I’m convinced Commander Lawrence has never been in greater danger on The Handmaid's Tale

Bradley Whitford's Commander Lawrence is one of the few characters in Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale who seeks to break free from Gilead's theocratic fascist government and resist it.

Despite being one of the early pioneers and architects of Gilead, Lawrence has become dissatisfied with the place it has become, especially with the Handmaid's lifestyle and how it has adversely affected young women.

While Season 6 is continuing to build on Lawrence's individual resistance plan against Gilead, I believe that he is in great danger. The Gilead government has become immensely powerful, and Lawrence is too deeply involved with the inner workings that he will never be able to free himself from its clutches.

Whatever tiny ounce of hope was left, Lawrence's promotion in The Handmaid's Tale Season 6 Episode 4 has shattered that for me, and I am convinced that there is no way out for him, despite his anti-Gilead views.

More on Commander Lawrence in The Handmaid's Tale in our story.

*Disclaimer- This article is based on the author's opinion. Reader discretion is advised.*

Commander Lawrence earned a promotion in The Handmaid's Tale Season 6

While Commander Lawrence harbours anti-Gilead views in his heart, he has no choice but to participate in its regime because he believes that he can make a difference from within.

But as seen since The Handmaid's Tale Season 1, there seems to be no way out of Gilead, and even after one manages to make it out, they are constantly haunted by the horrors of the place.

Season 6 Episode 4 saw Lawrence reluctantly accept the position of High Commander, but this upward mobility, which will bring him closer to Gilead's inner circle, isn't a power move on Lawrence's end. For him, he is trying his best to make a difference, and the best method is to strike from the inside.

His juxtaposing views between the life he has and the life he wants are clear in Episode 4 when he talks to Angela and refers to Eleanor as his real wife. However, when Naomi arrives, he dismisses the thought and instead fusses over his uniform.

While he married Naomi, it is evident that his marriage was of convenience, a strategic move to work on anti-Gilead plans.

Will Commander Lawrence's New Bethlehem be different than Gilead in The Handmaid's Tale Season 6?

One of the most significant reforms introduced by Commander Lawrence in The Handmaid's Tale is New Bethlehem, introduced in Season 6.

Lawrence's dissatisfaction with Gilead and the Handmaid's lifestyle was visible, and the promise of this new community was a change that he needed. While New Bethlehem was marketed as a community for refugees, especially women, offering a better way of life than Gilead, one might wonder how different it truly is.

Lawrence introduced this new community as a better place with liberal laws for women, where they can read, write, and live freely, but it is only a matter of time before it is taken under Gilead's wing and turned into a similar dystopia.

Teasing about New Bethlehem's scope, Whitford discussed in an interview with Screen Rant:

''I think what he's betting on is economic power...I think he's hopeful, and I think the early signs are good that he can turn this into kind of a Hong Kong, and make the North Korea situation a little more of a China situation. He may be naive, but we'll see. Fingers crossed.''

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Also Read: The Handmaid's Tale Season 6 Release Schedule

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