“A friendship-wrecking crime”: Inside The Handmaid’s Tale star Elisabeth Moss’ “twisted” drama Imperfect Women

If the idea of The Handmaid’s Tale's finale and Elisabeth Moss’s departure from our screens has got you feeling a little bereft, we’ve got some good news for you... Elisabeth won’t be gone for long. The star has a brand-new psychological drama, Imperfect Women, coming to Apple TV+ – and with a friendship-testing crime at the heart of it, it’s just the sort of twisted drama you need to fill the Handmaid’s Tale-shaped gap in your life.

The story goes like this: three middle-aged British women, played by Elisabeth, Kerry Washington and Kate Mara, have been friends for as long as they can remember – until a crime that involves one of them in particular shatters everything. No spoilers, but the series is based on Araminta Hall’s 2020 novel of the same name, and if the book is anything to go by, we’re in for quite the gripping ride.

Ahead of the drama’s arrival on our screens, here’s everything you need to know about Imperfect Women, including the cast, plot and how you can watch it.

What is Imperfect Women about?

The psychological drama will introduce us to three friends played by Elisabeth Moss, Kerry Washington and Kate Mara whose decades-long friendship is shattered by a harrowing crime. As we mentioned, the series is based on 2020 Araminta Hall’s novel of the same name, with Moss and Washington also serving as executive producers.

According to the official synopsis, the drama "is a mystery complicated by perspective that explores guilt and retribution, love and betrayal, and the compromises we make that alter our lives irrevocably. As the investigation unravels, so does the truth about how even the closest relationships can change over time."

Star and executive producer Elisabeth Moss has shared a taste of what’s in store. "From the moment I received Araminta’s novel, I couldn’t put it down. It was such an electrifying read; I fell in love with it immediately," she said.

"I’ve admired Kerry and her work as an actor and producer for many years, and have been looking for something to work with her on and was so thrilled that she responded to the material when we sent it to her and Pilar at Simpson Street. They were the first and only people we thought of. We are so happy that Apple and 20th Television agreed to partner with us on this, as well. It’s all an absolute match made in heaven."

Her co-star and co-executive producer, Kerry Washington, added: “I could not have been more thrilled to get this call from Elisabeth. I have been an immense fan of hers — both as a brilliant actor and groundbreaking producer — for years.”

Annie Weisman (Physical), who has written and executive produced the series has shared that she feels "honoured that Apple is once again trusting me to help bring complex, layered female characters to the screen. Elisabeth, Kerry and Araminta are the perfect collaborators to bring these ‘Imperfect Women’ to life."

Is Araminta Hall’s novel any good?

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Yes – it’s a thought-provoking, gripping and somewhat haunting story that paints a refreshingly honest picture of flawed women. The book has received high praise from critics and fellow authors across the board. Marian Keyes has called it "rare and complex", while Sarah Vaughn (Anatomy of a Scandal) has described it as "immersive and unsettling".

Who's starring in Imperfect Women?

The cast of Imperfect Women includes:

• Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale, pictured above)
• Kerry Washington (Scandal, Little Fires Everywhere)
• Kate Mara (House of Cards)
• Joel Kinnaman (The Killing)
• Corey Stoll (Billions)
• Wilson Bethel (Daredevil: Born Again, Untamed)
• Keith Carradine ((Madame Secretary, Dexter)
• Jackson Kelly (The Pitt, Chucky)
• Rome Flynn (How to Get Away with Murder)
• Ana Ortiz (Ugly Betty)
• Sherri Saum (The Fosters, Sunset Beach)

How can I watch Imperfect Women?

Apple TV+ hasn't yet shared a release date for Imperfect Women, but we're expecting it to be released at some point in 2025. As soon as we have a confirmed date, we'll share it here. Until then, you can catch up on the sixth and final series of The Handmaid's Tale on Prime Video.