The Testaments Season 1 Ending Explained

The final episode of Hulu’s ‘The Testaments’ Season 1 follows the aftermath of Becka’s arrest, leading to a series of events that none of the girls saw coming. The previous episode focused on the allegations made against Dr. Grove by Daisy, who wanted to protect her friends from an abuser that no one was ready to do anything about. While Becka refused to believe her father was guilty, she not only changed her mind when Agnes came forward, but also delivered God’s justice with her own hands. Gilead, however, doesn’t take well to women killing men, which eventually pushes Agnes and Daisy to make some bold choices. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Why does Commander Weston Break Off the Engagement With Agnes?

When Becka is arrested, the news doesn’t immediately break out. Agnes arrives at school distressed, but she cannot talk about anything because none of her friends know what has happened so far. Shunnamite knows something is going on, but she has no idea what. It agitates her even more to realize that Daisy and Hulda are in the loop when she isn’t. And then, in the assembly, Aunt Vidala reveals that Becka will no longer be attending the school with them. She reveals that Dr. Grove has died, but the manner of his death is not specified. Becka’s absence is also explained by the fact that the family is grieving the loss. It leaves Agnes distraught, and she goes out to find Garth, confronting him about giving up her friend to the Eyes instead of helping her.

As she leans her head against Garth’s chest, he puts his hands around her, which is noticed by Aunt Estee. She demands that Garth keep his hands off her, but he takes the stand. He points out that Agnes is clearly distressed over what happened to her friend, and the aunt should show her some grace. Agnes breaks off as soon as she realizes what has happened and goes back inside. She tells the girls that Becka has been taken by the Eyes, and everyone has just one question on their mind: how do they save Becka? Agnes confronts Aunt Vidala with the question, but is not surprised when no help comes from there. Later that evening, Commander Weston visits her to talk about Becka, and when he offers to help, Agnes decides to let him.

She reveals that Becka killed Dr. Grove for Agnes, who was one of his victims. This discovery rattles Weston, and he promises her he will help Becka. He comes through on his words, but later, Commander MacKenzie tells Agnes that Weston has called off the engagement because Agnes is too close to the Grove scandal. Of course, neither of Agnes’ parents knows the whole truth, so they have no idea what the real reason for Weston’s decision is. Agnes, however, realizes that Weston doesn’t want to marry a girl he knows has been tarnished in some ways. It shows his hypocrisy, but the breakup is actually a good thing for Agnes. At least, she can breathe easy for a while. Moreover, even if an unwanted match shows up in the future, she knows how to scare them off.

What Happens to Becka? Do Becka and Garth Get Married?

Becka was arrested by the Eyes at the end of the penultimate episode and now sits in a women’s prison. Her mental state is deteriorating, which pains Aunt Lydia, who visits her during this trying time. (The scene also gives us a Margaret Atwood cameo!) She tries to talk to Judd about helping Becka, but he makes it clear that she will either become a Handmaid (because they don’t want to waste her womb) or she will be sent to the Wall. He doesn’t seem interested in exploring other possibilities. Meanwhile, Agnes asks Vidala what the Aunts are doing to help Becka. When Vidala says it’s out of her hands, Agnes reminds her that it’s the Aunts’ job to protect the girls, which they have failed to do on several counts.

Agnes’ words prick Vidala’s conscience, and, for Becka’s sake, she decides to work with Lydia, who has also received a similar speech from Daisy. Thanks to Agnes’ fiancé, Commander Weston, Becka is allowed to temporarily leave the prison and go back home to her mother. Still, they are reminded that the charges haven’t been dropped, and she will be interrogated soon enough. Meanwhile, Daisy’s words about a mother doing anything to protect her daughter lead Lydia to a solution. It has been decided that the story surrounding the circumstances will be changed. Mrs. Grove will confess to murdering her husband, while Becka will say that she took the blame because she wanted to protect her mother.

It is a heartbreaking situation because it will save Becka, but it will have her mother killed, leaving her an orphan. Losing both her parents because of her actions weighs heavily on her, and she mentally checks out for whatever happens next. When Agnes learns of the scandal that has tarnished Becka’s image and that there is no chance Becka will ever marry again, she approaches Garth, imploring him to marry Becka. The logical thing for him would be not to, but for Agnes, he decides to go forth with it. Before the wedding, he is officially made a Commander, and he and Becka get married in a private ceremony. Around the same time, Becka’s mother is executed for murder. After the wedding, Garth takes Becka home, carries her to the bed, and then locks her in the room, though he is not happy about any of it.

