The Handmaid’s Tale spinoff The Testaments, based on Margaret Atwood’s novel, is already midseason as we follow Agnes (Chase Infiniti), daughter of a Captain, growing up in Gilead. There are some familiar faces for fans of the original series, Elisabeth Moss guesting as the original resistance leader June Osborne. Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) playing a prominent role in this series, and introducing Agnes to her new best friend Daisy (Lucy Halliday) a plant from Canada that will help Agnes open her eyes to indoctrination, oppression and what is undeniably a part of her DNA – the resistance.
Creator Bruce Miller was more than happy to tease what’s to come this week in episode 6, while on stage at the Deadline Contenders TV panel. “There’s an episode on this week; I’m going to tease the fact that there’s a flashback episode with Lydia and she has a cross in that flashback with Vidala so keep your eyes open to see what the relationship was in the past. That’s all I’ll tease.” Ann Dowd chimed in on Aunt Lydia’s origin story, “Yes keep your eyes open. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life working on it. I honestly mean that. A tremendous help in coming to understand Lydia’s beginning in Gilead. It was beautifully written.”
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Ann Dowd had another unique experience on this first season of The Testaments as she sat to have her likeness transformed into a larger than life statue which towers over the students at the prep school Agnes and Daisy attend aptly named “Aunt Lydia’s School.” Ann shares, “When we were preparing they were taking a lot of pictures, very close pictures, lots of them. I thought why are they wasting their time. It’s not going to look like me; it’s a big stone statue. Well, doesn’t it? When I saw it I was like uh! And the little hump in the back?? Thank you very much [she says sarcastically]. I was so stunned honestly.”
Ann’s understated sarcasm had real life friends Chase Infiniti and Lucy Halliday giggling on stage. The two discussed the true bond they feel on and off set. Chase explains the on-screen dynamic, “That core element of girlhood and of friendship, you have that special bond and really do feel like sisters, even though you may not be related by blood that’s your chosen family, and I think that’s one of my favorite things about the show.” Lucy adds, “There’s a lot of friction there at the start definitely between Agnes and Daisy, that was really fun to get to play. I think especially when you like someone in reality getting to pretend you despise them is so much fun! You can really go for it because you know they’re not going to get offended I think we both took joy in that.”
But it took some work for Lucy to get that comfortable on set with her cast, describing those first few days on set: “I think I described it as a baptism of fire…Both Chase and I felt a responsibility stepping into this world, to have your first week just be you and Elisabeth Moss was like ok, I’m either going to make it or break it! But once we got to the end of the week it was suddenly, ok I think I can do this maybe. Because I had gotten to share it with her.”
New episodes of The Testament drop Wednesdays on Hulu.
Check back Monday for the panel video.