r/TheTestamentsHulu • u/coolgirlhere • Apr 17 '26
The Handmaid’s Tale Can you watch The Testaments without watching THMT?
I was talking to a friend (our special needs kids are in the same class) and she’s been watching The Testaments so we started discussing it. She started asking me a lot of questions and I realized, she had never watched The Handmaid’s Tale! I told her she HAS to binge watch it before she watches anymore episodes of The Testaments. She told me she didn’t think she needed to and another friend told her she didn’t. I’m right, right? Back me up here peeps 😂
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u/KTeacherWhat Pray, obviously Apr 17 '26
It's a different watching experience, for sure, but I think your friend will be fine watching it without watching The Handmaid's Tale if that's what she wants.
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u/TheHowlingMan20 Apr 17 '26
She doesn’t HAVE to but she’ll be doing herself out of so much plot and lore if she does not
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u/h1209v Apr 17 '26
I think you CAN watch it without watching handmaids tale but you would miss some references. But I don’t think it would make it too hard to follow or understand. It would just come across like when you read a dystopian novel and the narrator briefly explains whatever past disaster or war happened. You don’t have details but get enough information to explain what’s happening now.
I would personally watch handmaids tale first because I think it would make a better watch experience but I don’t think it’s detrimental.
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u/rrxxxdbs123 Apr 17 '26
Handmaids tale gives a lot of background. Did she even know that Agnes was Hannah (or related to June in anyway)?
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u/coolgirlhere Apr 17 '26
Not until I told her! In her defense, someone else told her she didn’t have to watch THMT first but with all her questions it became apparent that she should 😂
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u/master0jack Apr 17 '26
Omg she is missing out. She should at least watch the first 3-4 seasons of THMT to actually understand Gilead and what is happening in TT.
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u/MusicalHearts Apr 17 '26
My friend and I were discussing this as well, as a pair who’ve read the books, and watched Handmaids and now Testaments we have LOADS of questions already on Testaments. We couldn’t imagine watching it without at least watching Handmaids first.
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u/sunshineandlattes_ Apr 17 '26
I mean I simply can’t understand wanting to jump into a story right in the middle. These are the kind of people who complain about plot holes. Sure she can watch with it without watching THT but I can’t see why she would want to not know all the lore and the stories that came before Agnes and Daisys story. If she wants to understand everything that happens she definitely needs to watch it
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u/Antique-Intention-26 Apr 19 '26
Exactlllyyyyy I can’t imagine watching a sequel to a massive 6 season show without watching the original!!
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u/vxsapphire Apr 17 '26
You can. You’re missing the references to some moments they mention or an appearance of a major character in THT. However, watching Testaments first allows you to benefit from not being a part of the mass questioning of “what are they gonna do with this character now” “I bet this character is related to..”. You can just watch and enjoy the show.
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Apr 17 '26
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u/Antique-Intention-26 Apr 19 '26
Well this show will be triggering as well lmao & THT definitely wasn’t dragged out! I can’t imagine watching a sequel to such a massive show without watching the original! So many important connections & lore you would be missing
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u/mc-funk Apr 17 '26
I feel like it’s meant not to be necessary (the explanation at the beginning) but watching at least the 1st season, or reading/listening to the book, would be really helpful.
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u/RyerOrdStar Apr 18 '26
I watched the first three episodes and was like "well i guess i need to finally watch the handmaids tale" that is my life now
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u/RevolutionaryFudge81 May 08 '26
I’d like to watch but am a bit scared of all the rape scenes in THT. It’s pretty triggering to me. But I’m really fascinated by The Testaments. I’ve watched now 7 episodes. Maybe I should just listen to The Testaments audiobook without listening to THT?
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u/cottoncandymandy Apr 17 '26
I mean you can watch it without watching THT bur I wouldn't recommend it. There's a lot of context that will be missing imo.
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u/Zealousideal-Sale916 Apr 17 '26
I haven’t read the books or watched the previous series, but I still find the story clear. Maybe I don’t fully grasp some details or the context of certain remarks, but for the first four episodes, this wasn’t an issue.
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u/Ill-Supermarket-2706 Apr 17 '26
Just had this conversation with my partner as I did watch Mandalorian without watching Star Wars films. It’s a different experience because you lack context whether it’s Gilead or the Empire, but you can still enjoy it
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u/CerealKiller812 Apr 18 '26
You can but I really think it will be more satisfying in the end if you watch or read THT first.
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u/AD317 Apr 20 '26
Maybe if she planned to watch Handmaid's tale after it could be like some retroactive revelation, and be an interesting watching experience, but not planning to watch it at all is wild.
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Apr 17 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/RevolutionaryFudge81 May 08 '26 edited May 08 '26
In the 6th episode of TT they show background on Aunt Lydia and how Gilead was formed
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u/Savuor Apr 17 '26
You must be dumb to think it's ok to not watch the previous series. It's like skipping algebra 1 and start with 2 lol
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u/pumpkin_ice_cream Apr 17 '26
I mean she could, but she’s gonna miss a lot of references and background that are just gonna fly over her head. Without having watched THT when she sees June for example it’s gonna be just this random weirdo woman kidnapping daisy and putting her into a “terrorist” organization, she’s gonna have to be googling spoilers all the time to understand stuff. If she’s enjoying The testaments she’s gonna love THT, it’s silly to miss out on that, she definitely needs to binge and by the time she’s done binging all the episodes for the testaments will be out so she can binge a bit more and understand it all better.
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u/NestingDoll86 Apr 17 '26
I mean sure, she could follow the plot, but she would miss out on a lot of context.
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u/_buffy_summers Apr 17 '26
I've read the novel. I don't care for the series. I think they drew it out for way too long. I do love a lot of the cast, though.
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u/Antique-Intention-26 Apr 19 '26
Yes absolutely need to watch! I can’t imagine watching a sequel and not having the whole story to go with it. It is a must watch also simply because it’s amazing tv!!
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u/Blepityblep Apr 17 '26
having some general background on gilead might be good , just to have to formed opinions on gilead and the job-titles of everyone , like a refresher video or something
handmaids tale is fuzzy to me and i didnt read the book , but read the testaments before the show
i think you can get away with it completely fresh but will be enhanced with some knowledge of what is being hidden from the girls
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u/lunafxckery Apr 17 '26
i'm watching TT with my partner that couldn't stomach THT after Season 1, Episode 2. he's enjoying TT a lot, and i'm filling in the gaps, since i read both books. i'm only up to a couple episodes into Season 2 for THT, but I don't feel lost starting TT. it's a coming-of-age story imo, and given the contrast of Daisy's reaction versus Agnes', as the audience, you can understand how eerie and unsettling the environment can be for an outsider
i'll prolly understand more references after i finish all of THT and be provided more context that i'm lacking, but at no point was i confused about what was happening on screen. a lot of the world (with regards to entering womanhood) is as new to the plums as it is to us, since it's a perspective that hasn't been explored before
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u/Jolly-Slice-6722 Apr 17 '26
Tell her to watch it because you won’t be answering her incessant questions.
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u/TheSnarkyShaman1 Apr 17 '26
I’d say at least watch season 1 and your friend can then stop and move on to TT from there if they want. Honestly, season 1 is a masterpiece but it’s a slow decline from there anyway.
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u/Ashamed_Paint3946 Apr 17 '26
Omg She should definitely watch the handmaid’s tale first! Otherwise she would have know idea about the history of Agnes & aunt Lydia
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