The Handmaid's Tale Casts Sydney Sweeney in Key Role

The Handmaid's Tale is returning in early 2018 for another season of mystery and intrigue.

The new season of the award-winning hit will be taking viewers to some of the much talked about locations that were teased on The Handmaid's Tale Season 1.

With new locations on the horizon, we need some new characters to fill them.

According to Variety, Sydney Sweeney has been cast as a recurring player for the 13-episode second season.

Sweeney will take on the role of Eden who is described as "pious and obedient."

If you recall The Handmaid's Tale Season 1 Episode 1, Offred once referred to Ofglen as "pious." Could this be a little hint from Hulu that Eden has a link to Alexis Bledel's popular character?

Granted, Offred did have an expletive attached to her initial description of Ofglen, so there's every reason to believe this could all be a coincidence.

The report also states that Eden is a believer in the new world Gilead became after the Commanders decided it was in their best interests to change things up.

“In the first season we took things that were mentioned in the book and turned them into whole episodes,” showrunner Bruce Miller says.

“The second season, really a lot of the stuff we’re doing is still an extrapolation of that world — the colonies, what life is like for refugees and what happens if a handmaid tries to run away. All of those things from Margaret Atwood’s world are still very much a part of our world.”

The Handmaid's Tale Season 1 came to a close with Offred being carted away from the Waterford home after Nick learned she was carrying his baby. He told her to go without a fight because everything would be okay.

The season concluded with Offred being bundled into a van, and we have no idea what became of her afterward.

Hulu announced just days ago that the series would return to the streaming service in April, and also gave a tease at the official description.

It is set to be “shaped by Offred’s pregnancy and her ongoing fight to free her future child from the dystopian horrors of Gilead.”

“‘Gilead is within you’ is a favorite saying of Aunt Lydia. In Season 2, Offred and all the characters will fight against – or succumb to – this dark truth.”

Sweeney has previously appeared on Freeform's Pretty Little Liars, and will also be appearing on Netflix's Everything Sucks and HBO's Sharp Objects.

Over to you, The Handmaid's Tale Fanatics.

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