The Handmaid’s Tale wrapped up its six-season run with an ending that didn’t tie everything in a neat bow, and fans are pretty sure that was intentional. Instead of giving June Osborne a clean resolution, the finale left key threads dangling, all pointing toward the upcoming sequel/spin-off series, The Testaments.
Does The Handmaid’s Tale set the stage for its spin-off, The Testaments?
Rather than giving viewers closure, The Handmaid’s Tale finale pushed June back toward Gilead. She is still fighting for Hannah, now known inside the regime as Agnes. That choice wasn’t random. Margaret Atwood’s 2019 sequel novel, The Testaments, jumps forward in time to focus on Agnes. As well as a new generation of girls trapped in Gilead’s twisted system. The show’s ending ensures the two stories will collide.
Bruce Miller, the showrunner behind both series, confirmed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that The Testaments will jump ahead “four years” of The Handmaid’s Tale. Ann Dowd’s Aunt Lydia would act as the bridge between the two stories. But this time, instead of seeing Gilead through the eyes of a woman who remembers freedom, viewers follow girls who’ve “never known a world that’s not a Gilead world.”
For more context on how The Handmaid’s Tale will set the stage for its spin-off, The Testaments, the connection is mostly through plot devices. Like, June’s refusal to stop fighting for Hannah means her influence will linger, even if Elisabeth Moss doesn’t appear on-screen. Meanwhile, Aunt Lydia’s secret alliance with Mayday in the finale transforms her from villain to wild card. In The Testaments, she’s running a school for future wives, but her true loyalties remain unclear.
Furthermore, in terms of casting, hinting at the The Handmaid’s Tale and The Testaments connection is Ann Dowd is confirmed to return so far. Miller hasn’t ruled out surprise appearances from surviving characters, but he’s adamant that Serena Joy’s story is finished. Additionally, viewers who watched The Handmaid’s Tale will be able to find deeper connections within The Testaments.
