The Handmaid’s Tale remains one of the greatest literary masterpieces of all time. The TV adaptation, developed by showrunner Bruce Miller, has also earned plenty of accolades since its debut in 2017. It’s no surprise, then, that The Testaments (also led by Miller) is one of the biggest (and bleakest) hits of 2026 so far.
Produced by MGM Television and 20th Television, The Testaments, based on the book of the same name by Margaret Atwood, wrapped its first season in late May. However, Hulu’s fresh dystopian thriller won both the hearts and the minds of its audience, with a second season renewal confirmed even before The Testaments’ finale had aired.
The series follows Agnes (Chase Infiniti), the biological daughter of June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss) from the original series. Unlike her mother, whose life was ripped away from her, Agnes has never known life beyond the oppressive, patriarchal walls of Gilead. However, when the rebellious Mayday spy Daisy (Lucy Halliday) arrives at Aunt Lydia’s (Ann Dowd) elite school for future wives (also known as Plum Girls) of Commanders, Agnes is forced to confront the true horrors of Gilead’s society.
Does The Testaments season 2 have a release date?
At the time of writing, The Testaments season 2 does not yet have a release date, but fans have speculated that — following the quick pace of The Handmaid’s Tale seasons — a second season of The Testaments could be ready as soon as 2027.
What’s the plot of The Testaments season 2?
Outside the renewal, not much else has been confirmed about The Testaments‘ second season. However, drawing on what we know from the book — and how The Testaments‘ first season ended — we have some ideas about where Agnes and her fellow Plum Girls will go next.
Last we left off, Daisy’s plans to unite the girls of the Gilead school to fight back against their oppressors seemed to be successful, having taken Agnes and Shunammite (Rowan Blanchard) under her wing. And not a moment too soon, as Daisy had only recently started her period, meaning that she too will now be expected to participate in the brutal expectations of young women growing up in Gilead. If she wants to survive, she’ll need allies.
Then there’s Agnes, who now knows both her true identity — Hannah — and that her mother is June, a key figure in the Mayday resistance. With a legacy like that, we don’t doubt Agnes will join her mother’s side sooner rather than later.
Last but not least is the mystery surrounding Commander Judd (Charlie Carrick) and his goals. We know his wife keeps suffering from miscarriages, and in the original novel, because marriage is considered sacred in Gilead, Judd kills his wives to gain new ones. With Agnes’ engagement officially over, could this mean Judd will set his sights on Agnes? It’s uncertain, but we wouldn’t put it past that sleaze.
We know through The Testaments novel that change is coming to Gilead, but according to the showrunner, “sisterhood” will ultimately spell Gilead’s doom.
“No matter how much they tried to drive these girls apart, every single solution to almost every problem they faced was solved through communication between them with sisterhood, trust, and belief,” Miller said in an interview with Radio Times. “Also an absolutely unwavering belief that if I tell you something, you’ll never tell.”
Miller went on to explain that the leaders of Gilead incorrectly believe all it takes to shape Handmaids and Marthas is to break the spirits of these young girls before rebuilding them “from the ground up.” It’s an idea that Miller laughs at, stating, “They’re teenage girls, they empower themselves in every way you can imagine.”
The Testaments is available to stream on Hulu and Disney Plus.
