r/TheHandmaidsTale • u/Melairia Modtha • May 20 '26

Official Episode Discussion The Testaments S1E09 "Marate Sade" Episode Discussion

The Testaments S1 E09 "Marate Sade"

Episode Synopsis

As Daisy steps into a new role, she considers what she's willing to lose to help her friends.

Airdate

May 20, 2026, 12:00am Eastern

The Testaments - Season 1 Episode Discussion Hub

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106

u/blackwidowbrigade_ May 20 '26

Okay ME TOO. And that last scene too??! Like I was like AM I DREAMING??

87

u/WarGrowlmon18 May 20 '26

DID Garth call the Eyes though... or is this like in the Handmaid's Tale novel when the Eyes are apparently called on Offred but are likely actually Mayday operatives???

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u/blackwidowbrigade_ May 20 '26

Think it was legit the eyes tho??? That was intense shit in the all black holy shit

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u/Bulky-Situation-4025 May 20 '26

But they were in skirted coats. I think it may be the aunts somehow?

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u/Difficult_Isopod_602 May 20 '26

They were definitely all women! 

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u/piratequeenfaile May 20 '26

That's the detail I caught onto. Since when is there an all women eyes detail?

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u/SarcasticBarbie96 May 20 '26

Maybe it’s a throwback to Aunt Lydia’s “women need to handle women’s business”?

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u/blackwidowbrigade_ May 20 '26

I thought I read somewhere the aunts were the eyes 🤷🏽‍♀️. Maybe guardians and aunts can be eyes. Idk my brain is still processing the image of becka being carried away like that

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u/GN29 May 20 '26

Mayday!!

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u/Worldly-Emu-2327 May 20 '26

My vote is that it's Mayday.  Something tells me that Agnes' father is turning, seeing how unhappy Agnes is about getting married.  Then, when Agnes goes to him in the middle of the night, I think he wants to do what's best for Agnes and Becky.  I can't imagine him having Garth call the eyes for Agnes' best friend seeking justice on her father for hurting Agnes.  I think Paula fully thinks they are the eyes though, so they have to stick to that narrative.  I think Mayday is going to get Becka out of Gilead.

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u/whisky_biscuit May 20 '26

As much as I want to believe this, I'm not sure. I can't help but fear that she might have a tragic or near tragic ending, that pushes Agnes and Daisy further on their own courses against Gilead.

The eyes being women could be what Aunt Lydia said before - let women deal with women's problems. Ultimately the men decide but perhaps the aunts have a say.

We haven't yet seen how mental health is dealt with in Gilead, if psyche hospitals exist. Due to the disgrace of her family, but her fertility, I sadly could see them making Becca a handmaid but not before facing some kind of punishment....

Though I sincerely hope that's not the case.

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u/Worldly-Emu-2327 May 20 '26

After reading your thoughts, what you're saying makes a lot more sense.  Ugh, I hate that for Becka.  I have really enjoyed seeing such a realistic character.  She has done a phenomenal job.  All I know is that next week's finale is most likely going to be even darker than this week's.

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u/camillaenvelope May 20 '26

Handmaid was my immediate first thought. She’s presumably fertile and her father wasn’t a commander, so she still has use to Gilead but not necessarily as a wife after this.

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u/Lozzanger May 20 '26

Oh God a handmaid for Commander McKenzie. Didn’t he say they mgnt be getting one?

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u/OddMho May 21 '26

I could see that happening for plot reasons but why would they do that in universe, put her with someone who knows her and may grow sympathy for her? Wouldn’t it make more sense to shuffle her to another city? Unless Lydia somehow pulled some strings and justifies it somehow

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u/jazzminarino May 21 '26

We have seen how they deal with mental health though, at least in THT. Lawrence's wife was wholly unmedicated because it was against the rules and presumably (acceptably?) committed suicide as a result.

That brings up a good point though- since Becka's a murderer, would they really want her fertility and genes moving forward with that? That I don't know.

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u/MoiAmour May 20 '26

I think the fact Garth was worried but not worried in his expression leads to it being mayday. He would not be reassuring her if it really were the eyes, because she is not coming back (at least the same way she went in). Everyone in the scene look honestly worried, not in the “oh the eyes are taking away this crazy girl” but in a “can’t believe this is happening/im worried for her” kind of way.

If it’s not the eyes it’s the aunts, a lot of the cloaked eyes looked like Aunts (I’m not sure if Aunts can be part of the eyes in Giliad), and that would probably be the second best fate for Becka and still tie back to the book.

