Moss portrays the leading character June, a woman forced to become a Handmaid, and would later become a revolutionary.
As The Handmaid's Tale season 6, episode 9 "Execution" brought the series into its final chapter, Moss explained to Billboard why episode 9's use of Swift's "Taylor's Version" rerecording of "Look What You Made Me Do" was a major moment for her. For Moss, she had been searching for a place to feature Swift's work in the show for some time due to her own iration, and having it play in the chaos of episode 9's opening felt like the best place to feature it by the series' end. Check out Moss's full explanation below:
I've been wanting to use a Taylor song for many years on the show and we finally found the perfect spot for a track from her, and I'm so glad we waited because there could not be a more perfect song for a more perfect moment. Taylor has been such an inspiration to me personally. As a Swiftie myself, and I think I can speak for [co-star] Yvonne [Strahovski] and our entire cast as well, who are all Swifties, it's such an honor to be able to use her music in the final episodes of our show.
I said to my editor, Wendy, "I really want to find a place for a Taylor track in the last 2 episodes of the show" and we wanted to find a music queue for the opening of 9, and all the credit goes to Wendy for picking this track for this moment!
Why "Look What You Made Me Do - Taylor's Version" Is A Perfect Fit For The Handmaid's Tale
June And The Handmaids Finally Hit Their Boiling Point
The Handmaid's Tale episode 9 opens up in the aftermath of episode 8, "Exodus," where a renewed and battle-ready June and a large group of Handmaids land a bloody and brutal blow against the Commanders of Gilead. With 37 Commanders drugged from the wedding cake, the Handmaids stab their Commanders before ing June on the streets, ready to put the horror behind them. At this moment, Serena (Yvonne Strahovski) is also fleeing with Noah amidst the chaos, finally through with Wharton's (Josh Charles) deceptions and desires to continue Gilead's cruelty.
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As such, "Look What You Made Me Do" is a fitting song for the moment, as the lyrics perfectly align with the sequence's tone and emotions. June, the Handmaids, and even Serena have long been through with the horrific roles they were forced into, and episode 8 marked the moment where they took the opportunity to strike back at the monsters who pushed them to this point. As such, opening episode 9 with Swift's rerecording helps one of The Handmaid's Tale's most long-awaited moments feel even more cathartic, where the men who shattered their lives finally get their comeuppance.
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Swift's History With The Song Adds Further Meaning
While an excerpt of the unreleased track was previously used for the 2023 psychological thriller Wilderness, The Handmaid's Tale's use of "Look What You Made Me Do - Taylor's Version" feels incredibly appropriate. Beyond the context of what is happening on-screen and fulfilling one of Moss' long-term goals for the series, the reason for the song's development itself adds further depth. While the 2017 track is a pointed rebuke of several parties who wronged her, Swift's rerecording is also part of her initiative to rerecord and reclaim her discography from infamous producer Scooter Braun's ownership.
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Taylor Swift has rerecorded four of her albums so far, and some of the Taylor's Version tracks have been streamed more than the originals.
As such, the use of "Look What You Made Me Do - Taylor's Version" in the aftermath of June and the Handmaids' strike against Gilead is an incredibly powerful moment. Whether Handmaid, Aunt, or wife, the women of Gilead have all had their lives stolen and ruined by cruel men who see them as objects for them to use as they please, while the "Look What You Made Me Do - Taylor's Version" has the combined context behind the Reputation era and Swift's battles with Braun. As such, The Handmaid's Tale created a perfectly cathartic moment for its penultimate chapter.
Source: Billboard
The Handmaid's Tale
- Release Date
- 2017 - 2025-00-00
- Network
- Hulu
- Showrunner
- Bruce Miller
Cast
Elisabeth MossJune Osborne / Offred / Ofjoseph
Serena Joy Waterford
WHERE TO WATCH
- Directors
- Mike Barker, Kari Skogland, Daina Reid, Reed Morano, Floria Sigismondi, Jeremy Podeswa, Kate Dennis, Richard Shepard, Amma Asante, Christina Choe, Deniz Gamze Ergüven, Bradley Whitford, Dearbhla Walsh, Liz Garbus
- Writers
- Kira Snyder, Eric Tuchman, Yahlin Chang, John Herrera, Jacey Heldrich, Dorothy Fortenberry, Marissa Jo Cerar, Lynn Renee Maxcy
- Creator(s)
- Bruce Miller
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