#commander Lawrence

[just-b-yourself]

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𝓝𝓲𝓬𝓴 𝓑𝓵𝓪𝓲𝓷𝓮 & 𝓒𝓸𝓶𝓶𝓪𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓻 𝓛𝓪𝔀𝓻𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓮

[jackytaylor]

The Handmaid’s Tale — S6E9: Execution

[ofjonsafame]

But this guys gonna choose the wife he doesn’t care about over June? Ok……. You’re wrong, but ok. lol

[johanna-swann]

I'm sad that Lawrence died, but I mean. It kinda makes sense. He designed Gilead. He has the blood of thousands on his hands and when we first met him it had turned him bitter and cynical. And then all the things that the country he designed did to innocents happened to him.

He was raped, he lost a loved one under incredibly tragic circumstances, he lost his power, had to remarry against his will, had the threat of hanging on the wall held over his head and had to say goodbye forever to a small child he loved and that depended on him.

Somewhere along the way he began to believe that he might never make up for what he did, but that didn't mean he couldn't still do good. He started small, trying to change the system before he realised the system is the problem and it needs to be destroyed.

In the end he gave everything he had left to give to the resistance and it doesn't outweigh the damage he did, but he did what he could.

[ameagrice]

Lawrence talking about his late wife’s favourite book? Sobbing. Lawrence giving Janine her child’s drawing, in Jezebels? Crying. Lawrence telling Angela that one day, she’s going to read a book? SCREAMING SOMEONE HELP ME

[zerohootsgiveth]

🤭

[martharaccoon]

I don’t know if Mark still has a thing for Serena but I can just see his face after finding out she’s getting married to a commander AGAIN:

And I just knowwww Lawrence is so done with June at this point. Like wdym get you across the border, we’ve done that many times for you and you still keep coming back 😭

[uluthrek]

we as a fandom don’t talk about joseph lawrence enough. that fuckass attitude. that cunty scarf. the rings. the pizzazz. the expensive paintings he raided all museums of the nation for, not to display them but just so winslow can’t have them. the way he lets his marthas degrade him because he either gets off on it or thinks it‘s funny. that cunty way he turns around when spoken to. the genuine love and admiration he has for eleanor and his actual genuine regret for his actions that he doesn’t just put on to get what he wants like serena but that actually seems to gnaw at him constantly. the needless flamboyance when he essentially tells nick not to execute him. the way aunt lydia tries to blackmail him and he goes „ooooh, DISH, sister“ as soon as she mentions that she‘s got dirt on the other commanders as well. the way that somehow, bradley whitford plays a more sympathetic character on the handmaid‘s tale than on fucking brooklyn 99.

[warningsine]

[nihilight]

"make some more pictures for me... use lots of colors."

- s6, ep9: execution

[itsscatballou]

This is a formal request to everyone who writes fanfics to write as many Commander Joseph Lawrence x reader fics as possible.

I have already devoured the one I can easily find on AO3 (Infinite Jest by qarlgrimes, do yourself a favor and read that).

I. Need. More.

[jackytaylor]

The Handmaid's Tale — S6E5: Janine

[invisibleicewands]

The Handmaid’s Tale S06E09, “Execution” - #2

[...]

MILLER June and Nick’s relationship was amazing. I think their love was amazing, and so unexpected. And it almost saved Nick. He almost made it. June saw a really wonderful side of him, and that was a side we [the audience] saw almost all the time, but he was that guy from the beginning. He was a fucking driver. He was in the Eyes — he was the Gestapo. He’s a survivor, but he’s not much of a power player, and people like Nick get killed when they get to the top because other people want that power, whether it’s Mayday or whether it’s the other commanders allowing Mayday to blow that plane up.

