Aunt Lydia has finally turned against Gilead, and while it was great for The Handmaid’s Tale, here is what it means for The Testaments. Aunt Lydia is a major player in The Testaments, which is Margaret Atwood’s 2019 sequel novel to The Handmaid’s Tale. Hulu has already announced that it will be adapting The Testaments into a series after The Handmaid’s Tale concludes, meaning that the streaming service has a lot more in store for Aunt Lydia. Fans have been awaiting her radicalization throughout the last season of The Handmaid’s Tale, and it has finally happened in episode 9.

The Handmaid’s Tale season 6, episode 9 takes place in the immediate aftermath of June’s attack on Serena Joy and Commander Wharton’s wedding. After they are finished killing the Commanders, June and Aunt Phoebe take the Handmaids to the Gilead border. Unfortunately, Gileadean soldiers are there when they arrive. They capture the Handmaids and prepare them to be executed the following morning. Just before the Handmaids and Aunt Phoebe are set to be killed, another figure is brought to the stage: Aunt Lydia.

Aunt Lydia Needed To Turn Against Gilead Because Of The Testaments

For Her To Become A Mayday Mole

Image via Hulu

Image via Hulu

Image via Hulu

In order for the story of The Testaments to work, Aunt Lydia had to turn against Gilead by the end of The Handmaid’s Tale season 6. In The Testaments, Aunt Lydia has fully turned against Gilead, with her being an advocate against the country. She writes a famous book outlining her ideological problems with Gilead, with this writing going famous. However, Lydia is also operating as a Mayday mole, with her working to bring down the country from within. Lydia is one of the main protagonists of The Testaments, meaning that this change was essential to the sequel show.

Up until the start of season 6, Aunt Lydia was still firmly in favor of Gilead’s doctrine. While she had become a more sympathetic character in recent seasons, Aunt Lydia’s redemption arc had not yet made her act out against Gilead. She was still helping to run the Handmaid system, supporting the Commanders, and following the laws of Gilead. So, it was clear that something was going to have to happen to fully turn Lydia against Gilead in the latter half of season 6. So, this change was finally kicked off with the slaughtering of the women at Jezebel’s.

Aunt Lydia’s Arc Has Been Brilliantly Done

Thanks To Ann Dowd’s Performance

Throughout Aunt Lydia’s turn against Gilead, her arc has been brilliantly done. The catalyst for Lydia’s big change was the slaughtering of the women at Jezebel’s, and her love for Janine played a big role in this. At first, Lydia believed that Janine was one of the women who were killed at Jezebel’s. When she learns Janine is alive, she visits her at Commander Bell’s house. There, she sees how abusive he has been, turning her against Gilead further. Finally, Janine’s part in June’s plan is what convinced Lydia to let the Handmaids go.

Aunt Lydia’s redemption arc has been entirely believable, not only because of the show’s writing, but because of Ann Dowd’s performance. She has done fantastic throughout the show, and her conflicting emotions have allowed Dowd do give an incredibly dynamic performance in season 6. Lydia’s scene with the Handmaids in episode 8 and her execution scene in episode 9 are some of Dowd’s best work, proving that she can lead a show like The Testaments.

Can Aunt Lydia Still Be A Mole After So Openly Condemning Gilead?

Why Would Gilead Trust Her?

Custom Image by Kate Bove

One issue with Aunt Lydia’s turn against Gilead is that it might make her story in The Testaments a little less believable. The Handmaid’s Tale book only covers the content of season 1, meaning that most of Lydia’s transformation took place in between the novels. Readers don’t really know what went into Lydia’s change, meaning that anything could have happened in the years between the shows.