Hulu is renewing ‘The Testaments’ for a second season, extending its return to Gilead after the series’ debut on April 8 and a fast climb in viewership over its first eight days. The show is now preparing for Episode 9 on May 20, with the season finale slated
By the time Episode 4 became available on April 15. ‘The Testaments’ had already started to move—fast enough that Hulu decided to keep the story going. The streaming platform has renewed the series for Season 2. with Chase Infiniti. Lucy Halliday and Ann Dowd starring. as it extends its return to Gilead.
The renewal comes eight episodes into the show’s 10-episode freshman run. It’s also being framed as a momentum story: after debuting with three episodes on April 8—just a couple of weeks after the film awards season in which Infiniti went from a virtual unknown to an award-winning movie star for her role in ‘One Battle After Another’—the series has shown week-to-week ratings growth.
Hulu pointed to the shift in viewer behavior tied to the rollout. Episode 4, released April 15, delivered a 20% viewership increase compared with the premiere after one day of streaming. Over the first eight days, ‘The Testaments’ generated over 11M hours streamed globally across Hulu and Disney+.
By Episode 8, the first-day view count for that episode was up 76% from the premiere. To date, available episodes have amassed over 45M hours streamed globally. The show is now set to release Episode 9 on May 20 on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ in the U.S. for bundle subscribers, and on Disney+ internationally. The season finale is scheduled for May 27.
Even as the numbers build, the series remains anchored to what it is asking audiences to feel. ‘The Testaments’ is a coming-of-age story set in Gilead. It follows young teens Agnes (Infiniti). dutiful and pious. and Daisy (Halliday). a new arrival and convert from beyond Gilead’s borders. Their lives unfold inside the gilded halls of Aunt Lydia’s (Ann Dowd) elite preparatory school for future wives—an institution where obedience is instilled brutally. and always with divine justification. The show’s central driver is their bond: a connection that becomes the catalyst meant to upend their past. their present and their future.
That arc lands in the hands of a team built around continuity from ‘The Handmaid’s Tale.’ ‘The Testaments’ is a sequel to the Emmy-winning series. It was created by ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ creator Bruce Miller based on Margaret Atwood’s Booker Prize-winning novel. Miller serves as showrunner and executive produces alongside Warren Littlefield. Elisabeth Moss. Steve Stark. Shana Stein. Maya Goldsmith. John Weber. Sheila Hockin. Daniel Wilson. Fran Sears and Mike Barker. who directed the first three episodes and the finale. Priscilla Porianda is a co-executive producer. Gianna Sobol was a co-executive producer on Season 1 and will executive produce next season. The series is produced by MGM Television and 20th Television.
Along with Infiniti and Halliday. the cast also includes Mabel Li. Amy Seimetz. Brad Alexander. Rowan Blanchard. Mattea Conforti. Zarrin Darnell-Martin. Eva Foote. Isolde Ardies. Shechinah Mpumlwana. Birva Pandya and Kira Guloien. Elisabeth Moss returned for a guest appearance, reprising her role as June Osborn.
For Season 2 to be greenlit mid-run. it only takes one thing to be undeniable: the show didn’t just arrive—it started finding its audience. episode by episode. in the hours and days Hulu is now tracking as evidence. Episode 9 is releasing today. May 20. and with the season finale coming May 27. the end of the first season will land while the story’s next chapter has already been secured.
The Testaments Hulu Season 2 renewal Gilead Chase Infiniti Lucy Halliday Ann Dowd Bruce Miller Elisabeth Moss streaming hours Episode 9 May 20 May 27