Warning: major spoilers for The Testaments episode 10 ahead.
Our second time in Gilead was no less eventful than the first, that's for sure. Just a year after season six of The Handmaid’s Tale wrapped, we returned to this dystopian world for season one of The Testaments. Based on the sequel novel of the same name, written by Margaret Atwood more than three decades after the original was published in 1985, it follows new characters fighting for change in Gilead.
There were a number of changes between the book and the TV adaptation of The Testaments, leaving even die-hard fans wondering how the series would end.
The penultimate episode left us deeply concerned, as Becka (Mattea Conforti) was placed in the back of a van and whisked away by the Eyes. Agnes (Chase Infiniti) believed that by telling her parents Becka had killed her father, they would get her the medical help she needed, with it clear that Becka was experiencing some kind of breakdown. Also feeling responsible is Daisy (Lucy Halliday), who is left with the guilt of having brought Dr Grove’s abuse to light in the first place.
What happened to Becka? Did they discover Daisy’s identity? All our questions about The Testaments ending, answered.
What does Agnes do to help Becka?
Agnes can’t hold it together at school, rushing out in tears to find Garth (Brad Alexander), only to be pulled away before she can fully break down. She later confronts Aunt Vidala (Mabel Li) about what the Aunts are actually doing to help Becka, and it’s clear the usual Gilead rhetoric is no longer enough for Agnes. She can’t understand why nobody is stepping up to protect Becka, who genuinely believed she was carrying out God’s will.
Later that day, Agnes receives a visit from Commander Weston (Reed Diamond), though it’s obvious her mind is elsewhere. When the pair are briefly left alone, Weston asks how she’s doing and reminds her that they are soon to be married, meaning her concerns are now his as well. Wanting to know if he truly means that, Agnes asks whether he can help Becka.
Agnes explains that Dr Grove broke the laws of God long before Becka did, adding that Becka was only trying to protect her. In doing so, she reveals to Weston that she was one of the girls abused by Dr Grove. Weston thanks Agnes for her honesty and promises to do what he can for Becka, though he appears visibly uncomfortable.
What happened to Becka?
We last saw Becka being taken away. Viewers — and Agnes — know just how extreme Becka’s attack on her father was, but the Plums and Greens at school are left speculating about what exactly happened to her.
Taken by the Eyes to prison, Becka lies restrained and clearly in a state of psychosis, singing to herself and failing to respond to a concerned Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd), who comes to visit her. Ugh, we can’t help but love Aunt Lydia. Sorry!
While at the prison, Aunt Lydia meets with Commander Judd (Charlie Carrick), and the true state of affairs is revealed: Dr Grove was already set to be executed by Gilead for his crimes.
With that in mind, Aunt Lydia argues Becka’s case, pointing out that the same outcome has ultimately been achieved. Judd, however, isn’t interested. He says Becka doesn’t necessarily need to be killed, but instead proposes a future for her as a Handmaid. It’s either that or the Wall — and Aunt Lydia can’t imagine anything worse for one of her students. Judd insists the decision lies with the court and pointedly tells Lydia that they are no longer a “we”, signalling that they are no longer allies.
Later, we see Becka being transported back home by Weston and several guards, with Weston informing her mother (Kate Hewlett) that the arrangement is only temporary. Becka is due to be questioned within days, remanded to the state and kept under 24-hour surveillance. Still, Mrs Grove is simply relieved to have her daughter home. Weston agreed to help because of Agnes — something that becomes even more significant later on.
That evening, Aunt Lydia tells Aunt Vidala that the fallout from the incident could tarnish both the school’s reputation and her own, with Vidala likely to use the scandal to push her out. The pair then have a surprisingly frank confrontation about the day at the stadium, with Vidala claiming Lydia never liked her, even before Gilead. Despite that, Vidala insists they must work together if they want any chance of saving Becka.
Does Daisy leave Gilead?
After meeting with Garth in the garden, Daisy insists that Mayday needs to help Becka, but he tells her there’s nothing they can do. Furious, Daisy threatens that if Mayday won’t help Becka, then she will — before declaring that she quits Mayday altogether.
Later, however, we see Garth tuning into Radio Free Boston and hearing June (Elisabeth Moss) confirm that she’s received the message about the “loose cannon” and that it will be “taken care of” that evening. Earlier that day, Daisy also receives a secret message hidden inside one of the honey jars, giving her a location to meet that night.
When Daisy arrives at the location, she’s transported in the honey delivery truck to a dock, where she finally reunites with June. Daisy initially assumes June is there to help Becka, but June is actually there to extract Daisy from Gilead. Let's just say that Daisy does not take this well. She insists they need to help Becka and, while explaining why these girls are worth fighting for, she mentions Agnes.
That’s the moment June freezes, realising Daisy has been getting to know her daughter Hannah, now renamed Agnes MacKenzie. June immediately asks what Agnes is like and whether she’s happy, with Daisy describing her as “one of the bravest people” she’s ever met. June doesn’t want Daisy risking her life, but Daisy insists she’s willing to take that risk and that it should be her choice. June definitely isn't gonna stop her now!
She sat down with Glamour to talk the chilling parallels of the series' dystopian story with real-life attacks on women's bodies.
Back at the school, Garth hurriedly greets Daisy as guards search for her after discovering she’s missing from her bed. Thinking quickly, he hands her a cigarette and pretends she simply snuck out for a smoke, effectively covering for her. Later, when Aunt Lydia reprimands Daisy in her office, Daisy uses the moment to confront Lydia about Becka as well.
During their conversation, Daisy points out that mothers would do anything for their children — even die for them — and questions what Lydia is truly doing to save Becka. The words clearly strike a nerve.
Does Becka become a Handmaid?
Soon after, Lydia and Vidala go together to visit Becka and Mrs Grove.
