“It Was a Horrible Moment For Him”: Bradley Whitford on ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Season 6 Twist for Commander Lawrence

It’s hard to think that after witnessing the extent of human cruelty, people would carelessly fall into the same traps that put the status quo right back where it started. This week’s episode of The Handmaid’s Tale made us realize that not only is this possible, but that Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford) was put in a position that left him feeling thoroughly naive. During an interview with Whitford and Ever Carradine, who plays Naomi Putnam in the show, Collider’s Perri Nemiroff asked Whitford about a pivotal moment for his character.

In Episode 5, titled “Janine,” Commander Lawrence finds out that — surprise, surprise — New Bethlehem is a lie and the High Commanders are working to essentially perpetuate Gilead and eventually put him on the Wall. During the interview, Whitford spoke about his reaction to that moment with Nemiroff and speculated about the aftermath of Lawrence’s discovery, as well as how it might have impacted his running into June (Elisabeth Moss) and Moira (Samira Wiley). He stated:

“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!'”

What’s Next for Commander Lawrence in Season 6?

So, what’s next for Lawrence? Will that discovery finally prompt him to be a stronger and more effective enemy of the High Commanders? We’re only halfway through Season 6, so there’s a lot to happen down the line. In any case, Whitford was blunt about how the character feels and might have hinted at what direction he will be going from now on:

“This show, what’s great is, I remember talking about it a little bit with Lizzie 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.”

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Regardless of what Lawrence does next, we know that the story is far from over, even though this is the final season. Production on the follow-up series, The Testaments, began earlier this month to continue the story of Gilead.