The Testaments Season 1 Episode 5 Spoiler Recap: “Ball”

After the more intimate “Green Tea,” which unveiled horrifying experiences for both Agnes (Charles Infiniti) and Daisy (Lucy Halliday), The Testaments shows more ambition with “Ball.” The Plums and Greens attend a joint dance with the commanders. Agnes wants to make a good match, while Daisy wants to find more information for Mayday. However, drama among their friends highlights some of the jealousy and immaturity among the girls.

The Testaments Season 1 Episode 5 Recap

Agnes (Chase Infiniti) shows off her dress to Rosa (Kira Guloien) and Paula (Amy Seimetz). As she does, Agnes worries about what Dr. Grove did to her, but Paula focuses on how to refuse offers of alcohol from the Commanders. However, if one does push hard enough, the girls are meant to accept. At the Ball, the girls get ready for their night with the Aunts and their Plum friends.

Becka (Mattea Conforti) is thrilled when Agnes arrives, but her friend is standoffish. Even so, they join the other Greens, Plums, and Pinks for the opening group dance. Commander Judd (Charlie Carrick) praises Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) for her work preparing the girls. When Commander Mackenzie (Nate Corddry) comes out for the “Father’s Dance,” Agnes is shocked by the appearance of Dr. Grove (Randal Edwards).

Agnes pulls it together so she can finish the dance with her father, which is followed by dances with the unmarried commanders. The girls chat with the young commanders about a recent showing of Jaws in the barracks and their classes. Upstairs, some commanders joke about the Greens and women below but are interrupted by Commander Judd. He tells them to respect their future wives.

Behind the scenes, Shunammite (Rowan Blanchard) and Hulda (Isolde Ardies) drink a tea meant to turn them into Greens. Daisy (Lucy Halliday) stands as a servant until an old commander starts to touch her. She tells him to stop, which enrages him. Before he strikes her, Garth (Brad Alexander) steps in to “deal with her.” Garth tells her she’s doing a great job and asks Daisy to get close to Agnes. They need more information about the dealings with Japan. The two stare deeply into each other’s eyes before Garth returns to his role as an Eye.

When the Greens return to get cleaned up before the next dance, Becka asks Agnes about her dances. However, Agnes snaps at Becka, which surprises Hulda. After the Greens return to the floor, Shunammite reminds Hulda the girls are competing for the affections of the same commanders. “Maybe God made you ineligible so you can grow up.” Hulda accepts the fact and then asks if that’s why Shunammite is ineligible as well.

The older commanders take the floor and start dancing. However, Agnes’ dance is interrupted by a situation that calls her commander away. Garth, who tells the Commander he is needed, steps in to dance with Agnes. They have a sensual dance, discussing the Mayday attack, while Becka’s partner forces her to drink alcohol.

Upstairs, Aunt Lydia chastises Commander Judd because his men keep forcing the girls to drink. While Judd tries to blame the girls, Lydia reminds him that the Aunts control the matches, and their actions will be noticed. She leaves, allowing Judd to speak with Aunt Vidala (Mabel Li) about her future vision for the future of Gilead.

Becka stumbles down the hall, drunk from the alcohol the commander kept forcing on her. Shunammite rushes her to Daisy and asks her to care for Becka. If the Aunts see her, this could ruin Becka’s future. Daisy takes her into a bathroom, where Becka admits she does not want this life. She does not like commanders touching or looking at her. The two bond while talking about Toronto and eventually Agnes. Daisy reminds Becka that Agnes loves her, but Becka admits her feelings towards Agnes are more complicated.

In the dressing room, Jehosheba (Shechinah Mpumlwana) gossips about Becka’s drunken behavior. Shunammite tells Jehosheba to stop, but when the girl continues, Shunammite slaps her in front of the whole room. Hulda pulls Shu away before things escalate.

Aunt Gabbana (Zarrin Darnell-Martin) pulls Agnes off the dance floor to meet with more commanders. She’s led into an interrogation room, where Commander Judd will ask questions and converse, while dozens of other commanders watch over Zoom. However, the pressure of the situation gets to Agnes. Judd turns off the camera to give Agnes a moment to breathe, and they talk about Penny. Judd shows a warmth towards Agnes but frames it as hopeful that she’s going to be around to support his wife.

Afterwards, Agnes speaks with Becka about the night. Because of her nerves, Becka jokes she can always run away, but Agnes tells her they’ll run away together if it comes to it. They pinky-promise. Aunt Lydia chastises Vidala about the evening, specifically because so many girls drank. “You still have much to prove.”

While Vidala yells at the girls for their failures, the bells start ringing. Hulda enters the room, revealing that she is fertile. Shunammite is clearly upset by what has happened, but she joins in the celebration. On the ride home, Commander Mackenzie thanks Garth for his actions in stepping up security with the rebels at the front. He reveals that Garth is going to make commander soon, which excites Agnes.

Was The Testaments, “Ball,” worth watching?

Yes, you should know if The Testaments is your speed by now, but “Ball” gives you a good reason to check out the show if you have not thought about it. The best episode of the series so far deals with interpersonal relationships that are getting messy in a hurry. As the tensions continue to grow, there are sure to be some explosive events ahead of the girls.

While Agnes gets more into her own head about Garth, his role could seemingly change in a hurry. One of the nice things about “Ball” is that we actually see Garth in his element. Alexander has not had much screentime outside of being the object of affection. We can see how he’s blended in with only a few scenes. It’s also intriguing how different his appearance and physicality are when sharing the screen with either Daisy or Agnes. We hope The Testament does not go for a cheap love triangle with the two girls, but it would not shock us either.

Meanwhile, the relationship between Daisy and Becka took a meaningful step forward in “Ball.” With Daisy’s example, Becka believes running away is possible. At the same time, Daisy might be tasked with getting information from Agnes, but making Daisy an asset could be just as valuable. In a much darker sense, The Testaments has given Daisy a piece of blackmail against Becka, not only by helping her hide how drunk she was but in the secret love Becka feels towards Agnes. We hope Daisy never falls so far off the path that she uses it.

Finally, Shu has become an incredibly intriguing character on the side. “Ball” allows actress Rowan Blanchard to really showcase her talent. She’s fiercely protective of her friends and simultaneously gives when asked to do so. However, her jealousy is something to watch for, and if she never gets the opportunity to take the green, she could be a potentially very dangerous Aunt in the making.

The Testaments airs every Wednesday on Hulu and Disney+. “Ball” aired April 22, 2026.

The Testaments Season 1 Episode 5 Spoiler Recap: “Ball”