Warning - This article contains spoilers for The Handmaid's Tale Season 6 Episode 9.
Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford) was forced into a decision to board a fateful plane in the latest episode of The Handmaid's Tale Season 6. The Gilead official was introduced in Season 2 of the series and was renowned for creating the Colonies (wasteland labor camps designated for the worst criminal offenders, like Janine). Despite his reputation, Lawrence has proven he is not as dedicated to Gilead's regime as some other Commanders, which ultimately spelled trouble for him in Season 6.
The Handmaid's Tale is an adaptation of Margaret Atwood's iconic dystopian novel. It explores an apocalyptic North America overrun by a religious totalitarian regime that strips women of power. The Hulu series features the cast of Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski, O-T Fagbenle, and Ann Dowd. Season 6 of The Handmaid's Tale streams on Hulu and is the last in the series.
Why Did Lawrence Get on the Plane In Handmaid's Tale Season 6 Episode 9?
The penultimate episode of The Handmaid's Tale, titled "Execution," delivered on its promise.
After the handmaids turned on their commanders and the rebellious Mayday group managed to free June (Moss) and her associates from the gallows, they gather to come up with a plan to end Gilead once and for all. Lawrence, who recently learned the commanders were planning to kill him and turn his dream of New Bethlehem into a trap for escaping refugees, teams up with Tuello (Sam Jaeger) and June. The trio decides to plant a bomb on a plane that the remaining commanders plan to fly to D.C.
With Serena Joy's (Strahovski) help, they learn the schedule and coordinates of the plane, and Lawrence reluctantly agrees to be the mole to plant the bomb, with June serving as his getaway driver. Unfortunately, the plan is foiled when the commanders arrive for their flight early and are pleased to learn that Lawrence intends to join them. In a pivotal moment, Lawrence decides to board the plane with the bomb, sealing his fate.
The situation was an impossible one for Lawrence. He could either plant the bomb and try to leave, which would arouse the suspicion of the other commanders, or he could choose not to board the plane and preserve his life, which would result in the group getting away. In the end, Lawrence decided to sacrifice himself for the cause, bringing the bomb on board, knowing he would be going down with the plane.
Does Commander Lawrence Survive or Die?
The ending of The Handmaid's Tale Season 6 Episode 9 leaves little room for speculation on Lawrence's fate. After June witnesses the explosion of the plane, on which both Lawrence and her ex-lover (and betrayer) Nick (Max Minghella) are aboard, it's evident there's no way either could have survived.
Whitford confirmed as much to Elle, telling the outlet in an interview that he was "very anxious" about where the show was going to end and worried that there would be "a repetition" of Lawrence's journey from earlier in the series to the point he voiced his concerns with Bruce Miller:
"I became very anxious about where this was gonna end. I mean, really neurotic about it, like boring my very supportive wife with repetitions about “Where is this going?” I was worried that there was going to be a repetition of what happened to Lawrence before you met him, of being seduced by power, so much so that I talked to [creator] Bruce [Miller] about it."
The actor's concerns were alleviated after learning "that was never where it was going" with Lawrence and Whitford was quickly convinced by his character's death as a satisfactory ending.
Whitford added in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that he was "very happy that Lawrence made the choice that he made," and believed that the Commander was at peace in his final moments, knowing he was doing his part to end "this hellscape [he] created:"
"I was very happy that Lawrence made the choice that he made. I think as he’s listening to Nick and sitting on the plane [in the final scene] he’s thinking, 'This poor kid is another victim of this hellscape that I created.' "
For either Lawrence or Nick to have miraculously survived the plane crash would be a disservice to Lawrence's final sacrifice. Throughout The Handmaid's Tale, the commander had slowly been coming to terms with his disillusionment with power and the regime he helped create. Lawrence's decision to be a part of reversing some of that evil came at the cost of his life, but put him on the path of redemption.