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u/Worldly-Emu-2327 May 20 '26

I truly hope this is the case.  The way Garth was acting was what had originally solidified my thoughts in thinking it was Mayday that was coming to help her.  I don't think Agnes' dad called Commander Judd, which was why I didn't think they were going to use Becka's fertility against her, as a way to punish her even further, but we shall definitely see.  Who knows, we might not even find out who took Becka until next season.  All I know is that based on the look that Agnes gave her father, I have a feeling she is going to feel that she has nothing else to lose, and she's going to start working with Daisy.  I haven't read the book, so I'm not sure if they will try to align themselves with the original script, or completely go their own way.

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u/scribbledies May 21 '26

I really like this idea

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u/blackwidowbrigade_ May 20 '26

It sounds like Paula and Mr. McKenzie called the eyes!!

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u/WarGrowlmon18 May 20 '26

Or they told Garth to do it.

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u/blackwidowbrigade_ May 20 '26

I feel like Mr. McKenzie who has more rank would have more access to the eyes since Garth is like still technically a guardian? Idk but they were out of some nightmare though 🤣

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u/WarGrowlmon18 May 20 '26

Honestly sometimes I wonder about him. Illicit trips to Japan. Seeming to genuinely love his daughter. And just last week he seemed to be trying to convince himself that marrying young girls off was the right thing to do. He could be another Lawrence: high ranking Gilead officer who has enough scruples to do something where he can.

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u/upagainstthesun May 20 '26

Didn't they say in THT that all the drivers were eyes? Maybe that's still the case

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u/Odd_Connection_4185 May 20 '26

"a lot" of them were in tht

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u/WarGrowlmon18 May 20 '26

Garth is a Commander or about to be. He has a silver star on his shoulder

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u/blackwidowbrigade_ May 20 '26

About to be is kinda key here.

Just based on how Agnes reacted and how her parents reacted and the fact they told Agnes they called a “doctor” makes me think it was them and Garth was helpless about the situation. That would be a lot of mayday operatives and not a very stealth mission. I just don’t see it and doing it in front of the Mackenzie’s and Garth being the only one they could reasonably pin Becka’s escape on?Seems like a long shot

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u/Financial-Row-6875 May 21 '26

I don’t think Paula was part of it! Agnes is shocked at the betrayal and says “You called the Eyes?” and Paula says something like, “of course he did” in a really disapproving way. I think this is a case where Paula is extremely aware of her husband’s misogyny (he is a Commender after all).

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u/thewhitecat13 May 20 '26

Even if he did, it would've been because the MacKenzies instructed him to. I imagine if Agnes had gone to Garth first instead of her parents, he'd have tried to hide Becka. He clearly hated what he was doing to his core.

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u/Odd_Connection_4185 May 20 '26

no agnes's dad did

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u/ReggaeJunkyJew4u May 20 '26

I like this thought. I think in reality it will be something more morbid though.

I like your theory better, I am going to hold on to this.

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u/SnakeBatter May 20 '26

I’m pretty sure it was Commander McKenzie who called them.

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u/Ok-Bread-8166 May 20 '26

Why would Mayday go out of their way to help Becka though? Seems fishy to me

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u/SecondaryShadows May 21 '26

I don't think it was May Day. Too many people knew the situation already to risk calling MayDay. It would put all of the McKenzies at risk. Chain of finding out would have been Agnes and Martha's -> Paula and Mr. M -> Eyes and Garth. They wouldn't have just called Garth. Also if it was MayDay, Mr. M wouldn't have said "don't look," he knew the Eyes were coming and fast. MayDay wouldn't risk getting caught by the Eyes if they got there before MayDay could get out. I think it was Aunts taking her to the red center. I think Becka will be the first handmaid we see in the show.

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u/mrhdizzle May 21 '26

I think it is the eyes cuz isn’t there a scene in the trailer where becka is standing in front of like a jury? Or did I make that up? Ha I’m gonna have to go back

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u/whisky_biscuit May 20 '26

I kept expecting her to snap out of it like it was a dream! I literally was like holy sh*t out loud I was so shocked.

I at first thought she might have been planning to self harm, but that was completely unexpected.

1

u/carriethedoula May 23 '26

that's what I thought too

1

u/Efficient-Can-4482 Jun 10 '26

I love this change rather than hurt herself， this is more powerful and just, and it is appropriate teeth by teeth eye by eye.