June Osborn said goodbye to the small screen this week. After six seasons and more than a decade of adventures in the heart of totalitarian Gilead, the series inspired by Margaret Atwood's novels bowed out. A weighty finale was delivered, it strove to look back to the past to pay homage to the journey as much as to the future. This is particularly true for three characters for whom the series didn't offer a true conclusion. Hulu is already working on a sequel, a spin-off series that will delve deeper into the fates of Lydia, Hannah, and a protagonist whose name will remain unnamed to maintain the element of surprise. This spin-off, called The Testaments, is in development. Here's everything you need to know about this upcoming series.
What's it about?
Like The Handmaid's Tale, The Testaments will draw its inspiration from the works of Margaret Atwood. The series is adapted from another novel by the American author published in 2019, 34 years after The Handmaid's Tale. While the latter was told solely in Offred's voice, it was through her eyes that the novelist described daily life within the theocratic state — this sequel chose to adopt the point of view of three distinct characters. Lydia, Hannah, and Daisy are the gateways to this story set 15 years after the Handmaid's Tale escaped from the Waterfords thanks to Nick. As a reminder, The Handmaid’s Tale broke away from its source material at the end of the first season. Within the pages, the fate of Elizabeth Moss's character remains a mystery.
Lydia
The Testaments tells, among other things, the story of Lydia, a divorced judge who was imprisoned during the creation of Gilead. Like hundreds of other women, she was chosen to become an Aunt, a chaperone for the Handmaids. The series is unlikely to take the same starting point, as the character's past has already been explored in an episode, and she was portrayed as a very pious school teacher. Without giving too much away, the series laid the groundwork for her development in the series, showing her reluctance to blindly follow Gilead's commandments. She still remained behind the lines of the country created by the Sons of Jacob.
Hannah
June's daughter, Agnes, is in Boston when the story begins. Things should change since the city was liberated in the grand finale. Last I heard, Hannah is living in Colorado when The Handmaid's Tale ends. She is the adopted daughter of Commander Mackenzie and his wife Tabitha. When Tabitha dies, her father marries the widow of another Commander. After the birth of their first child, a boy, the couple decides it's time for Agnes to be married. At 13, she is betrothed to a high-ranking Gilead official. While she doesn't know who her real mother is in the pages, the character in the series has crossed paths with June several times since her abduction. Daisy is the adopted daughter of Neil and Melanie, the owners of a clothing store they use to help Mayday smuggle women out of Gilead. On her sixteenth birthday, her family is killed by Gilead agents. Mayday will then entrust her with the mission of infiltrating the country and posing as a disadvantaged child to gather valuable information to help the resistance.
Who's in the cast?
The series developed by Bruce Miller, creator of The Handmaid’s Tale is expected to bring back Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia. The actress will star opposite Lucy Halliday (Daisy) and Chase Infiniti (Agnes). Jordana Blake, at 15, will therefore not have the opportunity to see her character return to the spotlight. Her successor is 25. For now, Elizabeth Moss has not been announced as part of the series' cast. We can still imagine that the actress and director will appear for a flashback. In any case, she will be executive producing, as was already the case with the original series.
When is it coming?
For now, The Testaments does not have a release date. Filming began last April in Toronto. This is where The Handmaid’s Tale was filmed. The duration of the shooting is unknown, but it is expected to take place over several months to allow for a release of the first salvo during 2026.
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