‘The Testaments’ Has a Major ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Connection — But You Won’t See Any Red (At Least Not in Season One)

Executive producer Warren Littlefield revealed to The Hollywood Reporter in a recent interview that the upcoming Hulu series 'The Testaments' will maintain a significant narrative connection to its predecessor 'The Handmaid's Tale' while establishing its own distinct visual identity, specifically noting the absence of the iconic red Handmaid's robes in the first season. This strategic creative decision comes as the production team prepares to adapt Margaret Atwood's 2019 sequel novel, with Littlefield emphasizing that the story requires a multi-season arc to be properly told. The connection Littlefield references centers on a specific visual callback involving actress Chase Infiniti, who portrays a character sitting at a window in a scene that deliberately evokes memories from the original series. This careful balancing act between honoring the established world of Gilead and carving new narrative territory reflects the producers' approach to expanding the dystopian universe. Littlefield's comment about needing "at least three seasons" indicates both the narrative ambition of the project and the studio's confidence in the franchise's longevity, suggesting a carefully planned multi-year storytelling roadmap. This development follows the massive success of 'The Handmaid's Tale,' which has run for six seasons and won multiple Emmy Awards since its 2017 debut. The absence of the red robes in Season One of 'The Testaments' signals a deliberate shift in perspective, likely focusing on different social strata within Gilead's oppressive regime as depicted in Atwood's novel, which follows the lives of three women including Aunt Lydia. The production team's emphasis on both continuity and evolution suggests they aim to satisfy existing fans while attracting new viewers to the expanded universe.