Do You Need to Watch The Handmaid's Tale Before Starting The Testaments?
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
A helpful guide from Polygon explains whether viewers need to watch all six seasons of The Handmaid's Tale before diving into the new sequel series, The Testaments.
For players and viewers tracking the latest streaming drops between gaming sessions, Hulu's major new release is hard to miss. Not long after The Handmaid's Tale wrapped its lengthy six-season run, the platform launched its sequel series, The Testaments, dropping the first three episodes this week. Based on Margaret Atwood's source material, the franchise carries some heavy lore, leaving many fans wondering if they need to binge six seasons of television just to understand the new show, according to a helpful breakdown by Polygon.
The good news is that showrunners designed the new series to be accessible, meaning you can easily jump into The Testaments without finishing the original run. The setting remains the Republic of Gilead, a fascist successor state to the United States built on the severe subjugation of women following a fertility crisis. The story continues to use its oppressive color-coded social structure, ranging from the red of the Handmaids to the blue of the Wives and the brown of the Aunts, while exploring themes of systemic complicity and environmental collapse.
The new series also shifts its perspective while keeping familiar faces. The Testaments introduces a fresh point-of-view character named Agnes, played by Chase Infiniti, alongside a new generation of characters portrayed by actors like Rowan Blanchard and Lucy Halliday. At the same time, critical veteran cast members return, with Ann Dowd reprising her celebrated role as Aunt Lydia Clements. It serves as an approachable entry point for anyone looking for a new prestige drama to follow alongside their usual content rotation.
Tags: Streaming, TV Shows, Hulu, The Testaments, Entertainment
Original article: Polygon