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

consistent antagonist throughout The Handmaid's Tale, the villainous Commanders have been consistently swapping out since Fred Waterford's death. Now, another Commander has taken his place, with this new The Handmaid's Tale antagonist playing a big role in Serena Joy's story.

A lot happens to Serena Joy Waterford in the first three episodes of The Handmaid's Tale season 6, all of which dropped at the same time. At the end of The Handmaid's Tale season 5, Serena Joy is on a train with June, with the duo having escaped Gilead and heading toward Alaska. When Serena Joy's identity is discovered, she is forced to jump off the train and flee. Due to her importance to the New Bethlehem project, Serena Joy is eventually brought back to Gilead, where she meets a new character named High Commander Wharton.

Josh Charles' High Commander Wharton Seems Like The Handmaid's Tale's New Villain

He May Be The Big Bad Of Season 6

Josh Charles plays High Commander Wharton in The Handmaid's Tale season 6, and he seems to be the new villain of the final season. A variety of Commanders have been seen since Fred's death, but none of them have been as much of a driving force for Gilead as Wharton is. Wharton has taken the reins of Gilead, with him attempting to steer it in his own direction.

Wharton seems to be a formidable force in the world of Gilead, with characters like Commander Lawrence, Nick, and Serena Joy having to cater to him. He undoubtedly carries on the evil ideology of Gilead, meaning that he will still be an oppositional force to June and the rest of The Handmaid's Tale's protagonists. What makes Wharton different from Fred Waterford hasn't been shown off yet, but it wouldn't be surprising to see The Handmaid's Tale pull out an even more evil villain for its final season.

Is The Handmaid's Tale Going To Have A Romance Between Commander Wharton & Serena Joy?

Since He Is Fred's Replacement

Throughout the first three episodes, it is clear that one possible Wharton storyline is that he will have a romance with Serena Joy. Serena Joy and High Commander Wharton have been brought together, and since he is filling in the role of Fred Waterford in the final season, it wouldn't be surprising for her to develop feelings for him.

A relationship between Wharton and Serena Joy could pull her back to Gileadean ideology, undoing the progress that she made last season. On top of that, Wharton could use romance to manipulate Serena Joy. After all, Commander Lawrence already plans on using Serena Joy for his New Bethlehem project, meaning that Gileadean leadership still sees her as a valuable asset in The Handmaid's Tale season 6.