After six seasons that aired from August 03, 2025 to June 12, 2025,The Handmaid’s Talecame to an end, but unfortunately without June (Elisabeth Moss) reuniting with her kidnapped daughter, Hannah (Jordana Blake). Hannah was not seen much in the dystopian show’s final run, but she’s set to be one of the leads of the upcoming spin-off,The Testaments, which will continuethe tragic story of Gilead. Production is currently ongoing for the follow-up in Toronto, Canada, and in addition to Hannah, it has already been previously confirmed thatAunt Lydia (Ann Dowd)is another returning central character.
Days beforeThe Handmaid’s TaleSeason 6 concluded, executive producerWarren Littlefieldhinted at how Lydia’s new perspective in the wake of the Jezebels' massacre willreshape her mindset going intoThe Testaments. Now, the spin-off’s showrunner,Bruce Miller, also the creator of the original series, is teasing how much of the character can be expected, pointing at her distinct role when it comes to “the plums” — daughters of Gilead in training to become wives.
According to Miller, Lydia is less of a punisher compared to her time with the handmaids. And just like with June, she is very much involved in the life of Hannah, who was renamed Agnes by her Gilead parents. He explained to TV Insider:
“I would say that Lydia is certainly as involved in the lives of Daisy [another lead character portrayed by Lucy Halliday] andHannah/Agnes in The Testamentsas Lydia was in the life of June, but in a very, very different way.”
Lydia Is More of an Educator in ‘The Testaments’
The Testamentsis based on Margaret Atwood’s 2019 novel, and in it, the plums are considered extremely “precious,” hence Lydia’s distinct role in their lives, which involves being more of an educator. Unlike with the handmaids, the former elementary school teacher won’t be required to break the spirit of these girls, asThe Handmaid’s TaleEP elaborated:
“In the beginning of The Handmaid’s Tale, Lydia is certainly a formidable and terrifying character. In The Testaments, her role is taking care of educating the plums — the most precious girls in Gilead, one of the most precious resources in the country.Lydia is not required to mete out punishment to the plums, but she is not in the role of breaking the spirit of worldly women who know modern life, as she did with the handmaids.”
The Testamentshas no release date yet. Stay tuned to Collider for more news about the exciting spin-off.
The Testaments
Source:TV Insider
