That is definitely true for The Handmaid’s Tale, as the looming power of Gilead hangs over every moment of the streaming drama. While the setting of a series becomes a character in itself on shows like Sharp Objects — how many times can someone say “Wind Gap” in an hour or less? — or Freeform’s New Orleans-obsessed Cloak & Dagger , Gilead is nearly a corporeal being sitting in between each and every character. That is why June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss), our lead handmaid, is never sure who to trust. That’s definitely why Eden Blaine’s ( Sydney Sweeney ) father (David Tompa) is the one who turned his young teen daughter in for running away with her lover, effectively sentencing his own child to death . The ideals, and threats, of Gilead meditate every single interaction.