SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers for “Stadium,” Episode 6 of “The Testaments,” now streaming on Hulu.
From the start of Hulu’s “The Testaments,” it’s evident that Aunt Vidala, portrayed by Mabel Li, harbors a strong dislike for Aunt Lydia, played by Ann Dowd. This episode finally reveals the reason behind this animosity.
This week’s episode of the follow-up series to “The Handmaid’s Tale” delves deeper into Lydia’s background. Viewers discovered during the original series that Lydia was instrumental in creating the Aunts program in Gilead, a move she made to ensure her own survival in the regime’s early days. Astonishingly, she was prepared to kill Vidala to secure her plan’s success.
In a flashback to the day Lydia and thousands of women were gathered in a stadium for evaluation by Gilead’s authorities, Lydia’s commitment to the new order is starkly shown. She aims what she believes is a loaded gun at her colleague, Aunt Vidala, who was then known as Vivian, and pulls the trigger. Unbeknownst to her, the gun contains blanks, sparing Vidala’s life, but not due to any mercy from Lydia.
Courtesy of Disney/Russ Martin
Ann Dowd shared with Variety that the scene was shot multiple times, each instance leaving her in shock. She describes the moment when Vidala’s hood is removed, revealing her colleague, and the intensity of Lydia’s transformation as she prepares to shoot. Mabel Li notes that filming the sequence took four to five hours due to the extensive coverage required for the scene.
Li expressed that she experienced a state of flow during filming, allowing her to remain open to the scene’s unfolding. She described the genuine fear of having even a fake gun pointed at her face when the blindfold came off.
Lydia’s near-killing of Vidala follows her proposal of the Aunts program to Commander Judd, played by Charlie Carrick. Tasked with determining the fate of the women captured by Gilead, Judd listens as Lydia argues for a group of women to guide their peers, including the Handmaids. She manipulates her own past abortion into a narrative of redemption, intending to use her ‘relationship with God’ to help the women with their ‘sins.’
Courtesy of Disney/Russ Martin
Dowd explains Lydia’s creation of the Aunts system as initially a survival tactic. Recognizing the need for allies, she proposed involving other women while ensuring she remained at the forefront. Confidently presenting her ideas to Judd, Lydia aspires to establish a group of women, not men, who would wield authority in Gilead.
In present-day Gilead, Lydia and Vidala, alongside the other Aunts, are selecting matches for the new group of eligible “green” girls. It becomes apparent that Vidala disagrees with Lydia’s methods, especially the “pearl girl” program for newcomers like Daisy, played by Lucy Halliday. Li suggests Vidala’s criticism stems from past betrayals and views Lydia as having become too lenient.
According to Li, Vidala’s ambitions are awakening, fueled by Commander Judd, who has sown discord between the Aunts. Li notes that in this world, female power often relies on male support, and Vidala’s ambition is ignited when an opportunity arises.
By episode’s end, Lydia’s secretive strategy is revealed: she has been compiling information on Gilead’s power players, keeping detailed notes and secrets in a book. The purpose of this documentation remains unclear.
Courtesy of Disney/Steve Wilkie
Dowd admires Lydia’s awareness and ability to observe her surroundings. She hints that Lydia is strategically documenting information for future use, suggesting that patience and secrecy are key to her plan.
As “The Testaments” continues, the narrative will shift back to its main storyline at the school. Agnes, portrayed by Chase Infiniti, and her friends are about to learn which Commander they will be paired with for life, under the Aunts’ guidance. Although Agnes loves Garth, who is on the brink of becoming a Commander, it remains uncertain if Lydia and Vidala have matched her with him.
Li hints that Agnes may not be pleased with her assigned match, as Vidala delivers the news to Agnes’ family at the episode’s conclusion. The audience will have to wait until next week to discover the identity of the chosen partner. Li notes that reactions among Agnes’ friends will be mixed, with some satisfied and others quietly disappointed.
