Becka Takes Justice Into Her Own Hands in 'The Testaments' Episode 9
Hulu's The Testaments delivered its most shocking episode yet on May 20, 2026, as young Becka (Mattea Conforti) murdered her own father, Dr. Grove, in a brutal act of vigilante justice. The episode, titled "Marat Sade," aired just hours after the streamer announced the series had been renewed for a second season, capping a day of major news for the Handmaid's Tale sequel.
The hour saw Becka learn that her father, a dentist, had been sexually assaulting girls at Aunt Lydia's school — including her best friend Agnes (Chase Infiniti). After confronting the truth, Becka stabbed Dr. Grove in the heart with a pair of scissors and fled to Agnes's house, begging her to run away. But instead of safety, Becka was met by the Eyes (Gilead's secret police) and her own fiancé, Garth, who had been promoted to commander.
"What's so strange is that Becka has been taught her entire life that violence is the answer," Conforti explained in an exclusive interview. The show has long depicted Gilead's punitive culture, where girls are taught to cheer at public "salvagings" of criminals — a lesson Becka terrifyingly applied to her own father.
Renewal and Rising Viewership
The renewal announcement came as no surprise to fans tracking the show's performance. According to Hulu and Disney+, The Testaments has amassed over 45 million hours streamed globally in its first season, with week-to-week audience growth. Episode 8 drew 76 percent more first-day viewers than the series premiere.
Created by showrunner Bruce Miller and based on Margaret Atwood's novel, the series follows Agnes and Daisy (Lucy Halliday), two teenage girls navigating the brutal world of Gilead. The show has been praised for its performances, particularly Ann Dowd's return as Aunt Lydia, and for expanding the universe of The Handmaid's Tale. Elisabeth Moss also made a surprise guest appearance earlier in the season, reprising her role as June Osborn.
Season 2 Details
Production for Season 2 is expected to begin later this year, with Miller hinting that the story will diverge further from the source material. The season one finale is scheduled for May 27, 2026, and promises to resolve Becka's cliffhanger fate.
Gilead's Justice vs. Vigilante Violence
Episode 9's title, "Marat Sade," references the French Revolutionary figure Jean-Paul Marat and the Marquis de Sade, underscoring the episode's themes of revolutionary violence and moral chaos. The episode juxtaposes Gilead's formal, brutal justice system — where Commander Judd suggests a "salvaging" (public execution) for Dr. Grove — with Daisy's impulsive false accusation, which set the fatal chain of events in motion.
Daisy, a Pearl Girl from outside Gilead, had initially lied about Dr. Grove assaulting her during a dental exam, hoping to force the system to punish him. But as the episode shows, her reckless plan backfired, leading Becka to take matters into her own hands. "Daisy doesn't quite have the whole 'Rebecca and Leah' prayer memorized," noted one recapper, highlighting how the outsider's ignorance of Gilead's rituals contributed to the tragedy.
Agent of chaos or instrument of justice? The show leaves that question open as Becka is dragged away by the Eyes, her fate uncertain heading into the finale.
Broader Implications: The Cost of Trauma and Indoctrination
The Testaments has always been about the psychological toll of living under a patriarchal theocracy, but Episode 9 sharpens that focus to a knife's edge. Becka's murder of her father is not a clean act of heroism but a messy, traumatic response to years of abuse and indoctrination.
"[Becka] loves [Agnes] so much, and she wants the best for her, she wants to protect her," Conforti said of her character's motivation. "Agnes's word was very truthful to her." But the violence Becka learned from Gilead's salvages — where she once cheered for criminals — is now turned on her own family, suggesting that the system creates not safety but cycles of trauma.
The renewal for Season 2 suggests the show will continue to explore these themes. Meanwhile, the series' growing audience — now surpassing 45 million hours streamed — indicates strong appetite for dystopian drama that reflects contemporary anxieties about justice, faith, and power.
As one reviewer noted, Gilead's "punitive culture has rubbed off on Daisy," and the same could be said for Becka. In a world where "an eye for an eye" is doctrine, the question becomes: who pays the price?
For more on the latest streaming hits, see our coverage of Nemesis Season 2, another show dominating the charts.
What's Next for Becka and the Series
With Becka arrested and facing execution for murder, and Dr. Grove dead, the season finale will likely deal with the fallout. Will Gilead's leaders use Becka as a scapegoat or as a tool? And can Daisy and Agnes survive their own complicity in the chaos?
Fans will have to wait until next Wednesday for answers. But with a second season already greenlit, the story of Gilead — and the girls who dare to defy it — is far from over.
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