'The Testaments' Review
- Cassandra Hager
- 11 hours ago
- 2 min read
Season One.
Aired On: Hulu on Disney+.
Release Date: 04/08/26.
Genre: Drama. Thriller.
The Verdict: A Must-See
It's been less than a year since the series finale of The Handmaid's Tale, but for fans like me it feels like a lifetime. Oh how I loved seeing June Osborne's journey and her fight to free herself from the clutches of Gilead and its regime. It's because of my deep admiration for the series that I was cautious going into The Testaments. Having not read the books, I assumed it would be about a "new class" of kids in a watered-down, less risqué spin-off.
I was wrong. Thank goodness.
There's nothing less risqué about The Testaments, though the hot and heavy storylines are toned down a bit. In place of sex scenes are longing glances (they are teenagers after all) and that change alone makes for a sweeter, more innocent undertone. But sweet doesn't mean meek, and The Testaments still has moments of violence and sexuality that makes it decidedly not kid-friendly.
I could go on and on about how fabulous the cast is but it would take all day, so here are some of the biggest players:
Chase Infiniti plays Agnes, a character described in the series as "the girl everyone wants to be." I can confirm I wanted to be her in this show because WOW is she stunning and talented. I really cannot get enough of her.
Lucy Halliday plays Daisy in a role so perfectly cast, and I'd be dipping into serious spoiler territory if I explained why. You'll just have to trust me on this one.
Mattea Conforti is Becka, and she will no doubt go on to be considered the unsung hero of this season and possibly the entire series. An absolutely heart-wrenching performance from start to finish.
And then there's Rowan Blanchard as Shunammite, a delightfully uppity character on the verge of true greatness if she hadn't been painfully underutilized. Hopefully she gets a chance to shine in upcoming seasons.
Thankfully it's not a spoiler to gush about Ann Dowd's return as the character we all love to hate: Aunt Lydia. Lydia was circling a redemption arc toward the end of The Handmaid's Tale, and digging deeper into her background now is hugely satisfying. The Testaments is not a case of legacy characters holding up the series, as the new cast of characters really does stand on its own.
What's great about The Testaments is it finds a happy medium between nostalgia and currency. It doesn't fall into the trap of trying to rekindle The Handmaid's Tale magic by leaning too much into original characters and storylines. Instead, The Testaments makes nods to the preceding series only to introduce some interesting new characters and help integrate them into the broader The Handmaid's Tale "world."
As a die hard The Handmaid's Tale fan I was skeptical going in, but man, what a show. Fans will be pleased with the continuation of this series.
Where to Watch:
