Warning: this article contains spoilers for episode three.

The Handmaid’s Tale is, without a doubt, one of the most heart-breaking, gripping and important shows on television at the moment – not least of all because the extreme scenes it depicts are inspired by horrifying real-life events from around the world.

The star-studded dystopian drama, an adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel of the same name, tackles increasingly relevant and complex subjects, such as slut-shaming, abortion rights and rape. The show’s core message, however, is incredibly simple: women are autonomous human beings who deserve full control over their own bodies.

Which is why the third episode – and a blood-stained pair of knickers – resonated so deeply with audiences around the world.

Again, we’d like to stress that the rest of this article contains spoilers.

We need to talk about those blood-stained knickers in The Handmaid’s Tale