‘The Testaments’ series follows a new generation of girls growing up in Gilead

“Blue Jean” actor Lucy Halliday says the bonds formed between young girls in times of adversity are at the heart of what makes the Hulu drama series “The Testaments” special.

“We see that in our show, and it’s a really beautiful thing — that friendship can flourish even in the darkest of places,” Halliday said of the coming‑of‑age drama, which continues the story of Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

“Sisterhood and community have always been important, and they’ve always been a means of survival,” she added.

Created by Bruce Miller and based on Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel, “The Handmaid’s Tale” depicts the totalitarian society of Gilead, a religious extremist regime ruled by powerful men who subjugate women following war and collapsing fertility rates. Some women, known as handmaids, are forced into reproductive servitude for elite, infertile families.

“The Testaments” is set years later and follows two teenage girls — Agnes, played by “One Battle After Another” actor Chase Infiniti, and Daisy, portrayed by Halliday — as they come of age within the same oppressive system.

Agnes has spent most of her life in Gilead, raised to be pious and obedient, while Daisy arrives from Canada as a recent convert.

The girls meet at a Gilead preparatory school for future wives, overseen by Aunt Lydia, played by Ann Dowd, reprising her role from “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

Dowd said viewers will see a subtly changed Lydia this time around compared to her explosive and violent-tempered demeanor in the original series.

“I think we see a gentler Lydia, someone who has changed inwardly,” she said, teasing the character’s new mission to reform Gilead as headmistress of a school for daughters of the regime’s most powerful families.

Infiniti cautioned, however, that “The Testaments” continues to explore the same cycle of subjugation that defined both the original novel and series.

“Everything that she (Margaret Atwood) writes is pulled directly from history, so unfortunately none of it is new,” said the Golden Globe‑nominated actor.

“Going to set every day and seeing what these girls have to go through — and how their stories unfold — made us feel incredibly fortunate to be able to tell this story,” she added.

“The Testaments” premieres on Wednesday on Hulu.

-Reporting by Danielle Broadway and Rollo Ross; Editing by Chris Reese/Reuters