As we prepare to say goodbye to The Handmaid's Tale, there's one thing keeping us going: the news that show's spin-off, The Testaments, is underway - and let's just say, change is coming! The new series is bringing with it some surprise cast updates, which also give us a bit of a clue as to what's in store.
Based on Margaret Atwood’s 2019 sequel to her iconic dystopian novel, The Testaments picks up the story more than 15 years after The Handmaid's Tale, and will see the return of Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia, as well as new arrivals including Lucy Halliday and Rowan Blanchard. Showrunner Yahlin Chang has also teased that the sixth and final series of The Handmaid's Tale will have "cliffhangers for The Testaments, so it doesn’t conclude everything."
While we await the show's arrival, here's everything you need to know about it, including the plot, cast and how to watch it...
What is The Handmaid’s Tale about?
Adapted from Margaret Atwood’s novel of the same name, the award-winning series is set in a dystopian future where, following a Second American Civil War, a totalitarian society subjects fertile women called “Handmaids” to child-bearing slavery.
June (Elisabeth Moss) is one of those fertile woman; renamed Offred, she lives as a concubine to a Gileadan officer Fred Waterford and his wife Serena. The couple are key players in the formation and rise of Gilead, but they struggle with the realities of the society they helped create.
Though forced to agree to their strict rules and conditions, June fights to be freed and reunited with her husband Luke and daughter, Hannah, with much of series centred around June's desire and attempts to be reunited with them - and to take down Gilead. You can read all about The Handmaid's Tale's sixth season here.
What is The Testaments about?
Just like the original show, its spin-off, The Testaments, is based on a novel by Margaret Atwood - her 2019 sequel of the same name. Set 15 years after the events of The Handmaid's Tale, it tracks the lives of three women - Aunt Lydia, along with new characters, Agnes (Chase Infiniti), and Daisy (Lucy Halliday) as they uncover the hidden secrets of Gilead and the growing resistance against the regime.
In the original series, Agnes is the name given to June and Luke’s daughter, Hannah, after she’s kidnapped by Gilead and taken in by a commander and his wife. So, technically, we've met her before, only she was played by Jordana Blake.
As for Daisy, she's young Canadian teen whose life is turned upside down when she learns her connection to the Republic of Gilead. Rowan Blanchard will also join the cast as Shunammite. According to Deadline, Shunammite is "a pampered teen from a prominent Gilead family whose status affords her a certain level of respect and power amongst her peers."
Who's starring in The Testaments?
Fans of the original series will be pleased to know that Ann Dowd will reprise her role as the terrifying Aunt Lydia, a character who has become synonymous with Gilead's chilling regime.
She will be joined by Chase Infiniti (Presumed Innocent) as Agnes, Lucy Halliday as Daisy and Rowan Blanchard as Shunammite.
How can I watch The Testaments?
The show is likely to air on Hulu in the US and Channel 4 or Prime Video in the UK once it's released, but it's likely we'll need to wait a while. As soon as we hear more, we'll update you here.
In the meantime, you can catch up on The Handmaid's Tale, which will premiere with the first three episodes on 8th April on Hulu in the US. Typically, the show arrives in the UK via Channel 4 and Amazon Prime Video a few weeks after the Hulu release.
Watch The Handmaid's Tale series 1 to 4 on Amazon Prime.
