The Testaments has just one episode left to go after this week’s tense “Marat Sade,” in which one of Gilead’s most insidious figures was given an exceptionally gruesome send-off. The episode put Becka, a character distinguished by her surprisingly contrarian point of view, in the spotlight, and Testaments star Mattea Conforti spoke about what it was like filming those pivotal scenes.
The front half of “Marat Sade” follows Daisy (Lucy Halliday), who has vengeance on her mind, deciding it’s high time to let everyone know she’s finally gotten her period.
Last week, Agnes (Chase Infiniti) told her that Dr. Grove (Randal Edwards)—the dentist tasked with prettying up the smiles of Gilead’s budding young ladies—had molested her as well as Hulda (Isolde Ardies) and no doubt countless others. Now that Daisy’s eligible for marriage, she has reason to see Dr. Grove and put her plan into motion. Surprisingly, he doesn’t get handsy with her, but she pretends that he has, making a big scene that forces Gilead’s authorities to face a problem they already knew was in their midst.
Complicating matters for the girls, Dr. Grove is the father of Becka (Mattea Conforti). Agnes sees Becka as her best friend; Becka’s feelings for Agnes run even deeper. Though she doubts Daisy’s accusations—she’s suspicious of Daisy, not the least because Daisy and Agnes have become close friends—Becka flips completely when Agnes confesses what Dr. Grove did to her.
The vengeance theme continues as “Marat Sade” reaches its closing moments, and we see Becka creep into the bathroom where her father is taking a bath and stab him to death. (She uses pruning shears, a clever echo of Gilead’s “plum/prune” dress code for teenage girls.) It’s brutal but oddly cathartic, and for Conforti, it was an emotionally and physically challenging experience.
Speaking to Collider, Conforti explained Becka’s headspace in that moment. “I was looking down on him, and I was imagining that he hurt the love of my life. He committed this horrible act that we’ve always been taught is the one thing that they’re not playing about in Gilead […] So, when I see him in that bathtub, and he’s relaxing and lounging, I’m disgusted and angry. I want to commit this act, and I need to get to it, and I’m just working up the anger to do so.”
Conforti said they rehearsed Becka’s attack but it was still exhausting. “He needed to lunge at me as much as I was lunging at him, and it couldn’t look like either of us was holding back. That day, we filmed for around 16 or 17 hours. It was a very long day. I actually left set with some bruises on my legs, not from Randal [Edwards], who plays my dad, but from banging into that bathtub.”
“I understood the severity of that moment and how important that scene is to my character and to the show, so I wanted to deliver my best performance possible. Honestly, I wanted to leave set mentally and physically fatigued, knowing that I gave it my all. It was a very intense day on set, but I’m happy with the way things turned out.”
At the end of “Marat Sade,” Becka—who’s gone to Agnes for support and comfort—is dragged away by the Eyes to face whatever punishment Gilead has in store. We’ll presumably find out her fate next week in The Testaments season one finale, which arrives Wednesday on Hulu and Disney+. The show has just been renewed for a second season.
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