Does Agnes Remember She is Hannah?

When Weston breaks off the engagement with Agnes, Paula is the most distressed about it. That night, Agnes wakes up to the sound of Paula aggressively cleaning Agnes’ bathroom, likely because this is where Becka had left the blood spots when she came to the Mackenzie house in the middle of the night. While the Grove family’s fall is given as the excuse, Paula knows that Agnes did something to scare Weston away. She angrily asks what she did, and Agnes claims that she doesn’t know. This fuels Paula’s anger even more, and she starts talking about how Agnes’ parentage is the problem here.

She doesn’t mention June by name, but she does reveal that after what happened in Boston, the leaders of Gilead wanted to exact revenge on her by killing Agnes. They wanted to cut her up and send her piece by piece to her Handmaid mother to punish her for what she did. But it was Agnes’ father who refused to let this happen. Paula’s words shake Agnes to her core, and she hastily puts on her clothes to run away. She finds Garth in the Guardian quarters, which is where she implores him to marry Becka, even though he has every reason not to. While Agnes herself asks Garth to go forward with the wedding, it doesn’t make it any less painful to watch him marry her best friend.

After the wedding, Daisy asks her how she is doing, and Agnes says that this is what was supposed to happen. Her words prompt Daisy to talk about her own sense of judgment, and she says Agnes likely gets it from her mother. Agnes is confused, so Daisy clarifies that she knows Agnes is the daughter of June Osborne, the Handmaid who is labeled a highly wanted terrorist in Gilead. At first, Agnes refuses to believe it, but then June tells her that her real name is Hannah. At home, Agnes looks through her secret collection of items outside Gilead and finds a drawing she made back when Tabitha was still alive.

She signed the drawing as “Hannah,” suggesting that some aspects of her previous life still linger in the back of her mind. Later, when Aunt Lydia chats with her about the broken engagement and her future prospects, Agnes brings up her lineage. Lydia is surprised to discover that Agnes knows about June, but instead of badmouthing her, she says that one of the things about June was that she never gave up. Lydia says they should do the same in the context of Agnes’ marriage prospects, but the look in Agnes’ eyes shows she will follow in her mother’s footsteps and not give up on what she actually wants. Marriage is certainly not one of them.

What does Daisy’s Letter to June Mean?

When Daisy discovers what Becka did, she feels responsible for what happened to her. If she hadn’t filed the complaint against Grove, then Becka would have never murdered him and wouldn’t have been thrown into a cell by the Eyes. Her first instinct is to seek out Garth and get him to have Mayday do something about it. He makes it clear that there is nothing they can do. And if she tries to do something, she will create more problems for herself and him. Daisy, however, refuses to abandon Becka and tells Garth that she quit. Frustrated by her, he sends out a message calling her a loose cannon, and later receives a message from June about how to deal with her.

The next day, Daisy receives a message about a meetup, and that night she is driven in the back of a truck to the evacuation point. Mayday operatives arrive in a boat to rescue several people, who quickly board. Daisy, however, has a chat with June, who has personally come there to escort her. Daisy is confused because she thought this would be about Becka, but June makes it clear that there is nothing they can do. She tries to give Daisy a reality check, telling her this is what she had been warned about. Sometimes she has to watch bad things happen to her friends, but she must keep her eyes on the bigger prize. Once they destroy Gilead, everyone, including her friends, would be free. Daisy, however, refuses to give up on her friends.

She starts talking about how Becka did what she did to help her friend Agnes, and how good people and friends Hulda and Shunnamite are. Hearing Agnes’ name gives June a pause, and Daisy realizes that it is her daughter, Hannah. When Daisy refuses to leave, June lets her stay, but tells her to stay safe, though the girl doesn’t promise it. Daisy heads back but reaches the school by morning. By this time, her absence has been noted, but thanks to Garth, she comes up with the excuse that she came out to smoke. This leads her to have a chat with Aunt Lydia, which eventually leads to a tragic solution to Becka’s problem.

At the end of the episode, Daisy sends a message to June in the lid of a honey bottle. She writes about how she has been changed by the girls around her, and instead of playing it safe and finding a way out of Gilead, she will now make an army with which she will completely destroy Gilead. June smiles at her words because they remind her of what she resolved to do back when she was still Offred. Things won’t be so easy, but June is moved by Daisy’s resolve. The last scene shows Daisy walking hand in hand with Agnes and Shunnamite, showing that her army is already three people strong. Gilead better watch out.

Read More: Who is Garth’s Father? What Happened to Him in The Testaments?