Diksha Sundriyal
In Hulu’s ‘The Testaments,’ the focus shifts towards a different set of women in Gilead. In ‘The Handmaid’s Tale,’ we followed the story of June and the other Handmaids, who have been torn from their lives and forced into a misogynistic system they try to dismantle. In its sequel series, ‘The Testaments,’ we follow the stories of young girls on the cusp of womanhood, still being introduced to the life that awaits them as they become eligible to bear children and build a family. One of these girls is Agnes, who has grown up in the household of Commander MacKenzie. We also meet Daisy, a young woman who came to Gilead of her own accord, but her intentions are not what they seem. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Daisy’s Mysterious Background Sets the Stage for a Key Revelation in the Show
Daisy is introduced in ‘The Testaments’ as a Pearl Girl, a girl who has been lured into Gilead with the promise of changing her life. We know that Gilead sends its operatives out to entrap young girls and bring them back, by hook or by crook. Daisy is one of them, and considering the circumstances, one would think she has been brainwashed into believing that Gilead is the place where she belongs. The real story, however, turns out to be very different. It turns out that Daisy is, in fact, a Mayday spy who has been sent behind enemy lines to infiltrate the system and break it down from the inside.
The true specifics of her job remain shrouded in mystery, but clearly, she is not there to be an obedient Pearl Girl waiting for her turn to become an EconoWife and live a life of subjugation. In the third episode, it is revealed that Daisy is found by June after her parents, Neil and Melanie, are killed. According to the official police report, the couple was killed in a break-in. It is believed that the intruder was a thief who shot down the owners of the shop. In reality, however, Daisy discovers that her parents were killed by Gilead. It turns out that Daisy was born in Gilead. June doesn’t tell her exactly where or to whom she was born. Nothing is revealed about the identity of her parents, though it is likely that she was born to a Handmaid.
Daisy’s Parentage Has Been Significantly Changed from the Source Material
In the book, Daisy turns out to be Offred’s daughter, Baby Nicole, who was smuggled out of Gilead by Mayday and put in the care of Neil and Melanie, who raised her like their own. In the show, Daisy was brought out of Gilead by Mayday operatives and placed in the care of Neil and Melanie, who had no idea they would have to raise the baby. Still, they rose to the task, and once Daisy was given to them, she became their own. They raised her like their own daughter, and being Mayday operatives, they knew the risk they were taking. They knew that Gilead would never let one of its children just disappear into the world like that. They knew that the regime would send its people, that someone someday would come looking for her and would try to take her back to Gilead.
This is exactly what happens when Neil and Melanie are killed in their shop, which is made to look like a robbery. Later, a Gilead operative shows up as a social worker, preparing to take Daisy under his wing. He would, undoubtedly, have found a way to get her back to Gilead. But fortunately, June finds Daisy first and updates her on everything. While Daisy still returns to Gilead, she does so on her own terms, as a spy. This also opens the opportunity for her to learn more about where she comes from, particularly the identities of her parents. Due to the changes in the book-to-screen adaptation, her true parentage remains a mystery and will likely be a major twist later in the season. More importantly, while she may not be connected by blood, June remains a significant figure in Daisy’s story, defining the course of her life.
Read More: The Testaments: Are Agnes and Daisy June’s Daughters?
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