The new Hulu series The Testaments arrived on April 8, 2026, bringing Margaret Atwood’s world back to screens. But fans of the book quickly noticed the TV show took a different path.
Showrunner Bruce Miller made bold choices to connect the sequel directly to The Handmaid’s Tale TV ending instead of following the novel’s timeline. The result is a fresh story with familiar names but new meanings.
Here are the biggest changes between The Testaments book and the TV adaptation.
The Timeline Shift Changes Everything About the Story
The most important change is when the story takes place. Atwood’s book happens 15 years after the original Handmaid’s Tale novel ends. That gave enough time for June’s daughters to grow up and become central players in the fight against Gilead.
But the TV show sets The Testaments just four years after The Handmaid’s Tale series finale. Miller explained why this mattered.
“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, showrunner
This four-year gap means the children are much younger. Baby Nichole, who was smuggled to Canada, would only be around four or five years old. That created a major problem for adapting the book’s central twist.
Daisy Is Not June’s Daughter in the TV Show
Book readers know the big secret: Daisy is actually Nichole, the daughter of June and Nick. In the novel, she goes on a mission to rescue her sister Agnes (Hannah) from Gilead by pretending to be a Pearl Girl.
The TV show completely changes this. Daisy (played by Lucy Halliday) is not June’s biological daughter. Miller confirmed this directly.
“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
So who is Daisy in the show? The first three episodes reveal she was born in Gilead and smuggled out as a baby. June knows her history and explains that Neil and Melanie were her adoptive parents, not her real mother and father. Both were Mayday operatives killed by Gilead. Daisy’s real parents remain a mystery, creating a new question the book never had.
Aunt Lydia’s Backstory Gets Rewritten
Ann Dowd returns as Aunt Lydia, one of the most complex characters in this world. The book reveals Lydia was a family court judge before Gilead took over. That background explains her understanding of power and legal systems.
The TV show changes this. Miller’s version shows Lydia as a school teacher in her past life. This matches what The Handmaid’s Tale series established over six seasons. The show also hints at more flashbacks to Lydia’s past that will explore why she made the choices she did when Gilead first rose to power.
This change keeps Lydia’s character consistent with what TV audiences already know while still adding new layers to her story.
Agnes Takes Center Stage With a New Perspective
Agnes (played by Chase Infiniti) is the Gilead name for Hannah, June and Luke’s daughter who was left behind. In the book, she plays a major role, but the TV show makes her the primary focus.
The series follows Agnes as a Plum, a young girl being trained at Aunt Lydia’s school to become a Commander’s wife. She cannot read or write. She has no access to calendars. She knows nothing about dates or years. Her voiceover narration explains Gilead’s rules from someone who sees this world as completely normal.
“I really tried to tap into what it was like being 14, 15, and to bring that mindset and that excitement to life itself to her. Making sure that she’s staying grounded, but also staying very hopeful and youthful and bright in the world.” – Chase Infiniti
Agnes has no memory of the world before Gilead. Everything she knows comes from what the Aunts teach her. This makes her journey toward questioning the system more powerful because she has nothing to compare it to.
June Appears Differently Than the Book’s Structure
The book The Testaments focuses almost entirely on the younger generation. June appears mostly through memory and documents. The TV show brings Elisabeth Moss back physically.
June shows up at the end of episode one and again in episode three. She meets Daisy at a diner and tells her the truth about her adoptive parents’ deaths. She explains that Gilead still hunts for Daisy and sees her as their property.
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Moss also serves as an executive producer on The Testaments, giving her a strong voice behind the camera. This likely means June will appear throughout the season rather than fading into the background as she does in the book.
What Stays the Same Between Book and Show
Not everything changed. Some core elements remain intact. Aunt Lydia still secretly works against Gilead from inside. The Pearl Girls system exists in both versions. The school for future Wives is a central location. And the fight to bring down Gilead continues through a new generation of young women.
The show also keeps the dual perspective structure, following both Agnes and Daisy as they navigate the dangers of growing up female in Gilead. Their bond becomes the force that changes everything for both of them.
The Testaments airs weekly on Hulu and Disney+ every Wednesday. The first three episodes are now streaming.
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