10 Handsmaid's Tale Questions That Got Answered in The Testaments

10 Handmaid’s Tale Questions That Got Answered in The Testaments

Freelancer Notes (optional): One entry is being saved until after the season finale. Maybe have to update other entries if there are any other revelations in the finale.

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re looking at loose ends from “The Handmaid’s Tale” that were revisited in “The Testaments.” Spoilers for both shows will follow.

Does the Resistance Continue?

“The Handmaid’s Tale” concluded with a victory for Mayday, the resistance group working to bring an end to Gilead. While Gilead lost the War of Massachusetts, the Republic maintained control over territory that the resistance is still fighting to reclaim four years later. Radio Free Boston provides a means of communication for Mayday members working on the inside. If you listen closely, you’ll notice that one of the voices on Radio Free Boston is Mark Tuello, the U.S. government operative who aided June. Also, Stephen Colbert’s voice can be heard! Among the new Mayday recruits is Daisy, who learns that she was rescued from Gilead as a baby. After her parents are killed, Mayday arranges for Daisy to infiltrate Gilead as a Pearl Girl.

What Are Wife Schools Like?

We’re all too familiar with the horrors that Handmaids endure. We also know that being a wife in Gilead isn’t as glamorous as the Commanders claim. Yet, “The Handmaid’s Tale” only touched upon what goes on within the walls of a wife school. We learned why wives in training, Plums, wear purple, marking a transition as they prepare for marriage. It sounds horrifying (because it is), but the girls are naive. They’ve been brought up their whole lives to believe this is their purpose. While many buy into this fairytale, others begin to see the schools for what they truly are. “The Testaments” provides a first-hand perspective of the wives in training, exploring their dynamics with Pearl Girls, Aunts, Commanders, and each other.

What Happened to Rita Blue?

Once a Martha who worked for the Waterfords, Rita soon becomes one of June’s most resilient allies. Not only did Rita help June get out of Gilead, but she played a key role in rescuing her and several others from the gallows. “The Testaments” catches up with Rita, revealing that she’s still fighting the good fight four years later. Her life has become more peaceful, living in a cozy Canadian cottage and even finding time to enroll in culinary school. She hasn’t left the resistance, though, making the arrangements for Daisy to infiltrate the Aunt Lydia School as a Pearl Girl. Rita is no stranger to hiding in plain sight, training the next generation until Gilead is no more.

Does Agnes/Hannah Remember June?

At the beginning of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” June’s daughter Hanna has already been given to a Gilead couple and renamed Agnes. June was briefly reunited with her young daughter, who felt abandoned despite her mother’s best efforts. Nevertheless, there was still a strong mother-daughter bond between the two. They crossed paths again years later, but this time, Agnes seemingly no longer recognized June. While June will never stop fighting for Hannah, has Agnes forgotten her biological mother entirely? In “The Testaments,” Daisy asks a now-teenager Agnes about her birth mother. Although Agnes doesn’t give a direct answer, Daisy clearly pushes a button, suggesting that Agnes does have some buried memories of June, but she doesn’t truly know who her real mom is… yet.

What Happens to Aunt Lydia?

Few “Handmaid’s Tale” characters were easier to hate than Aunt Lydia, who acts as if she has her “girls” best interests at heart despite the cruelty she subjects them to. By the show’s conclusion, Lydia begins to recognize the errors in Gilead. She even does right by some of the handmaids she wronged, reuniting Janine with her daughter. Although she once publicly renounced Gilead’s Commanders, Lydia has since been welcomed back and even runs her own school. While she’s reclaimed a position of power, this is a more affectionate Lydia than we first met years ago. We wouldn’t say Lydia has been redeemed, but you get the sense that she’s now committed to shielding her girls and keeping notes about the men who abuse them.

What’s Agnes/Hannah’s Relationship with Her Adoptive Parents?

When Agnes was briefly reunited with June in Season 2 of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” she mentioned that her adoptive parents only hit her when she misbehaved. Agnes’ adoptive father, Commander MacKenzie, would make an onscreen appearance in Season 5. Then, in the series finale, June learned that Agnes and her adoptive parents were being relocated to Washington, D.C. While Agnes’ adoptive mother Tabitha also appeared in “The Handmaid’s Tale,” we learn in “The Testaments” that she has since passed away. It didn’t take long for MacKenzie to take a new wife named Paula, who has a more contentious relationship with Agnes. Although MacKenzie genuinely cares about Agnes and seems more considerate than other Commanders, he still follows Gilead’s heinous practices.

How Did Lydia Become an Aunt?

We really only got one episode of “The Handmaid’s Tale” that delved into Lydia’s backstory. Once a teacher, Lydia wasn’t the most compassionate person even before Gilead. Seemingly befriending a struggling mother, Lydia ultimately reported her to child protective services because of her active sex life and lack of Christian values. “The Testaments” returns to Lydia’s past following the Sons of Jacob coup. It appeared there’d be no place for a woman like Lydia in this new world. To spare herself from execution, Lydia suggested that Gilead would need instructors to teach girls. In doing so, Lydia essentially created the Aunt position. The episode reconceptualizes Lydia as someone doing what she must to survive, even if others must suffer at her hands.

How Does Agnes/Hannah View Gilead?

“The Testaments” is largely told from Agnes’ point of view. Like the other wives in training, Agnes has been brainwashed into believing Gilead’s teaching. At the beginning of the series, Agnes has bought into the fantasy, yet isn’t without some hesitance, feeling like a “prized pig.” Even so, Agnes has accepted that this is the status quo, and she has a more comfortable life than some of the other women in Gilead. Upon getting her first period, Agnes finds that she actually doesn’t have it much better. In addition to being assaulted while unconscious, Agnes dreads the idea of marrying Commander Weston. It becomes increasingly clear to Agnes that Gilead isn’t a fairytale, but a nightmare she can’t wake up from.

What Happened to June Osborne?

A handmaid who becomes the face of a rebellion, June Osborne’s initial story ended with a moment of self-reflection. At the same time, June’s fight was far from over, with rescuing her daughter still top of mind. Being such a recognized figure, June is long past the point of blending in with other handmaids. Thus, June must rely on someone else to infiltrate Gilead. Still working for Mayday, June is the one who recruits Daisy after she loses her parents. While June is limited to a recurring character in “The Testaments,” she remains an integral player. She drives the plot forward, sending Daisy to Anges and perhaps finally finding a way to get her daughter out of Gilead for good.

How Has June’s Status Impacted Agnes/Hannah?

Although Agnes has been shielded from her mother, June goes from just another handmaid to public enemy #1 in Gilead. If Gilead wanted to hit June where it hurts, they could’ve used Agnes as leverage. In “The Testaments,” Paula tells Agnes that Gilead did want to send pieces of Agnes to June, especially after the handmaid attack. Her father stood in their way, but with this revelation, Agnes begins to comprehend that her biological mother was a bigger deal than she thought. Daisy confirms this when she tells Agnes that her mother is June Osborne. Although Agnes initially denies this, it doesn’t take long for her to accept what she knows deep down. June is her mother and Agnes, or Hannah, is her mother’s daughter.

Are you looking forward to “The Testaments” Season 2? Let us know in the comments.