The Testaments is going to approach onscreen trauma very differently than predecessor The Handmaid's Tale. Creator Bruce Miller opened up about Aunt Lydia's (Ann Dowd) past being explored in the spinoff, telling The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday, April 8, "We were very mindful of the fact that we are only showing a few peeks into her past, and what to show in those." Miller specifically highlighted how "very mindful about the level of trauma" they wanted "to put the audience through.