20 Best TV Shows of 2026 (So Far)

Going into The Testaments, a sequel series to the bleak but often brilliant The Handmaid's Tale, it would be easy to wonder if the new show was necessary. After all, its predecessor ran for so long, had so much to say, and was far from an easy watch.

Luckily for fans and skeptics, though, The Testaments' first season proved a rousing success, rife with potent social commentary, cathartic character work, and a thrilling quest for identity, guiding it forward with impressive propulsion. 

Set 15 years after the final season of The Handmaid's Tale and again based on a novel by the late Margaret Atwood, the series looks deep at how oppressive power structures maintain their hold on the populous; all the while serving as a searing coming-of-age drama anchored by a tremendous Chase Infiniti.

It remains to be seen if The Testaments can maintain its urgency and depth - The Handmaid's Tale lost a lot of wind in those last seasons - but so far, it makes for vital TV.