Spoiler alert: This story contains spoilers for the first three episodes of The Testament, the sequel series to The Handmaid’s Tale, available on Hulu.
In the series premiere of Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale sequel Testament, Elisabeth Moss’ June Osborn makes a brief cameo in the final moments of the first episode. June is seen watching Daisy (Lucy Halliday) from a distance inside a Canadian store in a flashback before Daisy enrolls in Agnes’ (Chase Infinity) academy in Gilead.
This appearance will come as a shock to fans of “The Handmaid’s Tale.” The sequel series was heavily touted as a YA drama that would include a time jump and focus on June’s eldest daughter, Hannah, who is stranded as a Gilead citizen known as Agnes, the daughter of a famous commander. Moss was announced as an executive producer on Testament, but was not a cast member.
When The Handmaid’s Tale concluded in 2025, June chose to return to Gilead, record her story as a Handmaid, and continue the resistance movement in hopes of one day recovering her and Luke’s daughter Hannah. June gives up her full-time freedom in Canada and her life with her other daughter, Nicole, for that purpose.
Lucy Halliday as Daisy and Chase Infinity as Agnes/Hannah in Testament/Hulu
Provided by Disney
“We were honest and followed our hearts,” Moss told Variety about reprising her role in Testament. “There wasn’t a big debate about whether she should or shouldn’t come back. One of the differences with the book is that the timeline is different. So Margaret sets The Will 15 years in the future, but we… We don’t do that. I think it’s four years, so it makes more sense to have June in it instead of her going somewhere else entirely. We’re debating whether or not to do it.”
The first three episodes of “Testaments” began on April 8th, and viewers were treated to more than just one of June’s hits. Moss plays an important role in Episode 3. In that episode, a flashback shows June communicating with Daisy after losing her parents. June recruits Daisy to the movement, a key plot point that drives the rest of Season 1 of The Testament. It was because of Daisy’s mysterious importance to the Resistance that Moss was asked by Bruce Miller, creator of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Testament TV series, to replace the Handmaid’s bonnet.
“I’m sure at some point Bruce was like, ‘Here’s what I’m thinking about, do you want to do this too?'” Moss said. “And I was like, ‘Yes, of course!’ How do we involve Daisy in the Resistance in a way that’s exciting for new audiences and returning audiences? Well, who’s the leader of the Resistance, right? He was like, ‘Isn’t it June?'” Like, who are you going to do, are other people going to come in and be that? It was organic. ”
What Moss wanted to keep in mind was how June’s plot would eventually intersect with Daisy and Hannah/Agnes’ story throughout the remainder of Testament’s first season. Moss teased that the show intends to return as often as necessary, as long as the big storyline of June and Hannah’s separation is handled carefully and her appearance doesn’t take the focus away from what Agnes and Daisy are up to.
“For me, I think it was more about how and why? and, ‘How close can she get to Hannah?’ Discuss,” Moss said. “I think we’ll call her Agnes. Like, how? What’s the connection? And that’s something we talk about all the time. But it seemed like a very natural thing. And I’m literally, very, if you call, I’ll be there, just let me know. I love playing that character so much, and I love the people I’m working with on that show so much, so I’m like, ‘No matter, just let me know.’ ”
