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WARNING: Spoilers for The Handmaid's Tale season 5, episode 5.
Commander Lawrence's new plan for Gilead is revealed in The Handmaid's Tale season 5, episode 5, but his true motives surrounding New Bethlehem are shrouded in mystery. Changing the world's perception of Gilead has been on a lot of characters' minds in The Handmaid's Tale season 5. Serena's posting as a Global Ambassador in Toronto served as a way for her to shore up support in Canada and Fred's televised funeral was another way to garner sympathy from potential allies. Commander Lawrence has always seemed in support of this, but his murky reasoning behind his true intentions for Gilead hides where his allegiances lie.
As one of the founding members of Gilead, Lawrence is largely responsible for helping set up the regime's economy as well as the colonies. Despite being instrumental in the regime's inner workings, Lawrence has always shown a disdain for the ways of Gilead. From helping Emily and Nichole escape from Gilead to playing a part in June's murder of Fred, he has undermined the nation as much as he has helped it. His most recent plan for Gilead, dubbed New Bethlehem, falls under this dubious categorization as the true intentions behind it could go either way.
Lawrence's plan involves bringing "traitors, criminals, and terrorists" back to Gilead to "coddle them [and] forgive them" according to Commander Putnam. Putnam and, by extension, the other Commanders, seem understandably hesitant about this plan, but Lawrence argues that if they keep their borders closed, Gilead will fail. Lawrence isn't wrong - no matter how strong they appear, Gilead is constantly on the brink of destruction if only because of its tenuous position on the world stage. Gilead's population crisis is but one symptom of their horrific regime, one that was meant to be solved but has only been exacerbated. Ultimately, though, Lawrence's plan seems like an attempt to bring people back into Gilead who oppose it and who could work to bring it down from the inside.
Does Commander Lawrence Really Want To Bring Down Gilead?
Commander Lawrence has often been portrayed as an eccentric mad scientist type. His house is littered with artifacts and books from the old United States, illegal contraband in the eyes of Gilead. At times, he has also lamented at the state of the regime, making it seem as if he is afraid of his own creation. Lawrence has never truly been religious either and, out of self-preservation and a desire to fix the population crisis, Lawrence seemingly helped the regime out of desperation. But Commander Lawrence doesn't necessarily want to bring down Gilead - he wants to do what's best for himself.
Throughout The Handmaid's Tale, Commander Lawrence's intentions for Gilead are tied to his own need for absolution after the death of his wife and his growing guilt over what Gilead actually does. Lawrence wants to bring down Gilead, but only for selfish reasons and he most certainly won't do so at the cost of his own life. Bringing disrupters into Gilead under the guise of helping the regime could do just that without Lawrence having to get his hands dirty.
New episodes of The Handmaid's Tale premiere Wednesdays on Hulu.