Hulu has renewed The Testaments for Season 2 while the sequel to The Handmaid's Tale was still in the middle of its first run, signaling confidence in a show that has gained ground with each episode. The renewal arrived on May 20, 2026, eight episodes into the series’ 10-episode freshman season, the same day Episode 9 became available.
The timing is notable because the audience was still building. The Testaments debuted with three episodes on April 8, 2026, then saw its fourth episode post a 20% increase in first-day viewing compared with the premiere after one day of streaming on April 15. Over its first eight days across Hulu and Disney+, the series drew more than 11 million hours streamed globally, and by Episode 8, first-day views were up 76% from the premiere. The available episodes had since climbed past 45 million hours streamed globally to date.
Episode 9 was released on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ in the United States for bundle subscribers, and on Disney+ internationally, as the show headed toward its May 27 finale. That upward trajectory gave Hulu a clean case for moving ahead early, instead of waiting to see whether the season could finish with the same momentum it had built in the middle stretch.
The Testaments is a sequel to The Handmaid's Tale and is based on Margaret Atwood's Booker Prize-winning novel. The series follows Agnes and Daisy as they navigate Aunt Lydia's elite preparatory school for future wives, with Elisabeth Moss returning for a guest appearance as June Osborn. Gianna Sobol will executive produce next season. The first season averaged 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, adding a critical score to the commercial performance that helped make the renewal an easy call.
That mix of early renewal, rising viewership and a franchise built from one of television’s most durable properties points to a second season that Hulu is treating as part of the plan, not a response to uncertainty. The remaining question is not whether the show will continue, but whether it can keep pulling viewers at the same pace once the first season closes.
