Gilead becomes even more frighteningly real as The Handmaid's Tale films in Washington, D.C.

The dystopian future depicted in The Handmaid's Tale on Hulu can feel terribly real at times, with many observers drawing prescient allusions to current political headlines. Today, the show filmed on the National Mall of Washington, D.C., and it was insanely creepy, to say the least.

There were countless handmaids present (in their signature red robes), of course, as well as series regulars Elisabeth Moss, Joseph Fiennes, and Yvonne Strahovski. Many visitors to the capital took to Twitter to share photos and reactions of the event, which often showed the handmaids shooting right next to famous landmarks like the Washington Monument.

The Memorialist tweeted an image of the handmaids kneeling on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, with the Washington Monument (and a giant camera crane) very present in the background.

Another user posted a view from the other side, which shows not only the handmaids, but who is addressing them. You can also see the large crowd of tourists that the shoot attracted.

Indeed, one user posted about just how eerie it all was, writing: "Imagine being a tourist, not knowing about The Handmaid’s Tale, and then seeing this during a stop at the National Mall."

In a closer image posted by another user, Joseph Fiennes can clearly be seen standing on the steps of the memorial.

A user named Laura tweeted disbelief, writing, "I can't get over that The Handmaid's Tale is filming in DC today. SO CLOSE BUT YET SO FAR."

For a look at Moss and Strahovski on set, another user provided the following images:

Generally, the feeling on social media is contained in what user Phyllis Michaels described as "kinda intense."

Remarking on how the hard-to-miss handmaid costumes have been used for several protests of late, user Rachel Bluth tweeted, "Says something about 2019 that we had to see this up close to figure out if it was a protest or filming for The Handmaid's Tale season 3. (It's the latter)"

This is the latest glimpse that we're getting at the show's third season, following the first trailer being shown during the Super Bowl.

The Handmaid's Tale returns to Hulu for Season 3 on June 5. Blessed be the fight.