Episode 3 of The Testaments finally turns the spotlight on Daisy, giving viewers a much better understanding of who she is and how she became ensnared in the dangerous world of Gilead. After two episodes that go deep inside the workings of Gilead, this episode slows things down just enough to make Daisy an interesting lead character, while also tying the story back to June’s ongoing battle against the regime.
The episode begins in Toronto, where Daisy (Shailene Woodley) lives a seemingly normal teenage life. In school, students discuss the fall of democracy and the rise of Gilead, showing how the outside world views the authoritarian country with horror and disbelief. Daisy herself seems to be free, hanging out with her boyfriend Justin, hanging out at skateparks and not having any serious direction in life.
But all that normalcy vanishes the second she comes home to find her parents murdered.
It’s emotionally immediate and brutal. Daisy is forced to identify their bodies as she struggles to come to terms with the events. June meets a social worker named Tim at the hospital, but before he can earn her trust, June secretly intercepts Daisy and tells her the terrifying truth: that her parents were murdered by Gilead operatives, and Daisy could be the next target.
June takes Daisy to a safehouse and reveals that her parents had been secretly working with Mayday for years. Their antique shop was merely a front for resistance work. The revelation completely turns Daisy’s perception of her own life upside down, especially after finding out that Neil and Melanie were not her biological parents.
Of course Daisy has a hard time accepting any of it. She sneaks off to see Justin one last time, but it’s only for comfort or escape, and in the end her old life is gone for good. When Justin is confronted with the reality of running away he hesitates, and Daisy understands that she can no longer afford to live like an ordinary teenager.
One of the best moments of the episode is the exchange between Daisy and June at the diner. June says Gilead thinks Daisy is theirs and they’ve been looking for her since she was a baby. It’s a fraught but touching moment, and all the more so for underlining just how well Mayday has protected Daisy all her life. It is June’s resolve to keep fighting for herself that gives the episode some real emotional weight.
The plot in present-day Gilead continues to build tension around the Pearl Girls program. Aunt Vidala is an outspoken critic of the initiative, saying that most of the girls end up as low-status wives rather than serving any useful purpose. Her frustration, yet another crack in Gilead’s leadership.
Daisy is then sent to spend more time with Agnes and the other girls before another field trip. There is still a bit of an awkward group dynamic, but the humor is well used to slowly break down the tension between them. Daisy’s sarcasm is a jarring contrast to the rigid culture of Gilead, particularly when she shocks the others with stories from her life in Toronto.
Things take a turn for the worse when armed attackers ambush the school bus. It’s a chaotic and intense sequence with bullets flying outside and the girls forced to hide. The attack injures Aunt Vidala but also creates a surprising bond between Daisy and Agnes after Daisy helps to protect the group during the crisis.
Later the girls visit the home of Penny, a sunny young wife who embraces Gilead’s expectations wholeheartedly. Commander Judd’s arrival makes the visit decidedly awkward, and his attention is fixed on Daisy from the moment he walks in the door. Judd’s cool but menacing questioning creates one of the most suspenseful scenes in the episode, especially considering Daisy is secretly working with Mayday behind enemy lines.
And the last twist is that Garth is also part of the resistance. He confirms the last attack was a mission to rescue Daisy — and it went horribly wrong. In asking June to contact her again, Daisy passes along information about the school, but the moment also drives home just how alone Daisy really is in Gilead.
Episode 3 is easily the best episode of the season so far because it finally gives Daisy some real depth. She doesn’t seem like a replacement protagonist but connected to June’s legacy in a believable manner. Their defiance, stubbornness and emotional reactions are alike and the parallel between them is impossible to ignore.
The episode also raises some interesting questions about the current structure of Gilead. Handmaids seem to be completely gone. This suggests the regime has changed since the events of The Handmaid’s Tale. Meanwhile, the series continues to tease bigger mysteries surrounding Daisy’s true identity and Mayday’s wider operations.
The political situation outside of Gilead remains murky and there are still questions to be answered, especially regarding the level of support the American government is giving the resistance. Hopefully future episodes clarify those details more clearly.
Still, this chapter balances emotional storytelling, suspense and world-building nicely. More importantly, it finally gives The Testaments the momentum it needs going into the rest of the season.