In the world of Gilead, it's hard to say that any character could really be redeemed. If you hold a powerful position, like Commanders Lawrence, Nick, Aunt Lydia, or Serena, there's bound to be some sort of corruption that creeps in from being in there. As we've seen in The Handmaid's Tale season 6 and previous seasons along the way, different people react in those extreme situations in different ways.
With the penultimate episode of the season and series now streaming, there's one character whose redemption arc really stands out though. And that's Joseph Lawrence. I go more into detail about my feelings towards Nick, here. Though to summarize, he was a character I really like overall and love his relationship with June. But unfortunately his choices in the past few seasons have lead to this, and he got what he did get what he deserved.
Commander Lawrence's redemption story is the most compelling
As for Serena and Aunt Lydia, I wouldn't say their redemption arcs are complete just yet. Though they are getting there one step at a time, they still have more work to do. When it comes to Commander Lawrence though, his story has come full circle. He got a fitting ending for his hand in Gilead, and that's what makes his redemption story so compelling and satisfying.
Over the seasons, the architect of the dystopian mess came to terms with his mistake and realized what he had done. Since then, he's tried to help as much as he can even when June and Janine were handmaids in his household. He's let June go and protected her multiple times, and been an ally. Realizing that there's a chance for reform from within, his last ditch effort was New Bethlehem and it worked to an extent.
If only f the other commanders had the same vision as him, I think it could have become great. Though, that's not how the real world works and as June says in season 6 episode 9, for these men, it's not about being pious, it's about power. They're twisting God's words to make it fit their own agendas. And after overhearing at Jezebel's that the other commanders are planning a coup against him, this motivates Lawrence to help Mayday out even more.
It all comes to a head in the penultimate episode when the commanders arrive too early to get on a plane to Washington D.C. in an effort to control the rebellion that's happening. Lawrence was supposed to plant the bomb and leave, but with them coming early this turns into a suicide mission and he takes one for the team.
It's absolutely heartbreaking, but it's also a fitting ending for the person who started it all. Now, he also has a hand in bringing it down and destroying Gilead, along with the other high commanders (and unintentionally Nick). It was a really satisfying way to end this character's journey, and just plays into that redemption arc he's been on from the start.
The Handmaid's Tale series finale premieres Tuesday, May 27, 2025 on Hulu.