Outlining what supposedly happened on the night of Dr Grove’s murder, Lydia tells Becka that she found her mother leaning over her father’s body with the pruning shears. Becka is visibly confused by the sudden change in story, but Vidala doubles down, insisting that Becka merely tried to resuscitate her father and that’s why she was covered in blood.
Mrs Grove then accepts the new version of events, saying this is how things should have happened. In doing so, she confesses to a murder she did not commit in order to save Becka from either execution or a future as a Handmaid.
Ultimately, Becka is spared by her mother’s sacrifice.
Is Agnes still engaged to Weston?
Agnes is informed by her father that Weston has called off their engagement, supposedly in an attempt to distance himself from the Becka scandal. Her father is baffled by the sudden change of heart, though it’s clear he never liked Weston much anyway. Agnes, however, realises the engagement was ended because of her confession about Dr Grove.
Now that the wedding is off, Agnes’s father promises he’ll do everything he can to make sure she’s alright. He also tells her that Becka is going to be okay, but that her mother was responsible for killing Dr Grove.
That night, Agnes is woken by her stepmother Paula (Amy Seimetz), who eerily confronts her about the broken engagement. Paula refers to Becka as “fallen” and “sullied”, but Agnes argues that Garth could still marry Becka and save her from being viewed that way.
Clearly emotional, Paula then tells Agnes that Gilead wanted to “make her pay,” seemingly referring to June. She says they wanted to serve Agnes up “piece by piece”, but that her father refused to let it happen. It's all very odd.
Shaken, Agnes runs through the night to Garth’s guard quarters. There, she begs him to marry Becka in order to save her from becoming a social pariah. Agnes makes it clear just how much she’s asking of him, and in doing so, unintentionally reveals the depth of her feelings for Garth.
Who does Becka marry?
Okay, Agnes has set the idea in motion, but does it actually come to fruition?
We later see Aunt Estee (Eva Foote) administering Becka — now dressed in a wedding gown and veil — with a sedative, as Becka makes it clear she does not want to be married. It turns out the wedding day is also the same day as Mrs Grove’s execution. How dark.
Both events unfold in parallel, with Becka and Mrs Grove seemingly taken to the same courthouse before being led toward their respective fates. Becka’s fears are briefly eased when Agnes visits her beforehand and the two share a kiss.
Ahead of the ceremony, Garth is formally made a Commander by Judd. He and Becka are then married as Mrs Grove is executed, with only Commanders in attendance at the hanging. At Becka’s wedding, the Aunts, Agnes and Daisy are present, with the ceremony clearly painful for Agnes to endure.
Afterwards, Garth carries Becka into their home and up the stairs. Becka is still under the effects of the sedative, but as Garth lays her on the bed she begins to stir and looks at him as he slowly closes the door. He locks it from the outside, suggesting this may be his approach to their marriage going forward.
Why did Agnes and Becka kiss?
That wedding kiss surprised many. Had we missed a romantic connection? Was it a stolen moment of true affection? The frustrating answer is: we don't know.
“Really, I left it in their hands as actors, because a kiss can mean 10,000 things, so we talked about it, and they just figured it out as it went,” showrunner Bruce Miller told Radio Times. "You know, who leans into who, who does this, who smiles afterwards, who smiles differently."
He continued, "I think they did spectacular work, and I wouldn't have shown it unless it really showed us something about those two characters that I couldn't figure out another way to tell you.
"What Agnes is doing for her friend, she knows she needs this, and she knows she needs all this support, so it's such a sisterhood moment.. I don't think Becka feels like she's all of a sudden, "Oh, now we're dating." She knows what it is, she knows that it's this gift, and who knows what's coming next."
Personally, I think Agnes wanted to let Becka's first moment of affection be real, be from a place of love, and not with a man forced to be her husband.
What happens to Agnes?
After Becka’s wedding, Agnes tells Daisy that even though she feels she’s now “ruined” her own life, she still believes it was worth it. Taking the moment to get personal, Daisy says that same sense of justice clearly comes from Agnes’s mother, June. Mic drop.
We have Agnes' identity confirmed.
Daisy lies and says she only met June once, insisting she isn’t a terrorist but someone who fights for what she believes in. “Your mother wasn’t just a Handmaid, she was the Handmaid,” Daisy tells her, before revealing she believes Agnes’s real name is Hannah.
The name visibly affects Agnes, bringing her to tears. When she returns home, she retrieves her secret bag of belongings — items she’s clearly been collecting over time and has previously shown Daisy — but this time she adds something she’s kept hidden.
Agnes pulls out a painting signed “Hannah” in the corner. Familiar to fans of The Handmaid’s Tale, it prompts a brief flashback to season five. Hannah/Agnes signs her name as Hannah rather than her Gilead name, Agnes — a quiet act of rebellion that confirms she still remembers her past.
Back at school, Aunt Lydia admits it’s unprecedented for a Green to return after a failed engagement. Agnes is candid about knowing who her mother is, and Lydia responds by noting that June never gave up, something they, in turn, won’t do when it comes to Agnes’s future. Oh, my heart.
What was in Daisy's note?
We see June leave her home and find a jar of honey on her doorstep. We all know what the honey means! It's a surprise sent straight from Daisy. Inside the lid, Daisy has left a lengthy note for June, telling her that the girls she’s met in Gilead have changed her.
Now, this is interesting.
In her note and voiceover, Daisy explains to June that she’s going to build her own army because “nothing can be more powerful than a teenage girl.” We then see Agnes joined by Daisy and Shunammite (Rowan Blanchard), their fingers interlaced as they walk through the school corridors together.
Rebellion is coming.
Wow, The Testaments season one ending covered a lot. Who is ready for season two?
Watch The Testaments season one on Disney+.
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