Offred is on the run as

‘Handmaid’s Tale’ returns

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — The wrenching loss of an infant to a totalitarian society is explored in season two of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” star Elisabeth Moss and the show’s producers said.

The drama series based on Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel begins with Moss’ character on the run when it returns April 25 on streaming service Hulu. Offred, also known as June, is a pregnant “handmaid,” one of those used to breed children in a futuristic society where many women are infertile.

Moss said she and series creator-executive producer Bruce Miller often discussed “this child growing inside her as a bit of a ticking time bomb,” one destined to be born in tragic circumstances.

“When she does have the baby, the baby gets taken away from her. She can’t be its mother,” Moss said told TV critics Sunday. “It makes for good drama.”

Season two also visits the colonies that are mentioned in Atwood’s 1985 book but not depicted, executive producer Warren Littlefield said. A bigger production budget helped the series venture afield.

MGM Television and Hulu “embraced that we were ambitious. We’re still in a world of television, it’s a pretty controlled budget,” Littlefield said. He didn’t offer specific figures.

Broadening the story doesn’t mean the series will desert its source material, Miller said.

“I don’t think anything we do is post-Atwood,” he said. “It’s an expansion of that world. I certainly don’t think we’re going beyond the story that she was telling. She remains the mother of the series.”

“The Handmaid’s Tale” is a landmark program for relatively new Hulu, drawing critical acclaim, an armload of 2017 Emmys and, earlier this month, a best series Golden Globe and best-actress trophy for Moss. Oscar-winner Marisa Tomei guest stars in episode two, the producers said.

They were effusive with praise for Moss when asked why the former “Mad Men” star was right for the role of Offred.

Klopp curses in NBC interview after Liverpool wins in EPL

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Still delirious after his team’s exhilarating win, Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp took the microphone for a post-match interview with U.S. TV station NBC and remarked that his bosses in America might be watching.

It makes what happened moments later all the more embarrassing for one of soccer’s most charismatic coaches.

Klopp was speaking about the nature of Liverpool’s wild 4-3 victory over Manchester City in the English Premier League on Sunday when he included a curse word while describing how fans would have viewed the match.

He was quickly asked if he would apologize for cursing.

“I thought in America that was OK?” he said with a smile. “In England, it’s not possible to use those words.”

Liverpool has been owned since 2010 by Fenway Sports Group, which also owns the Boston Red Sox.

It was City’s first loss after 23 games this season in the Premier League.