Themes of justice, resistance, and the moral complexities of vengeance dominate, often manifesting as 'burn it down' feminist rage that prioritizes messaging over nuanced storytelling. Casting features colorblind diversity, portraying Gilead as race-blind to accommodate a diverse ensemble—including Black actors as handmaids and key roles like Moira (a prominent Black lesbian activist)—which deviates from the source material's implied white Christian ethnostate, enabling DEI-aligned representation but drawing criticism for superficiality and ignoring intersectional race-gender dynamics.

LGBTQ+ elements, particularly Moira's arc as a queer survivor and advocate, remain focal and influence refugee dynamics in Canada, depicted as a progressive utopia. Creator Bruce Miller's adaptation extends beyond the book with these emphases, aligning with liberal feminist activism; while not explicitly stated as DEI mandates, the integration is overt and affects reception, with conservative audiences decrying it as anti-conservative propaganda and some backlash over plot points like deaths of women of color tied to the white protagonist's actions.