The Testaments drama makes major changes to the book – 7 key differences explained

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Following the conclusion of the TV series The Handmaid’s Tale, the story continues with a new spin-off called The Testaments. Based on Margaret Atwood’s sequel novel, the show centers on two young women, Agnes (Chase Infiniti) and Daisy (Lucy Halliday), and their experiences living under Gilead’s oppressive rule, each with very different paths.

The first book came out in 1985, but the sequel wasn’t released until 2019, two years into the Handmaid’s Tale TV series. Atwood has said that Ann Dowd’s portrayal of Aunt Lydia on the show actually influenced how she developed the character in the second book (according to Time magazine).

Atwood shared insights into how the characters would evolve, allowing the show’s writers to prepare for future storylines (according to Variety).

Turning a book into a TV show always requires some adjustments. Television and books are different ways of telling a story, so it’s natural that the adaptation of The Testaments might differ from what readers of the novel anticipated.

While some changes are more significant than others, they all aim to stay true to the heart of Atwood’s novel and preserve what made ‘The Testaments’ such a compelling story. Let’s take a detailed look at the biggest adjustments made in this screen adaptation.

The Testaments book to show differences explained

1. The Testaments is set 4 years after The Handmaid’s Tale

Let’s start with the timeline. This new series takes place a few years after the events of the original Handmaid’s Tale. The books are set 15 years later, but the show picks up only four years after the end of the previous season.

Bruce Miller, the showrunner for The Testaments, clarified this last year in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. He explained that certain parts of the book are set far in the future, and the show intends to reveal those storylines much later on.

We have long-term goals, but the central story we’re focusing on right now is the girls’ journey to find husbands. That’s the heart of what we’re trying to achieve.

2. Tabitha doesn’t appear in season 1

Agnes grows up with Commander Kyle and his wife, Tabitha, but Tabitha passes away due to illness. Afterwards, Kyle marries Paula, a widow who understands his loss.

The show depicts these events too, but Tabitha’s story is shortened, and we mostly learn about her through Agnes’s memories. Both the book and the show share the idea that Tabitha felt as much love for Agnes as Paula currently feels hatred towards her.

3. Aunt Lydia changes jobs

In the novel The Testaments, we learn that Aunt Lydia used to be a judge. However, the TV series The Handmaid’s Tale established, as early as season 3, that Ann Dowd’s portrayal of the character was originally a teacher.

Later episodes of The Testaments’ first season reveal more details through flashbacks that continue a storyline started earlier in the season.

4. Aunt Vidala is different too

Okay, so in The Testaments, we meet Aunt Vidala, and she’s a fascinating, and frankly chilling, addition to the story. She wasn’t just in Gilead when it took over – she actively helped build it. I learned she was the one who originally spotted the potential in women like Lydia, and essentially groomed them to become Aunts, all under Commander Judd’s watchful eye. It really adds another layer to how deeply ingrained the system was, and how long it was in the making.

Mabel Li’s portrayal of Aunt Vidala didn’t support Gilead when it first began. You’ll learn the details of Vidala’s past and her connection to Lydia later in the season.

5. Daisy arrives earlier in the show

The story is told from the perspectives of Agnes, Lydia, and Daisy, and the Daisy we see on screen shares a similar beginning. Both the character and the actress playing her lived in Toronto before their parents were killed for secretly helping Mayday fight against Gilead.

In both stories, Daisy goes undercover in Gilead as a spy, working with Mayday to dismantle the regime and avenge her parents. However, this version presents Lucy Halliday as being around the same age as Agnes, allowing them to be classmates. This differs significantly from the book, where Agnes is about ten years older than Daisy and has become an Aunt named Victoria.

As a total cinema lover, what really struck me about this show is how it flipped the script on the typical age gap storyline. By not leaning into that predictable power imbalance between Agnes and Daisy, they created a genuinely equal connection, and it completely changed how I saw their relationship. It felt so much more authentic and interesting because of it.

6. Garth plays a different role in the series

At the beginning of the series, Garth (played by Brad Alexander) appears as one of the people tasked with guarding Agnes and her family. However, by episode 3, it’s revealed that he’s secretly working with Mayday to overthrow Gilead.

The original Garth is a Mayday operative, but unlike the one within Gilead, he operates from outside the country. He moved from Texas to Canada to work against Gilead from afar. It’s in Canada that he assists Daisy in deceiving the Pearls so they’ll recruit her.

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This change happens because the show sends June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss) to assist Daisy in Canada. As a result, it feels more logical to have Garth go straight to Gilead, significantly altering the course of his storyline.

7. June Osborne’s expanded role in the show

One of the most significant differences is the expanded role of June Osborne. In the original story, she only appears briefly at the very end, reunited with her daughters in Canada. However, her importance as a central figure in the Mayday resistance is evident throughout the narrative.

Many fans were upset when a hoped-for reunion didn’t occur in the original Handmaid’s Tale series, so it’s logical that The Testaments is exploring ways to include June, possibly leading to that reunion in the future. This is even more likely considering Elisabeth Moss is also an executive producer on The Testaments.

Throughout the show, June repeatedly supports Daisy, initially after her parents’ death and later as she navigates her job with Mayday. However, this season, the story doesn’t center around Moss’s well-known character as much as it has in the past.

Even though June has a bigger part in the story, The Testaments ultimately focuses on Daisy, Lydia, and Agnes. It’s their time to fight back and refuse to be defeated.

The Testaments premieres on Hulu in the US and Disney+ in the UK on Wednesday 8 April 2026.

Don’t miss The Testaments! Add it to your watchlist on the TopMob: What to Watch app. Download the app today for daily TV suggestions, exclusive features, and more.

Authors

David OpieFreelance Writer

David Opie is a freelance journalist who covers TV and film for various online publications like TopMob, Indiewire, and Empire. He’s a strong advocate for LGBTQ+ representation in media and often speaks on related panels, always aiming to promote queer stories. When he’s not writing, David enjoys comics, animation, and horror – and he’s hoping to see a Buffy the Vampire Slayerthemed musical challenge on RuPaul’s Drag Race*. Before becoming a freelancer, he worked as a Deputy TV Editor at Digital Spy and holds a degree in Psychology.

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2026-04-08 12:36