Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Handmaid’s Tale season 6, episode 3!
Hulu’sThe Testamentsspinoff has been officially confirmed, and Aunt Lydia’s story for the new series is already being set up inThe Handmaid’s Taleseason 6. After the success ofThe Handmaid’s TaleTV show,Margaret Atwood released a sequel novel in 2019 titledThe Testaments. The book focuses on Aunt Lydia as well as June’s two children, Hannah and Nichole, with it continuing the story ofThe Handmaid’s Talewell after June’s narrative is over.
Although the existence ofThe Testamentsmeans that the franchise isn’t over,The Handmaid’s Taleseason 6will be bringing the original series to a close. There is still a lot of ground for season 6 to cover, as June is no closer to bringing down Gilead or rescuing Hannah. Unfortunately, the story ofThe Testamentsmeans that neither of these things will be happening inThe Handmaid’s Tale, although there is still one big Aunt Lydia change that must be made before the show is over.
Despite Aunt Lydia being one of Gilead’s most devoted supporters inThe Handmaid’s Tale, she is one of the country’s most vocal critics inThe Handmaid’s Tale. In the sequel book,Aunt Lydia writes a book of her own, with it being full of her criticisms of Gilead. Lydia’s writings become incredibly popular, allowing her to gain more influence and change Gilead from within.
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Eventually, it is revealed that Aunt Lydia’s issues with Gilead have led her to take even more drastic measures. InThe Testaments, Lydia is a mole for Mayday, with her helping Hannah and Nichole to learn about their true heritage. Lydia’s revolutionary activities make her one ofThe Testaments' most important protagonists, signaling a major change from her characterization inThe Handmaid’s Tale.
Aunt Lydia’s The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 Story Continues Setting Up Her Testaments Role
She Is Slowly Turning Against Gilead
For a while now, Aunt Lydia has been changing her mind about some of Gilead’s practices. Her care for Janine has been one of Lydia’s biggest motivators, and episode 3 only drives her closer to the personshe will become inThe Testaments. Lydia is shocked to see Janine working in Jezebel’s, realizing that Gilead has lied about their treatment of the Handmaids who have given birth.
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This could motivate Lydia to argue for change within Gilead for the rest of season 6. While there is a time jump betweenThe Handmaid’s TaleandThe Testaments, season 6 still has some work to do to believably turn Aunt Lydia into someone who would join Mayday. Luckily, there are still plenty of episodes left forThe Handmaid’s Taleto do so.
The Handmaid’s Tale
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The Handmaid’s Tale is a television adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s novel, released in 2017. It is set in a dystopian future where a woman is compelled to live as a concubine under a strict fundamentalist theocracy.
