check out if you miss The Handmaid’s Tale

The Fall/Happy Valley

What they’re about: These BBC series feature two very different female police officers taking on gender-motivated crimes. The Fall follows Police Superintendent Stella Gibson as she tracks down serial rapist and killer Paul Spector in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Meanwhile, Happy Valley’s Sgt. Catherine Cawood, of West Yorkshire, does her work as a sort of penance for her late daughter, who killed herself after giving birth to a child conceived via rape.

The Gilead connection: On the surface, both series make for apt companions to The Handmaid’s Tale because they deal directly with physical and sexual violence against women, as well as the aftermath of that violence. Spector is compelled to commit sexually violent acts, while (most) the men wreaking havoc in Happy Valley are entitled brats who physically act out only when they don’t get what they want. Both of those types of misogynist can be found in Gilead.

But more than anything else, The Fall and Happy Valley are good shows to watch when you need a #resist-themed pick-me-up after finishing an episode of The Handmaid’s Tale. Neither Stella nor Catherine are completely toppling the patriarchy, but they are doing everything in their power to stop terrible men from hurting women. Even when things seem hopeless, these two get back up and keep on fighting the good fight.

Where to watch: The Fall’s full run is available on Netflix, as are the first two seasons of Happy Valley. The latter’s third season will likely bow on the UK’s BBC One later this year.