Who directed the first episode of The Handmaid's Tale TV series?

Reed Morano directed the first episode of The Handmaid's Tale TV series.

The episode is titled “Offred,” and it premiered on Hulu on April 26, 2017. It introduces June Osborne, who is forced into the role of a Handmaid and assigned to Commander Fred Waterford and his wife, Serena Joy, in the theocratic state of Gilead.

Morano directed the first three episodes of the series' inaugural season: “Offred,” “Birth Day,” and “Late.” Her visual approach helped define the show's stark style, using close framing, muted interiors, red Handmaid costumes, and carefully controlled perspectives to place viewers inside June's restricted world.

Morano's work on “Offred” was recognized with major industry honors. She won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series and the Directors Guild of America Award for the same episode. The other names in the options also directed episodes of the series, which can cause confusion: Kari Skogland directed “After,” while Mike Barker became a later-season director and producer.