The Testaments spoilers incoming.
With each passing year since the Margaret Atwood novel's release in 1985, the dystopian, misogynistic world of The Handmaid's Tale begins to look, rather eerily, more and more similar to our own. It's the story of an imagined futuristic version of America called Gilead where women are subjugated and categorised based on their fertility. The series, which premiered in 2017 and came to an end last year, painted it all in full, vivid, horrifying colour on our screens. And it ended with something of a cliffhanger.
Now, the world of Gilead is back with the much-anticipated sequel. The Testaments, which premiered on Disney+, takes inspiration from Atwood's 2019 follow-up novel. But although this may be a sequel, it has a whole new feel. Set 15 years after the events of the first novel and focusing on Agnes and Daisy, two young woman in Gilead, it initially feels like a lighter, coming-of-age take on the feminist classic — but things in Gilead are just as dire as they always were. And, yes, Aunt Lydia is back… which is never a great sign.
So, while this may not be your next comfort watch, it will be your next feminist rage-inspiring obsession.
Fans of the first instalment may already have some questions. Namely, who is Agnes (Chase Infiniti) really?
What happens to Agnes in The Testaments?
We first meet Agnes as the adopted daughter of Commander MacKenzie (Nate Corddry)and his late wife, Tabitha. We learn that she has a fractious relationship with her father's new wife, Paula.
"I was a Plum," Agnes tells us in a voiceover. "I didn't have my period yet. In my world, that made all the difference."
The Testaments focuses on teen girls in Gilead: we learn that younger girls wear pink and those who have begun menstruating wear green. She attends a school run by Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd).
Aunt Lydia is embarking, it turns out, on a new project called the Pearl Girls, which sees young women (fertile, of course|) from outside of Gilead willingly converting. They arrive all in white to the school. Agnes is tasked with taking care of newcomer Pearl Girl Daisy (Lucy Halliday) from Toronto.
The pair soon bond after Daisy is traumatised by a violent event in the school. (It is still Gilead, after all).
Later, Agnes gets her first period. Then, in voiceover, she reveals: "I didn't know who my mom was yet, my real mom. That would come soon. I had no idea how much that would change things."
But who is Agnes really?
Who is Agnes in The Testaments?
Surprise, surprise, Agnes is the long lost daughter of none other than Elizabeth Moss' June.
As a little reminder, June had a daughter named Hannah with Luke way back before her handmaid days. Hannah/Agnes was later adopted by a Commander in Gilead.
Meanwhile, Daisy is also an important figure with connection to the original series. She is actually Nichole, June's daughter with Nick, who was smuggled out of Gilead. So, yes, that makes Agnes and Daisy half-sisters — and we can't wait to see them join forces to carry on June's legacy.
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