Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Handmaid's Tale season 6, episode 3!

New Bethlehem is the product of Commander Lawrence's big The Handmaid's Tale season 6 plan, and here's what it is and how it could change the future of Gilead. Gilead as a whole has been the main antagonist of The Handmaid's Tale throughout all six seasons, with it being the home of the theocratic fascist government that is continually oppressing June and the rest of the show's characters. However, Commander Lawrence kicks off The Handmaid's Tale season 6 by introducing a bigger change to Gilead than ever before, with him proposing the creation of a place known as New Bethlehem.

Gileadean control of the Canadian territory. However, they are quickly split up, with June being forced to arrive in Alaska by herself. These first few episodes mostly focus on June and Serena Joy's actions, although Commander Lawrence is getting up to something back in Gilead.

Why Lawrence Wants To Change Gilead & How New Bethlehem Is Different

It Is A Reformed Version Of Gilead

Despite being a powerful Commander and one of the architects of Gilead, Commander Lawrence has been unhappy with Gilead for a long time. Lawrence never obeyed the Handmaid process, and the death of his wife only turned him against the country even further. Because of this, Lawrence wants to change Gilead. However, he is taking a different approach to some of the other The Handmaid's Tale characters, with him wanting to change Gilead from the inside.

The formation of New Bethlehem is Lawrence's plan, with it differing from Gilead in some major ways. New Bethlehem is a more liberalized version of Gilead, with it reforming many of Gilead's worst practices. New Bethlehem stays away from the usage of Handmaids, and women are given far more rights. While New Bethlehem is still oppressive when compared to the United States and other pre-Gilead countries, it is a step in the right direction. Lawrence hopes that New Bethlehem can fix the issues that he created with Gilead, although some of the changes are controversial.

Who Does Lawrence Want To Live In New Bethlehem?

He Has Several Motives

When New Bethlehem is established, Commander Lawrence wants to live there. This is an unsurprising wish for the character, as he has a track record of disagreeing with Gilead's policies. By moving to New Bethlehem, Lawrence will be removing himself from Gilead proper. This will put a further degree of separation between Lawrence and the Commanders that despise him. It will also allow Lawrence to continue to work on New Bethlehem, with him living in the community and observing how it works first-hand.

Commander Lawrence actor Bradley Whitford has already spoken on what Lawrence's New Bethlehem plan is, and it comes down to economic power. According to Whitford, Lawrence believes that the reformed New Bethlehem will be far more economically powerful than Gilead, allowing it to pull ahead of the old system. Economics has always been Lawrence's strong suit, which is why this motivation isn't surprising either. Lawrence could economically benefit from New Bethlehem himself, further explaining why he wants to move there.

Where Is New Bethlehem Located?

Based On What We Know So Far

Despite how much new Bethlehem is talked about, its actual location hasn't been revealed yet. However, based on an educated guess, New Bethlehem is probably located somewhere near Boston. Boston is where Gilead is at its strongest, and Gilead probably wouldn't want to take such a risky venture in an already unstable area. Plus, New Bethlehem needs to be somewhere nearby so that Lawrence can live in Boston and continue to work on it at the same time. However, it is possible that New Bethlehem's true location could get revealed in the show's future.

Why Serena Joy Is Important To New Bethlehem & Why She s It

She Can Drum Up Public

Commander Lawrence knows that he can't make New Bethlehem on his own, which is why he is requesting the help of another key Gileadean figure: Serena Joy Waterford. In order to make New Bethlehem work, Lawrence needs to shore up public . If a popular public figure like Serena Joy is behind the project, then it is much more likely to succeed. Commander Lawrence is too controversial of a figure to put on a public campaign for New Bethlehem, but a more popular figure like Serena Joy could drum up the that New Bethlehem needs.

Meanwhile, Serena Joy has motivations of her own. Serena Joy's marriage to Fred and her later friendship with June has caused her to turn on some aspects of Gilead. Serena Joy seems to truly care about the Handmaids now, with her being in favor of basic reforms. Many of the reforms that Serena Joy wants could be present in New Bethlehem, and her power over the new area could allow her to craft legislation of her own. Serena Joy and Commander Waterford's interests are aligned with the New Bethlehem project, and now it is time to see if it will work out.

Is New Bethlehem Going To Bring Down Gilead, Or Will It Fail?

It Is Stuck In The Middle

Depending on how New Bethlehem goes, it could be a bigger threat to Gilead than the United States. If Gileadeans prefer the New Bethlehem system, they may begin to migrate to the more liberalized society, putting an end to the old ways of Gilead. This would allow Gilead to be taken down without force, with this being a different approach than what some others have taken.

However, it is also possible New Bethlehem could fail. Commander Lawrence is already a controversial figure, and New Bethlehem will undoubtedly be met with a lot of resistance from the old guard of Gilead. There are most likely figures within Gilead who will stop at nothing to prevent change in Gilead, jeopardizing Lawrence's vision of the future. New Bethlehem is in a weird middle place, with it being too liberal for Gilead and too conservative for the versions of the United States and Canada seen in The Handmaid's Tale.