BRADLEY WHITFORD [“Joseph Lawrence”] I’m playing this guy who has done some really horrible things, but you could always tell a redeemable part of him was there. I also know that the show needs a villain, and I didn’t know where this guy was gonna end up. But I was rooting for him to end up on the right side of history. This creative experience means a lot to me. This book means a lot to me. This unfortunate cultural relevance of the show means a lot to me. So there was a lot of anxiety. I’ve had so much luck in my career in not pestering writers, but I was so worried about it that I set up a meeting with Yahlin and Eric.

CHANG Bradley came to have lunch with the two of us [after season five]. He was concerned about what was going to happen to Lawrence. He really didn’t want Lawrence to be evil. He didn’t want him to descend into that for the finale season. We had already figured out what we were going to do with him and how he would die, and Bradley was relieved. He was so in from the moment Eric pitched it.

WHITFORD It was basically my fantasy of his trajectory. Because, it can’t come too easy. This is not a show that needs a male savior (laughs). Lawrence is one of these intellectual guys and he was so excited about this idea of New Bethlehem that it sort of happened again where he got seduced by power and flattery. Even though he has contempt for these guys [the other High Commanders], his savior complex blinds him to what is a pretty obvious possibility, that those guys were gonna turn on him [which is why he decided to help Mayday].

TUCHMAN When you’re going to kill off characters, you want them to go out with a bang. You want to have it land in a big way. Literally, in this case, Max and Bradley — and Josh Charles also explodes — all three of them have a very memorable end.

MOSS With the final season, we were all [from Hulu and MGM to the executive producers] constantly making sure the show moved forward. Do we end in a different place than we began? Don’t be stagnant. Keep going forward, because this is it. There’s 10 episodes left to get to the end. No character this season ends in the same place that we begin.

WHITFORD So I knew what was going to happen, but I hadn’t read it yet. We were shooting another scene and Lizzie said, “Do you wanna read it?” I said yes. But other people [on the cast] hadn’t seen it yet. When they got the script, Ann Dowd left a very sweet message. She just thought it was beautiful.

TUCHMAN The moment when [Lawrence] turns to June when he’s about to step on the plane, I scripted it as a little salute, which is nowhere near as moving as what Bradley did. That moment guts me every time. His expression, his gesture to her, is so emotional. Then to see the way he’s sitting on that plane, knowing what’s about to happen is powerful.

MOSS That was Brad’s idea. The hand over the heart [really got me]. I mean, I’ve known Brad for 25 years. What matters absolutely the most to me is that the people I am working with feel like they are proud of what they’re doing. That they’re doing their best work. They’re allowed to push themselves. That they have the space to do that and have a voice in the room, on both sides of the camera. That is truly what it’s about.

WARREN LITTLEFIELD [executive producer] The look as [Bradley is] getting onto the plane, it breaks your heart — and this is an architect of Gilead. Gilead does not come to life without Lawrence’s brains, and now we have pain and anguish for the loss of this man. That’s a remarkable journey. It’s a tribute to everything the writers discovered and what Brad did, how he brought that character to life.

WHITFORD That [gesture was] one of those things where you don’t know what’s going to happen until you’re doing it. I’d seen [the gesture] before. A friend of mine did that to a coffin of a loved one at a funeral and it was always a very moving thing to me. I also think it’s an extension of what this experience with Lizzie has meant to me and the creative long-term bond I feel with that woman [starting with The West Wing]. That wasn’t the last scene we shot, but it was getting there.

MINGHELLA It was really a blessed and wonderful way to finish, to have Lizzie directing my last scene in the show. It was fitting to finish with Brad, too. We’ve become so close. I just adore him. I didn’t know him before The Handmaid’s Tale, and now I consider him one of my nearest and dearest friends. To do our last scene together was perfect.

WHITFORD The last scene we shot was on the plane. I felt off, because I was just dreading it. It meant a lot to me to be directed by Lizzie, sitting next to Max. Max is the dearest soul to me. These are both young people who really inspire me. I feel this kind of paternal ache with both of them who have been responsible for this very lucky older guy’s incredible creative experience. The [Toronto] crew is the sweetest crew on the planet — despite whatever [President] Trump may think of Canadians — and I just didn’t want to say goodbye. I know how rare it is. These shows are alchemy. I get emotional even talking about it.

