The new Hulu series changes who Daisy really is, and it completely shifts the story from Margaret Atwood‘s original novel.
The Testaments just dropped its first three episodes on Hulu and Disney+, and fans of The Handmaid’s Tale are talking about one major difference between the show and the book. The character Daisy, played by Lucy Halliday, sits at the center of this change. If you read Margaret Atwood‘s 2019 novel, you might be confused about who Daisy is in the TV version. Here is the simple breakdown of what changed and why.
Who Is Daisy in The Testaments Book?
In Margaret Atwood‘s original novel, Daisy is actually Nichole. She is the daughter of June and Nick. The book takes place 15 years after the events of The Handmaid’s Tale novel. By that time, Nichole has grown up in Canada with adoptive parents. She goes by the name Daisy. Her story involves traveling back into Gilead to rescue her half-sister Agnes, who is actually June‘s older daughter Hannah.
The book shows this connection slowly. Readers learn that Daisy and Agnes share the same mother. Their bond becomes the emotional center of the novel’s second half.
Who Is Daisy in The Testaments TV Show?
The TV version of Daisy is very different. She is not June‘s daughter. Showrunner Bruce Miller made this clear in interviews before the show aired.
“We’re definitely trying to follow the overall story of the book, but the ins and outs of the actual storyline are difficult because characters are different ages, and we had to redefine the Daisy character to keep things practical in our world.” – Bruce Miller
Here is what the TV show reveals about Daisy in the first three episodes. She arrives in Gilead as a “Pearl Girl,” which means she is a new recruit from outside the country. She seems to follow Gilead’s rules. But after she sees a guard get punished, she breaks down. Viewers then learn she is actually a Mayday spy. She entered Gilead to gather information for the resistance.
Episode three gives her full backstory. Daisy grew up in Toronto with her parents Neil and Melanie, who ran a vintage shop. Gilead agents killed them. Elisabeth Moss appears as June to rescue Daisy from the police station. June then tells Daisy the truth: Neil and Melanie were not her real parents. Daisy was actually born in Gilead and smuggled out as a baby. Mayday gave her to Neil and Melanie to hide her identity.
Why Did the Show Change Daisy’s Identity?
The main reason is the timeline. The Handmaid’s Tale TV series ended with June free and Boston liberated. The Testaments show picks up only four years after that ending. In the book, the gap is 15 years.
Bruce Miller explained this problem directly. If the show stayed true to the book, Nichole (June‘s youngest daughter) would only be four or five years old. A five-year-old cannot be a spy sneaking into Gilead.
“Holly would only be four or five. So in our story, because of the timeline, baby Holly, as far as we know, is safe growing up in Toronto… for now!” – Bruce Miller
The showrunners had to create a new Daisy who fits the younger timeline. She has a similar background—born in Gilead, smuggled out, raised by adoptive parents in Canada—but she is not related to June by blood.
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What This Means for the Story
This change has big effects on the show’s direction. In the book, Daisy and Agnes bond because they discover they are sisters. They share a mother. That emotional connection drives their actions. In the TV show, Agnes (played by Chase Infiniti) is still Hannah, June‘s daughter from before Gilead. But Daisy is not related to her.
Instead, June connects to Daisy through the resistance. June is now a leader of Mayday. She recruits Daisy for the mission. Their relationship is based on shared goals, not family ties.
Elisabeth Moss spoke about returning as June for The Testaments.
“I was like, yeah, of course! Like, how do you get Daisy involved in the resistance in a way that is exciting for the new audience, and the audience that is returning? Well, who is the leader of the resistance, right? He’s like, ‘Isn’t it June?’” – Elisabeth Moss
The show leaves one big question open. If Daisy is not June‘s daughter, whose daughter is she? The first three episodes do not answer this. June knows who Daisy’s real parents are, but she has not told Daisy yet. Fans are guessing that Daisy might be the daughter of another handmaid from the original show, or possibly one of the children June helped escape during the “Angel’s Flight” mission in season three.
Where to Watch The Testaments
New episodes of The Testaments release weekly on Wednesdays.
Streaming details for global audiences:
- USA: Available on Hulu
- UK: Available on Disney+
- Canada: Available on Disney+
- Australia: Available on Disney+
- India: Available on Disney+ Hotstar
The show stars Lucy Halliday as Daisy, Chase Infiniti as Agnes, and Ann Dowd returning as Aunt Lydia. The first season has 10 episodes total. Three episodes are available now, with new episodes arriving each Wednesday.
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