Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Testaments TV series.
The Handmaid's Tale spin-off series The Testaments continues to captivate audiences, and this week's episode was no exception. The Greens, who had started menstruating, attended a ball to meet their prospective husbands. Meanwhile, the Plums, who had not yet had their periods, waited in a side room while their peers were paraded before significantly older Commanders.
Among the Plums in the side room were Shunammite (played by Rowan Blanchard) and Huldah (Isolde Ardies). They drank a tea concocted from a questionable recipe intended to jumpstart their periods. At one point, they spotted Becka (Mattea Conforti) drunk after an elderly Commander plied her with alcohol to "help" calm her nerves.
Shunammite, who had a sarcastic exterior but proved loyal, got Huldah to create a distraction and helped Becka reach Daisy (Lucy Halliday), who was waiting in the corridor while working as a Pearl Girl. Later, Shunammite slapped Green Jehosheba (Shechinah Mpumlwana) for mocking Becka while she was intoxicated and warned her against "slander." After Shunammite's catty comments and sarcasm, these scenes showed that she genuinely cared about her friends and would take risks to protect them.
Many viewers took to social media to praise Shunammite. One fan posted on Reddit: "It was pretty cool that Shuna defended Becka as well, didn't expect her to do that." Another commented: "All hail Shunamite!" A third explained: "Shunnamite was very book-accurate before imo, but this episode I saw that she can be a very good and quick-thinking friend. She said so much internalized misogyny stuff this episode, but it was adorable how she still gave the last sip of the miracle period-inducing tea to Hulda. Did anyone thank her for being so quick with Becka? I can't remember."
On Twitter, one person posted: "Honestly, I wasn't too fond of Shunnamite up until now lol she did NOT play about Becka. shu girl i see you." Another added: "I wouldn't say that I hate Shunammite because I don't, but I wasn't vibing with her and her mean girl vibe, but in the dance episode, she became my favorite. I kinda love her, but at the same time, I feel sorry for her. Can't wait to see what is in her future. #TheTestaments."
Many viewers are now keen to know more about the star who plays Shunammite. Here is the lowdown.
Who plays Shunammite in The Testaments?
American actress and former child star Rowan Blanchard plays the initially prickly but ultimately loyal Shunammite in The Testaments. The 24-year-old from Los Angeles, California, was named after a character from Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire, The Witching Hour.
Blanchard started acting at the age of five and had roles in The Back-up Plan and Dance-A-Lot Robot before starring in Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World. Her first major recurring role was in the TV series Girl Meets World, in which she starred from 2014 to 2017. She went on to star in the movies A Wrinkle in Time, The Goldbergs, and A World Away. Prior to The Testaments, Blanchard starred in the Snowpiercer TV series, Poker Face with Natasha Lyonne, and Ziwe.
Speaking in a recent interview about the character, Blanchard told The Cherry Picks: "Shunammite, she's having a very different experience, I think, than Becka and some of the other girls. She's not having an experience where she's even slightly questioning what's happening. I think she's been told that the only option in the world is to become a Wife and that your class and your societal relevance are what make or break you."
The Testaments airs weekly on Hulu and Disney+ on Wednesdays.