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.” [...] Source

[wilder-fangirl]

nooo that was my emotional support morally grey snarky grandpa :((

[daemyra-fire]

I've seen a lot of theories from the last two chapters and I want to share them with you to see if any of them are right in the end.

Well

the first theory is the most obvious

Rose dies or loses the baby from the photo in episode 9, it seems that Nick is in a hospital, so the theory says that something happens to her in episode 9, the fandom has been killing Rose since season 5 so it may be true.

This has been talked about a lot so it doesn't need much information.

2. Nick is the guard next to June

This guard who appears for two seconds fighting alongside Luke in the trailer is Nick, reasons: none, many girls say "I know my man" which is funny because it does seem like Nick, but there is no further proof, it would be interesting if it was, especially because I doubt Nick would let June die. We'll see in the episode if it was true.

3. Moira and Janine may die in the execution

There is no proof, just fan speculation, but one of the two could die in the execution episode.

I really hope neither of them does, but if it happens, it will probably be Moira.

I feel like her arc is closing and going with June to Gilead was her final act, unlike Janine, whose story opens so that she can leave Gilead with Charlotte and stop suffering.

4. Lawrence is the real villain

This theory is huge, it came from reddit, if you want to read it I'll leave the link https://www.tumblr.com/daemyra-fire/783368197271355392/the-lawrence-theory-its-not-mine-it-was-made?source=share which is in the profile of @living4romance

In my opinion I don't think it's true, Lawrence is one of my favorites and I think he wants to fix the things he did wrong although he also has moments of dubious morality, I don't think he's the biggest villain in Gilead.

5. June returns to the Waterford house at the end

The preview photo of chapter 10 was analyzed and many people believe that she is sitting again in her room with the Waterfords, giving closure to her story in Gilead. I don't know if the Waterford house is still standing after the fire, but it would be a great closure if it ended where the story began. I would really love that.

6. June and Nick date at the pizzeria

A girl talked about seeing a recording of THT in a pizzeria, she went to ask the owner if a scene had been made, obviously he didn't say anything, but from clues in the series it is said that it could be the "first" date between Nick and June at the end of the series, especially after they talked about it in episode 6. There is no proof of this but it would be incredible!

7.loses another state

I didn't find the photo, but a person who saw the recording set showed that the American flag now has only one star instead of two as they have shown around the series. I don't understand why they would lose a state if the idea is supposed to recover Boston, but we'll have to wait and see if this really happens.

8.random theories

Nick kills June or June kills Nick :

What? No, it would be the worst decision to end the series, impossible no

Serena is killed by Wharton or becomes a maid:

I don't know where they want to take Serena, but I don't think she deserves redemption and a happy life. Death by Wharton would be ironic, but I doubt he'd do it, and being a maid was already in season 5, so I don't know where she'll end up, especially because she's always very lucky.

Wharton as the father of Rose's baby

WTF? No, I think if that were the case, the series would have shown it before. Besides, this is clearly not Game of Thrones. I doubt something like that would happen.

9.June sees Hannah for the last time

The whole idea is based on the opening of the testaments, that June can see Hannah before escaping, but there is no proof that it will happen.

10. Nick is going to die in the end

I just want to say that this theory has been around for years, but if Nick were to die, my emotional stability would be ruined. I already suffered a loss from a fictional character this month and I still haven't recovered from Joel in Tlou

So I hope they leave Nick with June in peace, calm, and happiness. Thank you. End of statement.

Now we just have to wait and see which of the theories are real and which are not.

No comments on Luke, I have no idea what's going on with him and to be honest I don't care.

[sometimesoliloquy]

The Handmaid's Tale 6x04 - "Promotion" (or IDK, how about just “STFU Luke?”)👀

Look, this was a hard episode to write about. I was so triggered by the immature acting out throughout the most part that the first draft of this was pretty much just "ahHfUUUuuuckyouuUUUuLuuuke”. So yeah, I really just want to get the thoughts out of my brain so I can finally stop thinking about this episode (before my blood pressure gets too high) and focus on the new one dropping today.

