Top News

The Testaments TV series has departed dramatically from the source material, leaving some viewers baffled.

The Testaments has landed on Hulu and Disney+ following considerable anticipation, releasing the first three episodes of The Handmaid's Tale sequel in one sitting, along with a monumental twist, reports the Mirror.

Despite this, numerous fans have been left puzzled by certain crucial elements from the novel that appear to have been altered in the television adaptation, particularly those involving June Osborne (played by Elisabeth Moss) and her daughters.

WARNING: This article contains major spoilers from The Testaments novel by Margaret Atwood and The Testaments TV show.

In The Testaments novel, Daisy and Agnes are confirmed to be June's daughters, Nichole/Holly and Hannah, respectively.

The book is set 15 years after the events of the original 1985 novel The Handmaid's Tale, meaning the girls are considerably older.

Daisy ventures to rescue Agnes from Gilead by posing as a Pearl Girl, and attempts to reunite her with their family.

By contrast, The Testaments TV show is set just four years after The Handmaid's Tale series finale and the fall of Boston.

As a result, the girls are younger than their literary counterparts, which critically alters how the narrative unfolds on screen.

The Testaments showrunner Bruce Miller recently told The Hollywood Reporter: "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."

Miller went further to confirm that while Daisy in the TV series shares a comparable backstory to the character in the novel, they cannot be identical because Holly/Nichole would only be four or five years old.

He added: "So in our story, because of the timeline, baby Holly, as far as we know, is safe growing up in Toronto... for now!"

This indicates that June's daughter, Daisy, from the novel, isn't the same Daisy we encounter in the TV series; however, Miller's comments suggest that Holly/Nichole could be brought in later during the series.

Meanwhile, in her narration, Agnes states she is unaware of dates or years - most probably because she was prohibited from reading in Gilead - rendering her something of an unreliable narrator.

She also reveals that she was born in the "sinful, before world" prior to Gilead's establishment, which strongly suggests she is June's daughter.

The short answer is yes. June appears at the conclusion of episode one and again in episode three, where she assists Daisy in evading the agents of Gilead. June reveals to Daisy that Neil (Jimi Shlag) and Melanie (Kerri Smith) were her adoptive parents and Mayday operatives, rather than her biological mother and father.

She further confirms that Gilead is pursuing Daisy because they consider her to be their property and are actively searching for her.

Should Daisy not be Baby Nichole/Holly, she could well be amongst the children that June helped smuggle out of Gilead to Canada during season three.

June is anticipated to appear intermittently throughout The Testaments, given her central role in The Handmaid's Tale and her story's deep connection to the new series.

Furthermore, actress Moss serves as an executive producer on The Testaments and plays a significant role behind the scenes, which could have a bearing on June's presence on screen.

The Testaments airs weekly on Hulu and Disney+ on Wednesdays