The third episode of The Testaments dropped on April 8, 2026, and it finally answers the biggest question on every viewer’s mind: Who is Daisy, and why does Gilead want her so badly? The episode takes us back to Toronto, where we see the violent event that destroyed Daisy’s old life and forced her into hiding. Lucy Halliday, who plays Daisy, delivers a powerful performance as a normal teenager whose world falls apart in one night.
The Hulu series, which is a follow-up to The Handmaid‘s Tale, shifts focus in this episode to tell Daisy’s backstory. We learn that her parents, Neil and Melanie, were not just simple shop owners. They worked with Mayday, the resistance group fighting against Gilead. Their secret work got them killed, and Daisy barely escaped with help from a very familiar face.
The Night Everything Changed for Daisy in Toronto
Before the tragedy, Daisy lived a regular teenage life in Toronto. She went to school, had a boyfriend named Justin, and loved riding her skateboard. Her parents owned a second-hand clothes shop and seemed like ordinary, loving people. Daisy’s main worry was whether to tell her mom about her boyfriend.
But one night, everything changed. When Daisy returned to the store, she found her parents dead. They had been shot. The police took her to the hospital, where a man pretending to be a social worker tried to drug her. June Osborne, played by Elisabeth Moss, showed up just in time and stopped him.
June took Daisy to a motel and explained that her parents were not who they seemed. They worked with Mayday, a secret resistance network fighting Gilead. June told Daisy that Gilead killed them because of this work. Daisy could not believe it. Her parents were kind people who were polite even to the Pearl Girls who came to their shop.
Daisy Refuses to Accept the Truth and Runs Away
Daisy did not want to believe June. She demanded to call her boyfriend Justin, but June said no. That part of her life was over. That night, Daisy sneaked out of the motel and went to Justin‘s house. She cried in his arms and asked him to run away with her. Justin did not understand. He thought she was just upset and suggested they talk to his parents.
Daisy knew that was a bad idea. She took some money from his pocket, climbed out the window, and left. June was waiting outside. Daisy finally accepted that she had no choice but to trust this stranger.
June Reveals the Shocking Truth About Daisy’s Birth
The episode‘s biggest moment comes when June tells Daisy why Gilead is after her. Gilead does not want to kill Daisy. They want to take her back. June reveals that Neil and Melanie were not Daisy’s biological parents. Daisy was born in Gilead, and her birth parents got her out when she was a baby.
June shares a small memory. When Daisy first left Gilead, she would not stop crying. Melanie sang show tunes for hours until the baby finally calmed down and fell asleep. June tells Daisy that Neil and Melanie will always be her real parents. They raised her, loved her, and died protecting her.
Daisy blames herself for their deaths, but June stops her. She tells Daisy to never think that way. Before leaving, June promises that Mayday will always have Daisy’s back. They have been watching over her since the beginning.
“You are never alone. Mayday‘s got you. We’ve always had you, from the beginning. Don‘t let the bastards grind you down, OK?” – June Osborne to Daisy
Back in Gilead, Daisy Faces a New Kind of Danger
The episode also shows Daisy’s present-day life inside Gilead. She is now a Pearl Girl at Aunt Lydia’s school, pretending to be a convert who chose to come to Gilead. Her mission is to stay close to Agnes, a dutiful student who is actually Hannah, June’s daughter.
Daisy and the other Plums go on a field trip to Commander Judd’s house. But on the way, their bus gets attacked. Gunfire rings out, and the girls have to hide in a nearby store. Daisy protects Agnes during the attack, which helps her earn Agnes‘s trust.
Later, Daisy secretly meets with Garth, Agnes’s Guardian. She learns that Mayday was behind the attack. It was supposed to be a retrieval mission, but something went wrong. Daisy is furious. She calls Mayday a “sloppy shitshow” for putting the young girls at risk.
Fans React to the Emotional Third Episode
Viewers took to social media after watching the first three episodes of The Testaments. Many were shocked and happy to see Elisabeth Moss return as June.
One fan wrote on X, “I watched the first 3 episodes of The Testaments, and aaaaah when June showed up in the 1st one I cried, I wasn‘t expecting that, and then in the 3rd she was an active character, I loved it!”
Another viewer said, “Binged the first three episodes, soooo good and June!!!! Roll on next weds for episode four!”
A third fan shared, “I just binged the first three episodes in Australia, I can‘t believe June is in it! They said she wouldn’t be! It‘s sucked me in totally!”
The series has earned an 85% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics have praised how the show expands the world of Gilead while keeping the same tense, dark feeling that made The Handmaid’s Tale so popular.
Elisabeth Moss Explains Her Return as June
Elisabeth Moss, who is also an executive producer on The Testaments, spoke about why she came back to play June. She said it was not a difficult decision. The show takes place only four years after The Handmaid‘s Tale ended, not 15 years like in the book. So June is still very active in the resistance.
Moss told reporters, “We kind of followed our hearts. It wasn’t even like a big discussion about, should she or should she not? It made more sense to have June in it. She‘s still active in the world.”
Showrunner Bruce Miller added that June’s story was not finished at the end of The Handmaid’s Tale. He said, “Her story isn’t finished. There are certain things she has accomplished, and certain things she has not accomplished. Moving forward, her story has more story to continue.”
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What the Episode Means for the Rest of the Season
Episode 3 sets up the main conflict for the rest of The Testaments. Daisy now knows the truth about her past. She is inside Gilead, pretending to be a Pearl Girl, but she is really working for Mayday. Her goal is to stay close to Agnes, who does not know that Daisy is connected to the resistance.
The show releases new episodes weekly on Wednesdays. Episode 4, titled “Green Tea,” will arrive on April 15, 2026. Fans in the USA can watch on Hulu. Viewers in the UK, Canada, and Australia can stream on Disney+ with the Hulu on Disney+ bundle. India viewers can also watch on Disney+ Hotstar.
The Testaments has 10 episodes in its first season. The finale is scheduled for May 27, 2026.
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