Dallas Singers Reimagine The Handmaid’s Tale With Cheesy ’90s Nostalgia

The Hulu hit The Handmaid's Tale, a dystopian drama based on the novels by Margaret Atwood, returns tomorrow for its third season. But imagine if it were shot like a '90s-era soap opera.

That’s exactly what local singers Teddy Waggy and Sudie Abernathy did, and then they shot an “opening credits” scene just for kicks.

Enter: "The Bandmaid’s Tale."

Yeah, they did that.

The video opens exactly how you’d expect: with a slow sweep over Commander Waterford’s Scrabble board, the words “penis,” “Gilead” and “resist” in proud display.

There’s a dramatic introduction to Nick (played by Abernathy) and June (played by Waggy) with backlighting and overlay bubbles appearing in the corners. Handmaids (also Abernathy and Waggy) in the iconic red capes and white hoods jam out to a dramatic opening song with lyrics like “Holy guacamole, Holy praise be” and “see you in hell,” among other things. It was shot by their friend, musician Poppy Xander, their "director of iPhone photography," at Elmwood Recording and the Texas Theatre.

Everything is cast in a hazy, glamour-shots-esque glow, and Waggy even added subtitles with a red dot that bounces over each word singalong style.

It’s the perfect way for '90s kids to get pumped up for the new season.

So why did they make this video? Waggy says it was inspired by “a mix of generally being very addicted to the show and loving it for what it is, especially right now with what is actually going on in the world, with how depressing the show is. It’s kind of a laugh to keep yourself from crying.”

We’ll take a laugh however we can get it.

The idea for this video has been a part of Waggy and Abernathy’s relationship almost as long as their relationship has been in existence.

“Last year we went to New Mexico for an artist residency,” Abernathy explains. “We’d work for 12 hours a day and then at night we’d wind down and watch The Handmaid’s Tale. We started it together.”

“So while we were making dinner for ourselves at night we would be singing, just like freestyling an intro song to The Handmaid’s Tale,” Waggy adds. “Us being vocalists means that we’re always …”

“Vocal,” Abernathy says, finishing Waggy's thought as they both laugh.

“We had this idea that there would be two handmaids who would somehow smuggle instruments and make a band, and call themselves The Bandmaids,” Waggy says.

No word yet on whether the frequent collaborators — Waggy from avant-glam band Midnight Opera, and Abernathy as soloist SUDIE — will take The Bandmaids show on the road, but here's to hoping.

Check out their video below: