Be warned, spoilers for The Testaments ahead!
When The Handmaid’s Tale wrapped up last year, many of us feared we’d seen the last of June Osborne. Our plucky, albeit sometimes exasperating, protagonist had carried us through six harrowing seasons of Gilead’s horrors, surviving betrayal, loss, and unimaginable oppression along the way.
Even with the release of The Testaments, a sequel based on Margaret Atwood’s novel, fans were left wondering what would come next. Written more than twenty years after The Handmaid’s Tale, the book follows three women as they navigate the brutal, controlling world of Gilead. While the novel is set fifteen years after the events of the first book, the series adapts the story to occur just four years later, introducing subtle but significant timeline changes.
So, is June featured in The Testaments novel, and can we expect Elisabeth Moss to reprise her iconic role in the new Disney+ series? Here’s everything you need to know before stepping back into Gilead.
Is June in The Testaments book?
June Osborne does not appear in The Testaments novel, but her legacy drives the entire story. While June herself is absent, her daughters take centre stage… yes, both of them.
In the book, Agnes is revealed to be Hannah, June’s daughter with Luke from before she became a Handmaid. Agnes was adopted by a Commander and his wife, and when her adoptive mother passed away, Paula became her stepmother, shaping her upbringing in Gilead.
George Kraychyk/Courtesy of Everett Collection
Meanwhile, Daisy is actually Baby Nichole, June’s daughter with Nick. At the end of The Handmaid’s Tale, June smuggled Nichole out of Gilead, sparking a series of events that forced her to take a new identity. Tragically, her adoptive parents were later killed by Gilead loyalists. Daisy goes undercover as a Pearl — a convert brought into Gilead — to expose the regime’s abuses from within.
It looks like the series is already taking liberties with the book, including significant changes to Daisy’s story. But will the show also alter June’s absence, or will her legacy remain the driving force from the sidelines? Only time will tell.
Is June in The Testaments series?
Initially, there was no word on whether June would appear in The Testaments. Elisabeth Moss was signed on as an executive producer and publicly praised the new cast members, but she didn’t hint at returning to the screen. It seemed unlikely, a secret that big would have surely leaked, right?