I always say that a well-written antagonist is a good one, and The Testaments has its fair share of them.
The Handmaid’s Tale started it all with Aunt Lydia, and while there have always been moments of wonder and intrigue, she’s always been a character to love to hate.
However, we’ve never really gotten a chance to know who she was before Gilead was formed, and The Testaments proves that this is necessary.
People Aren’t Just Evil for the Sake of It
Now, sure, there are some people who are just evil for the sake of being evil.
They’re psychopaths and sociopaths, often going out of their way to hurt people.
While The Testaments has people like that, the important characters we see doing villainous things aren’t necessarily bad people for the sake of it.
They have taken steps they thought were needed to survive, and as much as many of us hate to admit it, we’d probably do it too.
We’d all love to be June Osborne, fighting the good fight and getting children out of a totalitarian regime.
The truth is, there are a lot of people like Aunt Lydia and Aunt Vidala.
They want to survive, and they may even believe a little in the regime that’s to come.
We’d already seen that Aunt Lydia wanted children to thrive and looked down on women who couldn’t provide for their children, but that was just scratching the surface.
This latest hour of the sequel doesn’t change anything she’s done after this point, but it gives us a look at how she got there.
TV shows need to show us who these villains are as people, so they don’t become like the cartoon bad guys with the twirly mustache.
The world isn’t black-and-white the way comic books have always been, and it’s important to delve into a person’s psyche to understand why they do bad things.
Some people can be manipulated into doing bad things.
We saw that with June multiple times, especially when Hannah’s life was used against June to get her to share where the handmaids were hiding.
Then there are the times that hurt people hurt people, as we saw in The Testaments, when Daisy goes to Aunt Vidala to share how she cursed and then turned the tables on Agnes.
Other people will do bad things to survive and keep some control, as we saw with Aunt Lydia.
Evil acts are done for a reason, and we can learn to relate more, or at least understand a little more, by getting a few details. Quite honestly, it makes me think of myself in that situation.
Aunt Lydia’s Backstory Wasn’t for Sympathy
As The Testaments Season 1 Episode 6 delivered Lydia’s backstory, a few people may have thought that it was a chance to elicit sympathy.
After all, Lydia seemed as shocked as everyone as the Gilead men moved in and killed people in front of her.
She didn’t necessarily agree with the Gilead way, as we didn’t see much animosity toward a pregnant, unmarried woman, which could lead many to believe she deserves some sympathy for having to act to survive.
However, this story wasn’t about making us feel sympathetic toward her. This was a chance to see her survival skills.
Lydia is someone who will do what needs to be done to survive, and I believe this is more about foreshadowing what is to come.
We’re given a closer look at the relationship between Lydia and Vidala, which didn’t even start on the most positive track and turned into a horrifying mess that is sure to leave some psychological scars.
This backstory creates reason, fleshing out feelings that have been brewing under the surface for five episodes.
It promises a more explosive arc to come, especially between the two women, as Vidala is clearly looking to oust Lydia from the top.
On top of that, there’s the chance that Lydia is working for Mayday.
Certainly, aspects of Lydia’s voiceover during The Testaments Season 1 Episode 6 tell me that she’s not all the way in with Mayday just yet, but she could be looking at keeping certain young girls safe from harm.
By mixing the past and the present, we see that Lydia has the skills to survive if she needs to.
Should she find herself in bed with Mayday, she can figure out ways out if needed and do the hard things to help the resistance succeed.
With this type of storyline, there’s the message of redemption, and now we’ve seen how far she’s willing to fall. Can she pull herself up from that?
It’s like yelling into the void sometimes — so if you’re out there, holler back.
Comments, shares, and good vibes all keep this little ship afloat.
We love hearing what you think about The Testaments, especially that hour involving so much of the past. Feel free to jump in and debate with me!
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Aunt Lydia’s Episode of The Testaments Proves Antagonists Need Backstory, Not Sympathy
The Testaments finally delved more into Aunt Lydia’s backstory, proving once again she’s a survivor. But it didn’t do this for sympathy.
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The Testaments Season 1 Episode 6 Reminds Us Aunt Lydia Is a Survivor — And That Doesn’t Look Pretty
We finally get an episode of The Testaments with Aunt Lydia’s voiceover, and it gives us a look back at how she became an Aunt.
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The Testaments Season 1 Episode 5 Brings an Essence of Bridgerton to Gilead
It’s time for a ball, bringing an esseance of Bridgerton to the world of Gilead. At least, The Testaments prove friendship is worthwhile.
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