In 2019, Margaret Atwood finally released the sequel to her 1985 novel, The Handmaid's Tale. Set 15 years after the events of the first book, The Testaments focuses on the lives of two young girls, one living in Canada and the other in Gilead. Through a little reasoning, it seems likely that these two girls are Offred's daughters. The Testaments also includes the story of one of the founding Aunts of Gilead — Lydia.
Although The Testaments is set several years ahead of where the end of season 3 left off, if the Hulu series is going to align with the books, it's likely that some of the things from the sequel novel will be televised. However the show often strays from Margaret Atwood's original book, so it could be that it goes in a completely different direction than The Testaments. But either way, it's fun to speculate.
Hannah Will Become A Prospective Aunt
One of the main characters in The Testaments is a young girl raised in Gilead by a prominent Commander. This girl, called Agnes Jemima, eventually discovers that her true mother was a Handmaid who tried to flee with her. Agnes Jemima might be June's daughter Hannah from the Hulu series — who is, after all, renamed Agnes.
In The Testaments, Agnes becomes a Supplicant — a prospective Aunt — in order to avoid getting married to an old Commander. This happens shortly after Agnes goes through puberty. In the Hulu series, Agnes appears to be quickly approaching that age, so it is possible she may choose to join the Aunts to avoid a forced marriage at a frighteningly young age.
Baby Nichole's Identity Will Become A Secret
Baby Nichole plays an incredibly important role in both The Testaments and the Hulu series. In the former, due to Gilead's massive demand for her return, Nicole is given a new name and identity. This will likely happen to June's daughter Nichole, as she is constantly in danger of being taken back to Gilead in the show.
Nichole Will Be Given To New Adoptive Parents
If Nichole is to truly "disappear" it seems unlikely that Luke and Moira will be able to continue raising her. Their faces have already been all over the news and they are known to be June's husband and friend, respectively. In The Testaments, Nicole is given to new adoptive parents to be raised in secret.
These new parents are undercover Mayday operatives, but they are far less high-profile than Luke and Moira would be. Nicole's new parents manage to fly under the radar raising her until she is around sixteen.
Aunt Lydia Will Betray Gilead
Throughout the series, fans of The Handmaid's Tale were perplexed by Aunt Lydia's character. She seems to be a truly sadistic monster, but there are strange moments when she almost seems to care for the Handmaids. The Testaments could offer an explanation.
In the book, Aunt Lydia is actually a spy for the Mayday resistance and proves instrumental in bringing down Gilead. Could it be that Aunt Lydia will eventually betray Gilead in the Hulu series, too?
June May Have Another Near-Death Experience
If fans assume that June is the "mother of Agnes and Nicole" from The Testaments then we know several things about her. One, she survives the gunshot wound she receives at the end of season 3, and two, she will likely have another near-death experience soon. This theory is derived from a file that Agnes Jemima eventually discovers about her Handmaid mother. It states, "Two elimination attempts made (failed)." While June will certainly have a rough time in the seasons to come, at least she will probably make it out alive.
Fred Waterford Will Be Executed
Wishful thinking, maybe? This theory is actually drawn from the Historical Notes section of The Handmaid's Tale novel rather than The Testaments. In this section, Professor Pieixoto discusses that it is likely that a man named Fred Waterford was Offred's Commander. He also states that "He met his end, probably soon after the events our author describes." However, The Historical Notes also state that Waterford was executed by Gilead, and at the end of season 3 he was in Canadian custody. Still, it is possible that he will be extradited to Gilead or even killed in Canada. Either way, things aren't looking great for Waterford in season 4.
Nick's True Allegiances Will Be Revealed
Nick has been an enigma in both the books and the Hulu series thus far. Is he a staunch supporter of Gilead or an undercover rebel? Good guy or bad guy? Season 3 saw him leaving for the war in Chicago and since then he has been absent from the series. A small note also mentioned in the Historical Notes section of The Handmaid's Tale may give fans a hint as to Nick's true character:
"A number of Mayday operatives are known to have infiltrated the Gileadean power structure at the highest levels, and the placement of one of their members as a chauffeur to Waterford would certainly have been a coup; a double coup, as "Nick" must have been at the same time a member of the Eyes."
This small note hints that Nick is playing the role of double agent in Gilead. Wherever his true allegiances lie, hopefully the truth will come out in season 4.
The Pearl Girls Will Make An Appearance
An intriguing group of people in The Testaments have not yet been seen in the Hulu series. The Pearl Girls, young Aunts-in-training, are sent to do "missionary" work in other parts of the world. Their job is to convince women to come back with them to Gilead. The Pearl Girls are a very fascinating yet creepy part of Gilead society, and fans can't help but wonder if they'll make an appearance in season 4.
June Will Go Underground With Mayday
Season 3 of The Handmaid's Tale ended with June in a pretty desperate situation, having just suffered a gunshot wound. While she will probably survive, it seems unlikely that she can return to a normal life as a Handmaid after smuggling 52 children out of Gilead.
In The Testaments, Agnes and Nicole's mother is said to have begun working remotely in Canada as a Mayday operative after sneaking Nicole out of Gilead. In order to keep them safe, Offred remained hidden and separate from her daughters for many years. Due to this, it seems likely that June will continue to take an active role in Mayday, though possibly from the outside of Gilead this time.
Gilead Will Start To Crack
Fans of The Handmaid's Tale will be happy to know that The Testaments was written to show how the totalitarian government of Gilead eventually falls. Although season 4 appears to be set a little earlier than this, it is likely that the cracks will start to show. Mayday will be more important than ever, and new technology may even emerge that will lead to Gilead's eventual collapse.