The Testaments Review: The Handmaid’s Tale Spinoff Delivers a Brutal New Coming-of-Age Story

by

Margaret Atwood’s novel, first published in 1985, has been adapted for the screen and stage multiple times, including a 1990 film, a 2000 opera, and a popular 2017 television series. Throughout each adaptation, the story’s central theme – the dangers of a society where women have no rights – has remained consistent. In 2019, Atwood continued the story with a sequel novel, which has now also been turned into a television series.

The story heavily relies on fear to shape the lives of its three central characters: Agnes Mackenzie (played by Chase Infiniti), Daisy (played by Lucy Halliday), and Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd, reprising her role). However, hope feels more prominent in The Testaments, driving a compelling story about young women coming of age within Gilead’s oppressive society. While it’s difficult to surpass the chilling impact of The Handmaid’s Tale, The Testaments comes remarkably close, offering a fulfilling continuation of that series’ poignant ending.

The Testaments Introduces a New Time for Gilead

Several years have passed since June aided the Mayday rebels in freeing Boston from Gilead. Now, Gilead considers June a terrorist – someone they’ve taught people to fear and hate. Meanwhile, Aunt Lydia is revered as a martyr. There’s a school named after her, complete with a statue that girls bless before class, though Lydia herself despises the monument.

In the story, the school groups girls into different categories based on their age, social status, and ability to have children. This system prepares them for life in the harsh society of Gilead. The main groups are the Plums (young girls who haven’t started menstruating), the Greens (girls of marriageable age who are fertile), and the Pearl Girls (refugees who came from outside Gilead). Agnes, a Plum from a powerful Gilead family, is assigned by Aunt Lydia to guide Daisy, a Pearl Girl, and help her understand how things work.

As a big fan of The Handmaid’s Tale, I was really intrigued by the start of The Testaments. What struck me most about the first few episodes is how they show us Gilead through the eyes of young women who’ve known nothing else. It’s not that things aren’t bad – they definitely are – but it’s presented in a way that feels like we’re experiencing their normal, even though it’s horrifying to us. Honestly, even the attacks by Mayday didn’t feel as intense as some of the other stuff that happens later. Because of this, The Testaments actually felt a little less heavy to start with than The Handmaid’s Tale, especially since it hints at the sexual exploitation without actually showing it. It’s a really clever way to tell the story.

The Testaments Challenges the Audience With Its Characters

A heavy feeling of dread sets in when girls start their periods – an event traditionally marked with celebration, yet signaling their preparation for marriage. While a few are fortunate enough to marry young men they like, most are forced into marriage with much older Commanders. Beyond that, some girls face sexual abuse from men in the community. Though officially against the law, women’s accusations are rarely believed, as men’s word is always taken as truth.

We start to really understand Lydia’s true character here, seeing a depth that wasn’t as apparent in the first season of The Handmaid’s Tale. She’s still strict, but her methods have changed. The series no longer focuses on the Handmaids themselves, instead showing them as part of Lydia’s past, as she now concentrates on raising the young girls of Gilead. As we meet more of these girls and witness the harsh realities of Gilead, it becomes clear that Lydia believes she’s choosing the least terrible option – a potentially heroic act. She justifies preparing these girls for their future by seeing it as a way to save them from what she believes is divine punishment. An episode revealing Lydia’s life when Gilead was first established highlights the survival instincts that now guide her moral decisions.

It’s tricky to develop a compelling storyline for a character who was once so villainous. However, the show does a great job of revealing new layers to Lydia, which enriches the world of Gilead and demonstrates strong writing. Ann Dowd’s performance is outstanding; she conveys Lydia’s thoughts and feelings subtly and effectively. Her dynamic with Aunt Vidala, played by Mabel Li, is especially complex and fraught with tension.

Infiniti and Halliday are key to the show’s emotional depth. Infiniti portrays Agnes with compelling complexity. On one hand, Agnes is devoted to Gilead’s rules and genuinely believes in her role as a wife and mother, even without rights. But the performance also reveals Agnes’s vulnerability and fear as a young person – she’s terrified of breaking rules and offending God. She views Daisy, who comes from Canada, as someone who needs to be cleansed of her sins. While Gilead theoretically allows for rehabilitation, the show highlights how this concept is deeply flawed and contradictory within the country’s oppressive system.

The Testaments Shines a Light on the Young Victims of Gilead

Throughout The Testaments, it becomes clear how unsettling Gilead’s culture is. Offensive words like “slut” and “whore” are used casually as part of religious speech and are never corrected by adults. The public shaming of children, with people pointing and yelling “Dirty girl!”, remains disturbing. Common Gilead phrases such as “Praise be” and “Under his eye” are used constantly, becoming deeply ingrained in the girls’ everyday conversations.

It’s a welcome change to see a character like Daisy, who reminds us of June. This behavior isn’t typical for her, and she quickly recovers from wanting to be recognized by a higher power after witnessing a harsh punishment. Daisy’s commitment to improving things is impressive—she’s not a flawless hero, but she quietly works to protect others, much like Aunt Lydia. Daisy and Agnes perfectly embody the complexities of teenage friendship, showcasing both its difficult and heartwarming sides. Their connection is truly special, offering a glimmer of hope in the bleak world of Gilead as they grow to understand each other and themselves.

Other students experience similar relationships. Mattea Conforti plays Becka, Agnes’s close friend who doesn’t believe in marriage, and her eventual downfall is both sad and shocking. Rowan Blanchard shines as Shunammite, a clever and loyal friend, but unfortunately, her character isn’t featured enough. Blanchard is a talented actor who brings a lot of nuance to the role of Shunammite, which is a loss for the show.

Similar to The Handmaid’s Tale, The Testaments warns us about the dangers of governments using religious extremism to oppress women. While The Handmaid’s Tale focused on the sexual exploitation and physical abuse used to control women’s bodies, The Testaments highlights the insidious power of indoctrination – how manipulating young people’s beliefs can be used to justify a disturbing new world order. This is a powerfully written and unsettling novel that isn’t easy to read, but it’s a remarkable work that draws on real-world examples.

The new series, The Testaments, will debut on Hulu on April 8, 2026, with the first three episodes available immediately. After that, new episodes will be released every Wednesday until May 27th.

Read More

2026-04-02 19:18