The Testaments (TV series)

Did You Know?

• At the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, Chase Infiniti received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
• The series is set in the dystopian theocracy of Gilead and follows a new generation of young women facing arranged marriages and lives of strict obedience.

Cast and characters

Chase Infiniti portrays Agnes MacKenzie, known as Hannah Bankole in The Handmaid's Tale, the biological daughter of June Osborne who begins to rebel against Gilead after uncovering her true identity. Lucy Halliday plays Daisy, a Canadian teenager whose family secret ties her to Gilead and leads her to become an undercover Mayday operative; her real name is Marguerite. Mabel Li appears as Aunt Vidala, a founding Aunt and strict disciplinarian whose real name is Vivian and who previously worked as an elementary school teacher.

Brad Alexander plays Garth Chapin, a Guardian for the MacKenzie family who secretly works as a Mayday agent and Daisy's handler, later promoted to Commander. Isolde Ardies portrays Hulda Marie Edwardson, an optimistic young Plum. Rowan Blanchard plays Shunammite Hayes, a blunt teenager from a high-ranking family. Mattea Conforti appears as Rebecka 'Becka' Grove, a student who dreads her groomed future and is implied to be attracted to Agnes.

Zarrin Darnell-Martin plays Aunt Gabbana, Aunt Vidala's right hand. Eva Foote portrays Aunt Estee, the youngest and most compassionate Aunt, later revealed to be not originally from Gilead. Kira Guloien plays Rosa, a caring Martha in the MacKenzie household. Shechinah Mpumlwana appears as Jehosheba Yardarm, a Plum who adheres strictly to theology.

Birva Pandya plays Miriam Dawson, a Plum concerned about her social standing. Amy Seimetz portrays Paula MacKenzie, Agnes's status-conscious stepmother.

Production

Bruce Miller stepped down as showrunner of The Handmaid's Tale in March 2023 to focus on adapting The Testaments. In February 2025, the series neared a greenlight, with Miller and Warren Littlefield executive producing and MGM Television as the studio. Mike Barker was announced in March 2025 to direct the first three episodes and executive produce. Hulu ordered the series to series in April 2025, with Elisabeth Moss joining as executive producer alongside Miller, Littlefield, Barker, Steve Stark, Shana Stein, Maya Goldsmith, John Weber, Sheila Hockin, Daniel Wilson, and Fran Sears; Priscilla Poriand became co-executive producer.

Chase Infiniti was cast as Agnes in February 2025, with Ann Dowd expected to reprise her role as Lydia. Lucy Halliday joined as co-lead Daisy in March 2025, alongside Rowan Blanchard and Mattea Conforti. Additional cast members were announced in April 2025. Principal photography ran from April 7, 2025, to August 15, 2025. The series was renewed for a second season in May 2026.

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an 88% approval rating based on 57 critic reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10. The critics consensus describes it as a slow-burning world builder with an excellent cast. Metacritic assigned a score of 71 out of 100 based on 22 critics, indicating generally favorable reviews.