Diksha Sundriyal
Agnes steps into womanhood in the fifth episode of Hulu’s ‘The Testaments.’ All her life, she has been prepped for becoming a wife. The previous episode focused on her displaying her wife skills to the Aunts, and things move a step further in the fifth episode as the much-anticipated ball happens. This is shortly after Agnes discovers that she has been assaulted by Dr. Grove. The episode begins while she is still processing what happened to her, even though she doesn’t really understand what the dentist even did to her. She feels a wave of shame wash over her, but she also knows that she cannot tell anyone about it. One of the things that Gilead has prepared her for is how to push down her emotions and focus on what’s ahead of her. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Agnes and Her Friends Meet Their Prospective Matches
Deciding not to linger on what Dr. Grove did to her, Agnes prepares for the ball. She wears a green dress, symbolic of the fact that she is now a fertile woman ready to be wedded and bedded. Paula is glad to see that her dress fits her well, because the better she looks, the better her chances of finding a husband. She also tells her how to behave with the Commanders, how to act properly without seeming coy. She reminisces about her own prom, talking about the strapless dress she wore. But of course, Agnes has no idea what that feels like. She leaves for the ball, where she reunites with her friends. Becka is also gripped by anxiety, but when she tries to talk to Agnes, the latter gives her a cold shoulder.
While Agnes tries to understand why her friend is acting weird, the ball begins. The girls walk into the hall where they start to dance under the watchful eyes of the Aunts and the young Commanders. Then comes the turn of the fathers, which brings Dr. Grove within a short distance of her. While he is dancing with Becka, and Agnes has her own father in front of her, she is taken aback and panics for a moment. Once again, Gilead’s training of pushing away her fears comes in handy, and the dance proceeds. When the dance with the fathers is done, the young Commanders take over. Conversations flow as the men seem just as awkward as the girls, and everything seems to go well. But this was just the first round.
Meanwhile, Daisy stands outside the room by the door, where she catches the eye of an old Commander. When he touches him, she tells him to keep his hands off her, which makes him angry. Fortunately, Garth intervenes just in time to send the Commander away and save her. He also tells her that her tip about the chocolate turned out to be good, and Mayday wants her to get close to Agnes, believing that it may lead Daisy to find out more about her father’s secret trips. Daisy quips back at him to get close to Agnes and wonders when she will be taken out of Gilead. Garth tells her that she has to prove that she is worth the trouble. Elsewhere, Shunammite and Hulda drink mushroom tea in the hopes of getting their periods as well.
Agnes Gets a Rare Moment With Garth
After the first round of the ball, the girls return to their friends and discuss the possibilities in front of them. Things start to get antagonistic between them already, and that’s how Agnes’ behavior towards Becka is read. When Becka asks her why she is acting weird, Agnes doesn’t answer her, making others think that they are both vying for the attention of the same Commander. As the second round begins, the older Commander steps in, and the girls know that this is where the real game begins. While it was fun to dance with the young Commanders, it is the old ones that they will be married to, especially those hailing from prominent families. Fortunately for Agnes, halfway through the dance, the old Commander is called away, and Garth steps in his place.
Agnes’ heart flutters as she dances with Garth and they make small talk. But that too ends quickly as he, too, receives the order to come out, leaving Agnes alone on the dance floor. However, even that small bit with him is enough to improve Agnes’ mood, and she spends the rest of the time looking at him across the hall. Meanwhile, the Commander that Becka dances with makes her drunk, and a similar thing happens with other girls as well. It does not escape Aunt Lydia’s eyes, and being overly protective of the girls, she tells Commander Judd to keep the Commanders in line. Instead, he asks her that isn’t this what the girls have been trained for? Later, Judd talks to Aunt Vidala, wondering if it’s time for Aunt Lydia to retire.
A drunk Becka leaves the ballroom, and fortunately, before getting caught by the Aunts, she is seen by Shunammite and Hulda. While Hulda distracts the Aunt supervising them, Shunammite tells Daisy to take care of Becka. Daisy takes her to the bathroom, where Becka starts to pour her heart out. She talks about the hopeless future she has in front of her and wishes to run away. Daisy reminds her that running away is not an option, especially when all her friends who love her are here. When Daisy mentions Agnes, Becka reveals that she is in love with her. Daisy tries to reassure her, but then Becka realizes what she has said and leaves. Meanwhile, Agnes is called in for an interview with Judd, where she will be assessed by the Commanders.
Garth’s Career Shift Gives Hope to Agnes
As the interview begins, Agnes fumbles a bit and starts to cry. Judd gives her a break, talks to her about how highly his wife thinks of her, and tells her to be herself. The rest of the interview goes well, but that’s not very reassuring for Agnes. When she sees Becka, she sympathizes with her. When Becka talks about running away, Agnes says she will join her. With the ball coming to an end, Aunt Vidala talks to Aunt Lydia, who chides her for letting the girls get drunk. Vidala is frustrated because this is not her fault, and she couldn’t have stopped the Commanders anyway. She takes out her frustration on the girls, scolding them for not being more mindful of their actions. Her admonishment would have ended with a harsh punishment for the girls, but her speech is cut short when someone rings the bell.
At first, the girls think that this is the announcement of some girl getting hitched, but it feels too soon. They turn out to be right because the bell is not for a girl getting matched with a Commander. It was rung by Hulda because Shunammite’s mushroom tea seems to have done the job for her: she has gotten her period. Hulda and the rest of the girls are ecstatic for her, but it breaks Shunammite’s heart, because now, she is the only one of her group who is left behind. She fights her tears, but joins in the celebration. On the way home, Agnes’ father thanks Garth for stepping up when the Commander, with whom his daughter was dancing, was called away. Garth continues the conversation, trying to steer it towards what the Commander has been up to.
Commander MacKenzie reveals that things have been getting intense at the front, as more and more force is being applied to crush the rebellion. His tone suggests that things have been rather difficult on that end. The conversation takes another turn when MacKenzie congratulates Garth on his promotion. It turns out that he is going to become a Commander in a few weeks. Hearing this gets Agnes’ hopes up. The whole point of getting married is to find a Commander, and that’s what had been keeping her from thinking about a future with Garth. He had been below her station to be matched with her. But when he becomes Commander, that problem will be solved, and then, he can be hers.
Read More: The Testaments: Are Agnes and Daisy June’s Daughters?
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