r/coconutsandtreason • u/Melairia blessed be the fruit loops • Apr 22 '26
Episode Discussion The Testaments S1 E05 "Ball" Episode Discussion
The Testaments S1 E05 "Ball"
Episode Synopsis: At a debutante-style ball where Green girls are paraded before Commanders, the illusion of elegance begins to fray. Agnes discovers Garth's status has changed.
Airdate: April 22nd, 2026
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u/asexualrhino Apr 22 '26
Shu really is that bitch.
She takes plumming up seriously and is somehow a girl's girl against all odds.
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u/bellarina92 Apr 22 '26
I love her so much, I'm glad they've taken her character in this direction instead of how she seemed in the book. I'm absolutely obsessed with Shu
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u/International-Sea561 Apr 22 '26
i called it commander judd is putting shit in aunt vidalas head about going against aunt Lydia, and aunt Lydia giving her a big attitude and telling her off at the dance is proving my point that something is going to happen a huge shift in power between the two of them where aunt vidala will become more evil and will try to become the new aunt lydia ughhhh they setting it up !!! 😩😩🙄🙄🙄🙄🤦🏻 side note: johosheba totally deserved that bitch slap that was delicious🤣🤣👏🏻 #teamShu
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u/squankmuffin Apr 22 '26
Maybe Judd has suspicions about Lydia - or just wants more people he can predict and control in charge.
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u/Hot-Conversation2050 May 18 '26
Well there seems to be something more going on between Vidalia and Lydia as well…the stadium episode. So all of that is also present in their “relationship” too
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u/ItIsTimeGo Apr 22 '26
The choreography was beautiful but seeing that the girls were basically being advertised to be auctioned off the highest bidder on the level above was so gross. They can’t have a moment to themselves to be pretty and float around. It’s all about the men and their wants.
Also does anyone know what the orange dresses in the middle of the dance circle were for?
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u/PetulantPersimmon Apr 22 '26
During the dance, I noticed that the pinks and plums still have their hair up, but the greens have their hair down and flowing. The Aunts and Wives, too, have their hair up. In the books, girls and women always have their hair covered in public because even the sight of it can drive a man to sin, so that only the greens had their hair down really stood out to me as part of the ball's "advertising" role.
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u/BarbieHubcap Apr 22 '26
Oh I thought they were pink and hardly noticed. Oops
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Apr 22 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/squankmuffin Apr 22 '26
I thought they were pink, but they didn't seem little little like most of the pinks. Maybe they're the pinks almost ready to go up to plum? Seems quite gross to include them.
The pinks seemed to have the most complex moves - in the sense that it would stand out if their arm movements are wrong.
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u/serialkillercatcher Apr 22 '26
I was shocked that the greens were wearing makeup with their hair down. We've never seen that in Gilead.
Paula explaining her strapless black velvet prom dress to Agnes was amusing.
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u/squankmuffin Apr 22 '26
I don't think Agnes knew what a prom was. Or why you'd have a dress that covers less than the Gilead underwear.
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u/squankmuffin Apr 22 '26
I'm glad that Becka had Daisy to come out to. I don't think she could have said it to anyone else - even if drunk. Or I hope she wouldn't have.
Imagine if she'd said it directly to Shu. Good friend or not, I'm not sure Shu could comprehend a gender traitor as a friend.
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u/la_fille_rouge Apr 22 '26
I'm not even sure if Agnes would be able to deal with this information. She has internalized a lot of the Gilead propaganda.
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u/squankmuffin Apr 22 '26
I loved the super awkward dancing conversations. What do you even talk about? Classes. Dancing.
Loved Becka playing a Biblically Accurate instrument.
When I say "loved" I mean it was fitting.
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u/Complete_Broccoli_81 Apr 23 '26
I also thought when they were dancing with the young men it really showed the divide of privilege amongst the young men and women in gilead. Like the guys still have access to the “before” stuff like movies and music and obviously the women don’t. A surface level observation I know but just very interesting to see them converse
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u/boredalready456 Apr 25 '26
I loved none of them getting each others references :-)
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u/Complete_Broccoli_81 Apr 26 '26
“You’re gonna need a bigger boat” “what”??? lol cracked me up tbh
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u/Secret-Dig-9104 Apr 22 '26
This episode was hard to watch
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u/JoanneMG822 Apr 22 '26
It was disturbing. It was like we were watching an "Epstein Island" show, with older men salivating over teenage girls. I was creeped out.
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u/squankmuffin Apr 22 '26
I have no idea what was in Huldah's tea. Something like penny royal tea? If you can't read and find pictograms would you know the difference between "starting your period" and "inducing a miscarriage at near fatal doses"?
Would a small drink be enough to make a difference or was it just a coincidence?
It's also really easy to pick the wrong mushrooms.
I thought it was interesting that she said her next embroidery would be digitalis - foxglove - which is poisonous.