(Just me or does it look like June has a weird crooked halo?)

We open with June back in the Mayday camp at the grand old resort-thing place, watching a mad scientist dude welding shit together to (ostensibly) make bombs, as we soon find out will become a major plot point--and point of contention. It would be cool except June looks like she wished she'd skipped class pretty bored, and what we are actually hearing is Luke pedantically droning on in the background from the other room and this is where my teeth set to gnashing because we're less than a minute in and already I just know he is going to be completely insufferable for the rest of the episode. June pops up to go talk to him and yep, he's completely condescending, holding up a finger for her to wait sorry the middle of things, k sweet thing? come back later, You understand. You know what I ALMOST feel bad for him here because he's so cocky and expecting June to be SO impressed but she just looks at him skeptically like ok, that's cute. Oh dear.

When Tuello delivers the incredible news that Luke's case has been dismissed (because of the intel he and Moira brought back, thanks Nick!) and can go ahead and hop on a flight to Alaska, Luke is clearly not happy. It seems he's been super busy becoming the big man on campus developing plans for bombing commanders and now has much better things to do than go be a family with June and Holly like he's been cajoling her to do since the day she arrived on Canadian soil. After getting pulled away again for more planning, he tracks her down to give the most half-hearted apology I've ever seen (about not telling her he was going on the Mayday mission): "You know, I was thinking I should have told you what I was doing" YA THINK? June brushes it off, but a bit passive aggressively so yeh, this tension is going no where (yeah, something's about to blow up, Luke, you got that right anyway!). It's also of note that June's somewhat frantic "we..we have to go back and we have to build a life together!" is very much giving are you trying to convince me or are you trying to convince yourself vibes and we will see more on this later...

The Mayday folks hold assembly a meeting to debrief on Luke and Moira's (ultimately) successful (again, thanks Nick!) mission, and the next step which is apparently going to be killing the commanders at Jezebels. June immediately points out the danger to the woman trapped there (you know, as traumatized sex slaves), becoming a bit of a thorn in the leader, Ellen’s, side. It seems they are largely ok with some collateral damage as long as they get to hit their targets (paralleling Luke's new trajectory, apparently) but June at least gets them to agree to send someone in to warn the Jezebels and get them out before they get caught in the crossfire. Of course it's Moira who volunteers--she looks terrified but says it's her who has to go, as she astutely points out she knows that place (and its residents) far better than anyone else here.

I have to say, although June IS being a bit of a smug know-it-all here, she's mostly not wrong and I did feel a tiny bit bad for her that in this environment she seems to have been demoted in status from "June Fucking Osborne" who did Angels' Flight and poisoned a country club full of commanders, to apparently "just June", who is just kind of hanging out and getting in the way, interrupting your v important bomb talk, etc. Apparently she's a bit old news—yeah but what have you done lately? I mean except fly in and link up w/your secret spy commander boyfriend to pull the last mission out of the gutter. Ok she does get a quick shout out for that, not Nick though, we're not talking about that here, either because Gilead commanders are a volatile subject or because we don't want to hurt Luke's fee fees.

It seems an interesting contrast to when June and Moira visited Lily's Mayday camp in s5 and June was praised as a hero. Overall this season, there seems to be a bit of tonal shift as it comes to Mayday. Last season when we learned that yes, Mayday was an actual thing that's been there all along, helping, it was such a beautifully hopeful moment--that there has been after all this network of just regular people doing what they can to help, to fight, to do the right thing. Now as we're actually seeing them more in action and the fight is becoming a more tangible thing enfolding in front of June's--and the viewers'--eyes, the fact that these are just ordinary people, civilians mostly with no military training, no insurgence experience or for the large part having even been to Gilead, shifts the overall feeling a bit from inspiring to slightly worrisome, as we have to wonder if they really can pull this off without creating more of a mess. Of course it's still fantastic to see people fighting back, but there's an underlying sense of unease that it's just not enough, especially going up against the Goliath of Gilead, and with it having somehow become Tuello's first line of defense.

