The Testaments is an interesting TV show, which serves as a sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale. The story follows a group of teenage girls at a very strict religious school, where harsh punishments, including physical pain or worse that are used to enforce discipline. At its core, it’s also a story about friendship and the bonds between the characters.

The show has a strong cast, and I enjoyed the mystery element. One of the girls is secretly working with the resistance, which adds tension as she has to keep her identity hidden. The series does a great job of immersing you in the school and the characters’ lives. It also makes you constantly shift your opinions of certain characters as you find yourself rooting for them at times and disliking them at others, depending on what part of the character’s journey you are on.

I liked how one character, despite not always being kind and sometimes acting like a bully toward her friends, still shows strong loyalty. She stands up for them when others are cruel, which adds depth to her personality. Her behaviour seems to come from a place of jealousy, which makes her more complex. Another thing I found quite strange was how desensitised the girls seemed as they often appeared unaffected by violence or even dead bodies, and at times seemed to enjoy it. I also enjoyed how as the show progressed characters grew and learned more to do the right thing. This helped you warm too them.

That said, some parts of the show felt a bit slow-paced and dragged more than necessary. There were numerous moments where certain scenes seemed to drag longer than they needed to. A few storylines could have been tightened up or developed at a quicker pace to keep the plot engaging. While the slower pacing does sometimes help to build atmosphere and give more insight into the characters and their environment, it doesn’t always feel needed. 

Overall, The Testaments is a good TV show with a fantastic cast. It would have helped to watch The Handmaid’s Tale first, but it’s not essential to understand the main story of the teens.