Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Handmaid's Tale finale!

Most of the characters in main characters in The Testaments, and while it will be nice to see her get some more screentime, The Handmaid's Tale sets up this sequel story in a confusing way.

The Handmaid's Tale series finale is finally here, putting an end to the Hulu series after eight years. The finale takes place in the aftermath of June's attack on Serena Joy's wedding, with the United States having successfully taken over Boston between episodes. Most of the finale focuses on June saying her goodbyes to characters like Serena and Luke. However, she is continuing to work with Mayday, with the revolutionary organization having a powerful new ally: Aunt Lydia.

Lydia Had To Remain In Gilead For Her Testaments Story

Even Though She May Be Killed

Aunt Lydia plays a major role in The Testaments, and in order for her sequel story to work, she had to remain in GIlead. After Aunt Lydia turned against Gilead, it seemed like she would have to escape the country in order to avoid further persecution. Despite this, Lydia is still living in Gilead at the end of The Handmaid's Tale, with the United States meeting her and several other citizens of Gilead at the border in the finale.

In The Testaments, Aunt Lydia is still operating in her usual role within Gilead. However, she has also become an anti-Gilead activist. Lydia published a series of papers that expressed her concerns with the Gileadean regime and ideology, and these writings became incredibly popular. At the same time, Lydia is operating as a mole for Mayday and the United States, feeding them information from within the country. Lydia even works with Hannah and Nichole in order to bring down Gilead, showing that her collaboration with the U.S. is only beginning in The Handmaid's Tale finale.

Why Isn't Aunt Lydia Being Punished By Gilead?

Did She Get Immunity?

Since Aunt Lydia is still living in Gilead at the end of the show, it has caused many fans to wonder why she isn't being punished by Gilead. She not only allowed the Handmaids to kill the Commanders in episode 8, but she also called the Commanders of Gilead "wicked" and "Godless" right before her foiled execution. She was already on the chopping block once, so it is weird that she is still living in Gilead without being killed.

It could be that Aunt Lydia is simply operating in the shadows, or using a pseudonym in order to get around Gileadean authorities. However, she is seen alongside Naomi Lawrence and several Gileadean soldiers in the finale, meaning that this can't be the case unless Naomi has also turned against Gilead. The Testaments will have to explain what has happened to Lydia since her execution, whether she somehow got immunity, went into hiding, or another explanation.

Aunt Lydia's The Testaments Story Will Be Worth The Confusion

When She Finally Becomes A Full Protagonist

Although Aunt Lydia's story is confusing right now, her story in The Testaments will be worth it. Aunt Lydia's redemption arc from the last few seasons has all been set up for her role in The Testaments, and it will be exciting to see this finally pay off. Putting Aunt Lydia in the role of a protagonist will be a lot of fun, as she has always been one of the most interesting characters in the original series. The Testaments probably won't come out for a while, meaning that the sequel series has plenty of time to come up with an explanation for The Handmaid's Tale's Aunt Lydia ending.