June goes to find Moira as she is prepping for the Jezebels mission (apparently to try and talk her out of it). They start to argue when a print out of Janine comes through their fax machine, they're both stunned and June says "oh no, no not her". She'd thought Janine was at least as safe as a handmaid could be (not saying much, I know) at the red center with Aunt Lydia who she knows has a giant soft spot for her. The amount of guilt that hits her here must be tremendous (although now that I'm thinking of it, it is a bit annoying we really don't see her think of Janine til now, wtf!) which gives her the perfect excuse to try and grabby hands this mission away from Moira, so off to the leader she runs, eventually getting the OK once she reminds Ellen of her secret weapon, her secret commander boyfriend on the inside.

This of course all comes to a head with the ultimate three way blow up fight outside. Look, it’s just incredibly ironic, right? Luke and Moira have both essentially been treating June like a pariah, a damaged crazy person for nearly two whole seasons now. Like there was something inherently wrong and broken in her that she couldn’t just “let things go” and just be happy to be free and have Nichole and be a family again. Now there is a sudden (somewhat seemingly unearned) turning of the tables, and it's understandably leaving June feeling somewhat unmoored and off balance.

And here’s the thing: they’re not wrong in this new motivation, not at all. It’s good that they finally want to fight, and have found an avenue to do so. Moira always had such a fighting spirit when he saw her in the red center and on the before flashbacks, and it’s so good to see that spark reignited, to see her finally set out of the shell she seemed to find herself in in Canada, trying to make herself continually smaller and quieter to appease anti-refugee rhetoric and even society at large. And while I don’t think she is really being fair here—June never asked her to “live June’s life”—I am glad she’s finally got that off her chest and is ready to live her life how she wants to.

Don't even get me started on Luke. Ok, I guess I'm already started. Look, I absolutely cannot blame him for enjoying finally feeling useful but honestly alI can see in this scene is a big man-baby toddler throwing a tantrum, stomping his foot and yelling about "MY BOMBS, MY TURN, it's not FAIR". Come on, man, if you don't want to be infantilized, if you want to be treated like an adult who can make his own choices... maybe just rethink this behavior, that's all I'm saying. Aside from the totally immature attitude and the hypocrisy, I'm confused and bothered by the implication that he was somehow "prevented" from fighting Gilead until now. Look, the fact is Luke is a smart guy; he seems to have a really intelligent analytical brain and city planning/engineering/construction experience that can come in very useful (I mean, ok, his whole “building codes” thing in s5 actually did end up helping). That is his strength and what’s frustrating is that it DOES seem like he could have been actual help to the resistance--sticking to his behind the scenes analytical strengths and not letting ego take the wheel thinking he knows all about stealth ops or going in guns blazing. But it really seems like his own fault that he hasn’t. Is his inability to think outside the box, that has kept him sitting on his hands for years, feeling useless, really anyone else's fault? Is he trying to blame it on June by saying he was "too busy" waiting and worrying for her, and then looking after Holly/Nichole, to find another way to fight? Ok, maybe he's got a point about the kid, but come on, that's not really the reason. He was just unable to conceive of a different way to fight until he was shown this. And that's ok, but he just needs to admit it and move on.

Ok, let's face it (as she finally admits out loud at the end), June was never really going to be satisfied to skip off to Alaska with Luke and just leave Hannah to whatever fate, no matter how much she loves both Holly's, or how much she may crave some peace and normalcy. But hey, it seems like she had been willing to try and FFS I think it would have been nice if Luke (and Moira) could have some goddamn self-awareness and acknowledgment of this. But whatever, I guess we can't have nice things!

