'The Testaments' Is Finally Here: Is 'The Handmaid's Tale's Spinoff Worth Watching?

Exactly one year ago, the final season of The Handmaid's Tale premiered. Just a year later, Bruce Miller, the showrunner of the original, released The Testaments, a spinoff based on Margaret Atwood's novel of the same name.

The new series can formally be considered a standalone work. In reality, it's the seventh season of The Handmaid's Tale, however, the focus has shifted from the handmaids to the future wives.

Familiar characters reappear, and the storylines continue, but the main question remains: is it worth returning to Gilead so soon?

What Is 'The Testaments' About?

Margaret Atwood's book has a parallel narrative from three different perspectives, but the series makes Agnes the primary narrator. Agnes is June's daughter, whom June lost in the first episodes of The Handmaid's Tale. Agnes grew up in a privileged family and is preparing for marriage.

The second plot line follows Daisy, a Canadian schoolgirl with a turbulent past, who becomes a Pearl Girl – a convert who came to Gilead for ideological reasons.

The third storyline focuses on Aunt Lydia – she runs the elite school for future wives that Agnes attends.

'The Testaments' Introduces New Characters and Brings Back Old Ones

Chase Infiniti, a rising star known for her role in Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another, plays Agnes. Her character is deeply troubled: on the one hand, she has been groomed for years to be a submissive wife whose only skill is needlepoint.

On the other hand, her limited experience with the men of Gilead doesn't bode well. This is especially true when considering that her friend Becka, who was initiated earlier, doesn't seem happy.

Lucy Halliday plays Daisy, a Canadian schoolgirl whose arrival in Gilead is no accident. The intrigue surrounding her origins unfolds quickly, especially for fans of Atwood's universe.

Ann Dowd shines once again as Aunt Lydia, one of the most complex and interesting characters whose story begs to be explored in detail. Hopefully, the show's creators saved this storyline for later in the series, as Lydia only appears once in the first few episodes.

'The Testaments' Is Less Dark Than 'The Handmaid's Tale', but Otherwise It Follows in the Footsteps of the Original

Compared to The Handmaid's Tale, The Testaments tones down the horror, though it's certainly not absent. Gilead still features brutal public executions, and dissidents' bodies "decorate" the town square.

However, the first three episodes feel much less grim and offer a glimmer of hope.

The first episodes feature the return of June, played by Elisabeth Moss – she and the other members of the underground organization continue to fight for the liberation of the women of Gilead, and it appears that they have devised a new plan.

Many viewers were probably not looking forward to returning to Gilead so soon, but The Testaments makes the return as gentle as possible. If you're unfamiliar with The Handmaid's Tale universe, there's no reason to watch the series.

For everyone else, The Testaments will be another season of a beloved show, finally offering hope for a resolution and perhaps even a happy ending.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of The 'Testaments'?

• The Testaments has 88% from critics and 64% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the series has a score of 8.1/10.

Where to Watch 'The Testaments'?

The Testaments is available to stream on Hulu.