Elisabeth Moss, Michelle MacLaren & Daina Reid Will Direct The Shining Girls Show

Apple TV+'s upcoming series, The Shining Girls, has recruited Elisabeth Moss, Michelle MacLaren and Daina Reid to direct the series in rotation. The science-fiction thriller series is based on Lauren Beukes' best-selling novel of the same name. The novel was published in 2013 and won the British Fantasy Society's August Derleth Award for Best Horror Novel.

Deadline confirms Moss, MacLaren and Reid will make up The Shining Girls' all-female directorial team. The eight episodes in season 1 will be divided amongst the three women. MacLaren will direct the first two episodes, Moss will take on the third and fourth episode and Reid will work on the last four episodes. Moss also serves as an executive producer and lead actor in the show, playing a reporter based in Chicago named Kirby Mazrachi. Kirby pivots from pursuing more success in her career after she escapes death and tries to hunt down her killer.

The Shining Girls follows a serial killer in Chicago during the 1930s.  After discovering a mysterious time-traveling device, he realizes that in order to use it, he must murder young women but not just any women – shining girls. However, when one of his victims survives, his travels are derailed as she seeks revenge against him.

In addition to the all-female directing team, the series is helmed by showrunner, Silka Luisa. It is refreshing and important to see a story involving female victims handled by a predominantly female team. Past films have mistaken female victims as weak, but victims like the one in this story, often have plenty of strength. With Moss' experience starring in The Handmaid's Tale, she seems like the perfect fit for this role in The Shining Girls.

Nick and June have had an extremely unique relationship throughout The Handmaid's Tale, but why can't he save her in season 4? The two characters have been a mostly secret item since season 1, and even have a daughter together, but their pairing has always been unconventional. Things were complicated enough when June was a handmaid and Nick was a driver for the Waterfords; they were never able to truly build a life together or shield each other from the perpetual bleakness of living in Gilead. And when seemingly "good guy" Nick was promoted to the position of Commander in season 3, it was shocking.

In the show's most recent episode, it looks as though Nick and Commander Lawrence will finally be able to form an alliance to protect June within the Council. Lawrence has already proposed a military cease-fire on Gilead's borders to encourage trade with other nations, and things look like they're heading in a promising direction. But a wrench is quickly thrown in the plans. It's revealed during a meeting that the only way to do that is by first bombing known anti-Gilead insurgent hotspots before the military temporarily takes its foot off of the gas.

Nick is horrified to learn this, as he's gained intel that suggests June is probably in Chicago. However, he has no choice but to agree. After all, he's already vocalized minor support for Commander Lawrence after he initially proposed the cease-fire. In addition, he's seen as a militarily strong force to be reckoned with; he's serving a deployment and the Council even picks him to oversee the bombings. And, of course, given the setting, it would be self-sabotage to disagree with the attack. In theory, everyone on the Council, including Nick, has Gilead's best interest at heart and wants to see some of the rebels put in their place. He can't indicate that he has a soft spot for a fugitive handmaid who orchestrated getting 86 children out of the country, let alone that he loves her. All he can hope for is that June survives the aerial strikes like she's managed to survive every other impossible circumstance thrown her way throughout the course of the series.