Viewers have said that they are "completely shattered" after The Handmaid's Tale's penultimate episode before the show's finale - and the shocking events saw three major characters killed in a plane crash orchestrated by June. Warning: Major spoilers ahead!
Taking to Twitter to discuss the episode, which saw Commander Nick Blaine, Commander Joseph Lawrence, and Commander Wharton all perish in a plane bombing alongside the other commanders of Gilead. Although the bombing was a triumph for the rebels, fans certainly had a mixed reaction, with one posting: "Tonight's episode of The Handmaid's Tale has me crying, screaming, throwing up on the floor. I knew Lawrence was gonna redeem himself some way I didn't expect this."
Another fan posted: "I have never been so completely shattered and satisfied to this extent in my entire life. Bravo Handmaid's Tale. Bravo," while a third person posted: "The visuals, the music, the entire fucking commanders exploding and June's face expressing not only shock but a sense of release from the oppressors of Gilead dying. THIS IS HOW YOU DO YOUR FINAL EPISODES TAKE GODDAMN NOTES."
Speaking about Lawrence's redemption on the show, another person wrote: "Lawrence knew he helped create the monster of Gilead. He also knew he had to pay for his sins and the others he created. Goodbye Lawrence."
© DisneyShowrunners Eric Tuchman and Yahlin Chang opened up about the characters' untimely deaths, telling The Wrap: "It felt like the end of [Nick's] story. This was a guy who was trying to straddle two worlds, and he ultimately had to make a decision, and we gave him that pivot.
"That kind of crossroads point — is he going to get on that plane or not? He hesitates at the top of that staircase, and he has an opportunity to turn around and say, ‘You know what, I’m going to call Mark Tuello and see if I can still get me, Rose, and my unborn child out.’ He could have done that, but he doesn’t do that. He still decides to go all in and get on the plane."
© DisneyMeanwhile, Lawrence sacrificed himself after being caught planting the bomb, boarding the plane so as not to arouse any suspicion despite knowing that he was going to die.
The showrunners added: "We had already figured out what we wanted to do with Commander Lawrence, and we went out to lunch with Bradley and told him what we were thinking. Not knowing how he was going to react.
© Disney"Fortunately, he embraced the idea. I think he really sparked it. It felt like an honest ending and a noble ending for this character. He loved it and was relieved. He was so happy because he was worried about him. He was worried about where we might take Lawrence, and he was afraid that Lawrence might turn out to be more evil. So he loved that there was a, like, a moment of redemption for him."
