Warning: SPOILERS ahead for The Handmaid’s Tale season 6, episode 5!The Handmaid’s Talestar Bradley Whitford has explained season 6, episode 5’s Commander Lawrence twist and how the new revelation makes sense. InThe Handmaid’s Taleseason 6, episode 5, Lawrence (Whitford) learns that other High Commanders are planning to dismantle his attempt at making New Bethlehem, ending with its architect strung up on the wall. While he’d hoped to create a version of the nation that was less strict to better reflect the ideals Gilead was built upon, this plan is ultimately doomed to fail because of the increasing belief that he is a traitor.
Speaking withCollider, Whitford explained why Lawrence was unable to see Gilead’s betrayal coming inThe Handmaid’s Taleseason 6, episode 5. The actor said thatthe Commander’s “recurring disease of vanity” is what made him not realize the betrayalwas coming sooner, praising the writing for how the moment turned out. He also indicated how terrible he feels for what’s happened, which will no doubt impact his story moving forward. Check out what Whitford had to say below:
I think it’s a very complicated moment because when I read [the script], honestly, I was like, ‘Hang on a second.’ I was like, ‘He’s not that naive to think that this might not happen.’ And then, I don’t know if it comes across, but I thought, ‘Oh, that actually is interesting that it’s a recurring disease of vanity. His desire to get stature and to put his intellectual ideas into action is what created Gilead, and oh my god, I’ve done it again!’ So, it was one of these moments, and it happens, actually, with really good writing, often, where you’re like, ‘Whoa!’
This show, what’s great is, I remember talking about it a little bit with [Elisabeth Moss] and sort of realizing, “Oh, no, there’s a way to make this more complicated.” So, I think it was a horrible moment for him. A lot of shame around that for having done it again.
What Whitford’s Statement Means For Commander Lawrence’s Future
It’s No Longer Safe For Him In Gilead
Of all thecharacters inThe Handmaid’s Tale, Lawrence has had the most complex arc, due to both his unhappiness and loyalty to Gilead’s cause.The idea of New Bethlehem was introduced in season 5, with him championing a different approach to what his home nation has been doing. As this idea has evolved, however, he’s drawn the ire of many in power, with this latest revelation about their plans for him showcasing how much danger he’s actually put himself in. It’s clear that he is no longer safe in the nation he helped to build.
However, his story might not be near its end, with him possibly finding a way to get out of Gilead and pursue his ideas elsewhere. The show’s story is set to continue in theupcomingThe Testamentsadaptation, which will be pulled from Margaret Atwood’s sequel novel. Whileit’s unclear if Lawrence could have a place in the future story, this could be how his ideas continue to be propagated in the future. Another, more dour scenario, is that he’s unable to escape, and dies at the hands of the world he created.
Our Take On Lawrence’s Future In The Handmaid’s Tale
Season 6 Could Showcase A More Complete Redemption
It’s not yet clear what Lawrence will do next, although it currently seems like his story might heavily intertwine with June (Elisabeth Moss) and Moira (Samira Wiley) going forward. The extent of what he’s planning to do now that Gilead wants him dead for New Bethlehem is unclear, but whatever his next move is, it could result in a more complete character redemption. WithThe Handmaid’s Talealready halfway through its final season, the remaining five episodes will have to either end his story, or prepare it for another chapter.
The Handmaid’s Tale
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The Handmaid’s Tale is a television adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s novel, released in 2017. It is set in a dystopian future where a woman is compelled to live as a concubine under a strict fundamentalist theocracy.