And so finally, we have somewhat of a resolution: Luke finds June looking out towards the mountains and joins her for (finally) the most honest (without insults anyway) conversation we've seen them have since she got free to Canada... or you know what, maybe ever?? Luke finally admits "I get it" (ok THANKYOU maybe we can have some kind of OK things eventually). Now that he's had a tiny taste, he finally gets her need to fight, and he wants to as well. We get the much-contested "If you want to fight, let's fight together" line, and ok, it's better than him being a condescending a-hole so I guess I'll take it. June cautions him about how intensely hard it is to fight and feel like you're getting so close to Hannah, only to keep coming up empty-handed, but they agree they still have to try. Finally, June admits "I had this idea that we could be a family again", at last realizing (and saying out loud), that this was merely an illusion, a distraction. But they just can't be that family again, they're broken. They recommit to fighting for Hannah and say mutual "you know I love you('s), right?" but it feels like there’s a "BUT" implicit here: we'll always have love for each other, but we're not in love with each other. We'll always be family but we're not A Family anymore.

In New Bethlehem, Rita is arrives to town on the official NB bus, looking quite nervous (I can't blame her) and is greeted by Serena the ambassador of NB Queen of Gilead herself (she's definitely got the queen wave down, I wonder if she was a pageant-queen-for-Jesus when she was younger). Serena soon gets ditched though and watches on a bit sadly as Rita spies her long-lost sister in the crowd: this is why she came, to reunite with the only family she has left, and it's a truly emotional reunion. We see people embracing all around them as well, more tragically separated loved-ones now brought back together in this supposed paradise... but will it end up as a nightmare?? I have a bad feeling. Not according to Nick, it seems like he really believes this new haven is about as safe as you can get (this close to Gilead anyway) and he is definitely an expert on safety having helped keep June alive for this long with all her crazy hijinks(!!). It was nice seeing Rita and Nick reunite and chat; there is a well-acquainted sort of warmth and familiarity there, and Nick says he will try and help her and her family get out, though it "could take a while, a year or two". But we clearly see how much family means to Rita: "For my family? Anything". Nick just nods knowingly, he can relate.

Of course we can't forget about Lawrence’s Big Day: his promotion to Grand Poobah High Commander, which gives Naomi a chance to awkwardly hit on her husband, only to be summarily rejected (this “poor” woman just keeps striking out, at least has her Parisian jewelry to keep her warm). And of course it gives the menfolk an opportunity for bizarre dress-up rituals followed by some good old fashioned fun at Jezebels. Unfortunately for Lawrence, his appeal to his old buddy s4/5 wingman is overruled by new daddy in law’s edict: “Rose is waiting for us”, and Nick’s relief is palpable. Lawrence looks sad that he's lost his puppy commander pet like he wishes he could get out of it also, but it seems perhaps Naomi’s words about what these commanders value are running through his head (omg someone listened to her for once?) and so off they and their gold watches go for some shitbag commander highjinks.

And who is there to “entertain” them but poor Janine, who is seems the slimy new Commander Bell Jr. has decided is his new “pet” (gag). By which I mean he is the kind of small-dicked douchbag who gets off on shitty power plays and humiliating women. Not one to pass up the chance to make as many decent people as possible miserable, he clocks Lawrence’s discomfort and says “oh that’s right, she was yours”, egging him on to “have a round” with Janine.

We of course know he’s not going to do anything, and are flashed painfully back to Lawrence trying to reassure Eleanor “we’re all just going to sit here” before June drops the terrible truth bomb that they are going to have to follow through with the “ceremony”. Of course, thankfully, there is no creepy “checking” afterwards here, so they can in fact just talk (and Janine can call him “scary” lol). And then, a small gift, an offering: Lawrence reveals the drawing little Charlotte/Angela (sorry, I have to honor her given name!) gave him earlier in the episode. Though he can’t resist just a bit of snark, he ultimately makes the genuine promise to look out for her. It reminds me in a way, heartbreakingly, of June desperately trying to find her unborn baby a godmother before Serena banishes her from the house “I want my baby to know kindness”.

