The Handmaid's Tale Mega Buzz: Emily Is Getting a New Commander

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Thanks to Mayday's little explosion this season on The Handmaid's Tale, Emily (Alexis Bledel) returned from the colonies to be a Handmaid again, and she's about to get a new commander. Commander Lawrence, played by Bradley Whitford, will enter the picture in Episode 12, and he's about to make a big splash in the world we thought we understood.

"We're not sure where this guy is coming from," executive producer Warren Littlefield teases. "He is an economic architect of Gilead, and yet he has regrets. He's in a complicated marriage, and Emily is assigned to be a Handmaid at his household. He just doesn't play by any of the rules, and so we are whipsawed with his character, wondering, 'Good guy? Bad guy? I'm not sure.' And that plays to a wonderful conclusion in Season 2."

The Handmaid's Tale Just United Two Major Storylines

We're tempted to hate any Commander within Gilead, but hearing that Lawrence will be conflicted about the part he played in creating this society makes us wonder if this is a character who might be less than terrible -- or at least, less terrible than Commander Waterford (Joseph Fiennes).

New episodes of The Handmaid's Tale are released every Wednesday on Hulu.