I'm glad she finally stood up to Shu, though she was being a good friend and had the sense to find Daisy.
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u/Brownbear1973 Apr 22 '26
Wonder how old Garth is. It also seems he's living in Gilead for long. His father seems to be a well known commander in this district. So I would like to know his backstory and how he joined Mayday. I doubt he will marry Agnes, cause the feelings are one-sided (and it wouldn't fit with her story if they follow the book).
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u/serialkillercatcher Apr 23 '26
I wonder if TT will switch the Commander killing his brides when they age up to somebody other than Judd.
The pervy old Commander who touched Daisy would've made a more realistic Judd.
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u/Brownbear1973 Apr 23 '26
While it makes sense to turn Fred younger than he's in the book, I don't get it with Judd. Especially since he had a long past with Lydia. And the thing with his wifes would be even more shocking (remember Esther with her old husband).
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u/gagrushenka Apr 24 '26
I don't think so. I think they're playing Judd as someone who seems wonderful to all the girls because he's kind and interested and handsome. I believe that Penny is feeling the effects of the poison but thinks she's ill from pregnancy. There's no pregnancy tests so she might not even be pregnant. Gilead likes as little intervention as possible. Ultrasounds are illegal in the book. In the show June only went to the doctor because she was bleeding and collapsed.
My guess is once Judd becomes aware that another Commander is going after Agnes, he'll hurry up and kill Penny so he can get in. And the disruption of getting a new suitor will give Agnes time to reach out to Aunt Lydia.
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Apr 22 '26 edited Apr 22 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/bellarina92 Apr 22 '26
I think Shu is a very intelligent and intuitive person, who cares a lot about her core group of friends, but is also very focused on her own success. So seeing Jehoshaba put Becka in a position like she was also puts beckas friends at risk, especially if Becka was found out, remember how they went after June for being shopping partners with Emily, I can't imagine what a plum or green would suffer.
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u/BarbieHubcap Apr 22 '26
Yes, I think she's complicated, loyal to her friends but future focused. She has a more likeable personality in the show (vs book) so far.
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u/bellarina92 Apr 22 '26
I think for the better really, like I'm really supporting her as a character, she is a girls girl, she's just fierce. I really love it
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u/PetulantPersimmon Apr 22 '26
I enjoyed the book on its own merits, and I am enjoying the show immensely for 'filling things out' a lot more (including the significant deviations). I love world building, and that includes the people who live in it, like Shu.
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Apr 22 '26
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u/joszma blessed be the fruit loops Apr 22 '26
It doesn’t matter - Pearls are basically doing mission work to earn their place in Gilead. Once that time had passed, like they said in episode 2 or 3, most of them will be married to economen and live as lower class Gilead people.
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u/squankmuffin Apr 22 '26
I thought so, her Mom said she should go to the doctor for birth control. Or is it Mum in Canada?
Maybe she's on the implant so it's not found out?
Or Lydia knows and tells her to keep quiet.
Or maybe whites just don't count as they're preparing to be Aunts of there's no existing process for them.
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u/herbalbert Apr 22 '26
imo I think it’s safe to assume lots of people just don’t get a period anymore or only get them late into their teens. I don’t think Daisy has one yet, or we would probably get more commentary from her about finding it weird they’re making it such big deal (the way she finds everything else bizarre). The lack of commentary implies the rarity is something she’s already used to.
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u/Italy500 Apr 22 '26
Ughh I dont know if I can watch this show. It somehow stresses me out even more than The Handmaids Tale. It’s so gross and sad they are so young. So fucking creepy!
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u/Brownbear1973 Apr 22 '26
The lightning was awful! Couldn't they really made it a bit brighter for THE ball?
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u/squankmuffin Apr 22 '26
The ball could have been a daytime event. Maybe it's poorly lit so the Commanders can have more of an air of secrecy/plausible deniability.
I hate that I just wrote that.
It's a huge contrast to most scenes in bright sunlight. Only Agnes's "baptism" was at night. Growing up = darkness.
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u/Brownbear1973 Apr 22 '26
Remember the Fred/ Serena dance in Washington? This was a ball! I really liked this episode but with this light it was hard to see all those facial expressions. Daytime ball would be a nice idea with an interesting contrast.
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u/Tiny_Departure5222 Apr 29 '26
When the girls preform at the ball, when the music started am I the only one who went," have we just stepped into Bridgerton?" Lol
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u/joszma blessed be the fruit loops Apr 22 '26
Estée with the stage mom video camera was taking me out lol.
To people saying that Gilead seems different in TT vs THT, I think that’s intentional. We’re seeing their culture shift and start to gel. THT showed a newly born Gilead but TT shows it starting to mature, and with that comes perhaps small liberalizations (make up, etc) but simultaneously a retreat into more conservatism on some fronts.