And that he delivers on, as we next see him at home with little Angela (Charlotte) on his knee, the very picture of fatherly/grandfatherly kindness. He is reading to her from "A Little Princess", which he tells her she will hopefully read herself someday (I'm tearing up). "My Eleanor's favorite book as a little girl" he says (and I'm now crying that he knows and remembers this sweet, intimate little fact about his late wife, their love story really is so tragic). I'm sure there's a ton of symbolism in this choice... from what I can recall (spoiler alert for "A Little Princess!" lol), it's revealed at the end that Sara's father is not actually dead and she is reunited with him. Could this possibly be foreshadowing that Janine may be end up reuniting with her beloved Charlotte? If this could be the case, I also have to wonder if Lawrence's redemption ultimately will be not some grand re-imagining of society as he's planned, but perhaps instead a key role in a much smaller but more personal and incredibly meaningful act of good (I have to think Eleanor would be pleased). The site of Lawrence and Angela, heads bent over the book, also brings to mind a bittersweet sort of alternate-life image of the child/grandchild Joseph and Eleanor never had, and we have to wonder if Lawrence is thinking of this as well as he pauses and starts choking up a little. just between the words "a little girl" and "sat in a cab with her father". The scene fades out as the sound of him reading plays over That's all I have to say about this scene for now, except that I now NEED Bradley Whitford to record a series of audio books narrating children's classics (preferably over a background of soothing nature sounds). This would absolutely cure insomnia worldwide, CONSIDER IT A SERVICE TO HUMANITY, BRAD.

Meanwhile that night, Serena and Wharton are cosplaying early 1940's part of The Notebook (wait, seriously though, where did that music even come from??) as he walks her home after their store-bought pie date, when Aunt Lydia suddenly pops up out of freaking nowhere (she really has a special talent for ruining the moment, don't you think?). Blessed EVEning! (I wonder whatever could she want!)

***

Ok, yada yada, Promotion (did I mention I'm over this episode?). Obviously we have Lawrence's big promotion to High Commander, which brings both greater power and greater scrutiny. Hopefully he can dodge the latter while putting the former to good use (even if it may end up being a different use than he thinks now). In a way I suppose Angela/Charlotte fully gets "promoted" to cared after step-daughter status. Moira's (re)promoted to her previous fierce fighter status. And I guess Luke has also been promoted to Mr. Know-it-all Big Man on Campus Mansplainer "an effective leader".

As annoyed as I was for most of the episode, I was so very glad June and Luke had that little chat at the end. And visually it was a really gorgeous scene: the picturesque setting, the music, and the way it fades out to the sounds of Lawrence reading mixed with soft rain and distant thunder (again, I'm gonna need that audio book, Bradley). I can't help feeling like there's still something missing to the conversation. Maybe it's the elephant (let's face it, a stegosaurus at this point) in their relationship that is NICK. It’s insane to me that they still haven't had that conversation when it's so clear how much that particular insecurity (how emasculated he feels from having to be rescued by June and her boyfriend, and how much he wants to be a "man of action" like Nick) is driving Luke and his attitude earlier in the episode. Maybe it's also the (spoiler alert if you haven't watched the trailer! And if you haven't I want to have a talk with you about willpower and how I can get some of it!) kiss we know is coming (which at this point I have to think/hope is like a final "we're going into a dangerous mission so goodbye in case I never see you again" kiss(??). Hm.

But yeah. At least they finally said some important things to each other, both with words and subtext, and from their final facial expressions in the scene it seems pretty plain that they know, in one way at least, they're coming to the end of the road. And it's a great final image: the two of them against this grand backdrop, together here but clearly on the precipice of an inevitable divergence, where they will be united in the cause of fighting for their daughter, but not as as a couple. They're nearly there. They're so close, they just need that final push to finally free themselves both of the shared shackles of painful history and obligation, and each set off on the path they need to walk, to be true to the people they've become and will continue to evolve into.

*screencaps & captions sourced by me*