Hulu Breakout Hit The Testaments Reaches A Major Milestone — Season 2 Is Official

Let's be honest, not much in TV these days actually shocks me – but Hulu has just gone and renewed one of its biggest newer dramas for a second series, and there's plenty to unpack.

Big Numbers Spark an Early Renewal

So, what's all the fuss about? It's The Testaments – Hulu's follow-up to The Handmaid's Tale. Yes, Margaret Atwood's world is still as grimly fascinating as ever. The show only kicked off in April, but apparently Hulu wasn't content to see if buzz would hold: they've locked in season two already, thanks to some pretty massive viewing hours.

Here's the headline stat: over 45 million hours streamed worldwide. Not bad for a series that could've easily been painted as Handmaid’s leftovers, but instead has quietly become a genuine breakout hit.

Streaming Growth That's Hard to Ignore

This wasn't your typical 'everyone got excited for episode one, then wandered off' situation either. According to the industry grapevine (Deadline), the first eight days alone pulled in 11 million hours globally – and by the eighth episode, viewership actually jumped 76% compared to premiere week. How often does a show get more popular as it rolls out? Not very, in this age of endless content churn.

What's the Story This Time?

The Testaments is set years after the original Handmaid's Tale, and yes, Gilead's still a dystopian hellhole.

If you're not caught up: it follows two teenage girls – Agnes (devout, initially bought into the system) and Daisy (outsider, converted from the world beyond Gilead). They're thrown together at Aunt Lydia's grim finishing school, where future Wives are bred for piety through... let's call it 'creative' discipline. As you might guess, these girls are about to blow open their own lives and shake Gilead's foundations in the process.

The official line: 'Their bond becomes the catalyst that will upend their past, their present, and their future.'

Bit dramatic, but frankly, it lives up to it.

Cast and Crew – Who's Who

• Ann Dowd (Aunt Lydia, naturally – and as scene-stealing as ever)
• Chase Infiniti
• Lucy Halliday
• Mabel Li
• Amy Seimetz
• Brad Alexander
• Rowan Blanchard
• Mattea Conforti
• Zarrin Darnell-Martin
• Eva Foote
• Isolde Ardies
• Shechinah Mpumlwana
• Birva Pandya
• Kira Guloien

Behind the scenes you've got Bruce Miller steering the ship as showrunner and exec producer, the same bloke who kept The Handmaid's Tale ticking along all those years. The producer line-up is a who's who for Hulu dramas, including Warren Littlefield, Elisabeth Moss, and a pile of names familiar to Handmaid's obsessives.

Critical Reception and What's Next

The first series isn't even over yet – finale's due 27th May 2026, in case you're planning far ahead. But reactions so far? Actually rather positive. It's holding an 87% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 53 critics, which is no mean feat for a TV spin-off these days.

If you fancy catching up, The Testaments isn't just tucked away on Hulu in the States – it's on Disney+ under the Hulu tab as well, so no need for a VPN-fuelled faff.

So, not only is the Handmaid universe sticking round longer than many predicted, but judging by these numbers, there's every chance this sequel series outgrows its origin story. Didn't see that coming.