In episode 7 of The Testaments, Radio Free Boston reports that the Gilead forces have suffered heavy casualties after a failed attempt to invade Boston. The violence at the border has only contributed to the instability, making Daisy’s position more and more dangerous. If you were caught as an undercover spy, death was guaranteed.
Daisy’s Past and the Attempt to Flee
Episode 3: Flashbacks show what happened to Daisy after June left her at the diner. And she waited for someone to come back but nobody did. That was part of a test, it seems. After closing time, the waitress, Linda, comes over to her at last.
When her shift is over Daisy is driven to Rita’s house. Preparations are in progress there to create a new identity for her, so she can be smuggled out of Canada. She’ll be going to Colombia, where Gilead can’t touch her.
But Daisy will not go down without a fight. She does not want to run away. She wants to stay and fight Gilead. Rita is impressed by her determination and agrees to help her, thinking they’ve been waiting for someone like Daisy to take the initiative.
A Mayday contact gives her a new identity, complete with a last name, social security number and a bogus criminal record for petty theft. Daisy is also trained to memorize a false backstory and to learn the identities of key Gilead Commanders, including Commander Weston, a man with a disturbing history of domestic violence.
Into Gilead
Daisy is eventually recruited but she consciously plays down her eagerness to maintain her cover as a Pearl Girl. And then she is driven to the border and officially enters Gilead.
In the current timeline she is still a Pearl Girl and has several procedures including tattoo removal to erase her identity.
Agnes and the Marriage-Matches
Meanwhile, Agnes is devastated to find that Garth is not on her assigned matches. But Paula insists she has plenty of strong options left, the Commander Weston especially emerging as a good option.
At school, the girls talk about who they’ve been assigned. Becka tells us that she has a match with Commander Maddox, another Commander from the Colonies and Garth.
Later Agnes pleads with Becka not to get married, but Becka admits that she has no desire to marry anyone. Their disagreement reflects their attitudes about the futures they are being forced into.
Commander Weston’s Inquiry
New intelligence reveals the Pearl Girls have connections to the resistance radio, and the tension builds as commander Weston arrives at the school with armed guards. Daisy maintains her composure while being questioned, but the pressure does get to her, and she is visibly shaken afterwards.
Agnes notices her distress, and later invites her over, displaying a surprising level of empathy and admiration for her courage. But their relationship becomes complicated as Daisy lies about things she claims to have found, trying to preserve Agnes’s idealized worldview.
Perilous Combinations, Mounting Strain
During the formal matching process, the Commanders meet the families. The situation is more disturbing when Agnes questions Commander Weston about his former marriage. Weston says his wife died in childbirth and he lost the baby. “Worst day of my life.
Paula is angry at Agnes for challenging him, showing her fierce support of the system despite its brutality.
A Girl Disappears And Suspicion Grows
Back at the school, another Pearl Girl, Talia, is connected to the radio discovery and dragged away. Daisy escaped suspicion by a hair and knew just how close she had come to being found out.
Simultaneously, Weston’s interest in Agnes appears to increase after her outspokenness, which raises further concern about what her future may hold.
Episode Review
Episode 7 steadily builds up to the season’s climax, as Daisy transitions from a passive survivor to an active member of the resistance. Her backstory adds depth to her motivations, especially her choice to remain and fight instead of fleeing.
Interesting is Rita’s continued involvement, suggesting larger resistance networks and perhaps previous operations with other Pearl Girls. The “done this before” comment raises questions about previous missions and ties to other characters.
But the most disturbing strand is that of Agnes and Commander Weston. His history and behavior strongly suggest a dangerous future for her, especially given the normalization of abuse and control within the system. Paula’s excitement over the match adds a further disturbing layer, illustrating how indoctrinated she is.
This episode is more of a bridge from the last one, but it sets up some big conflicts for the end of the season. The pieces are in place for a much darker, more intense conclusion.
