Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Handmaid's Tale season 6, episode 9!

The Handmaid's Tale, season 6, episode 9, had an explosive ending, and here is everything that happened before the series finale explained. Hulu's hit dystopian series is nearing its end, with only one episode remaining after the release of The Handmaid's Tale season 6, episode 9. The end of episode 9 is the show's most shocking death, and the major deaths and story setups require some explanation.

The Handmaid's Tale season 6, episode 9 takes place in the immediate aftermath of June, Aunt Phoebe, and the Handmaids from their executions, all while continuing their plan to wipe out the remaining Commanders and destroy Gilead.

Do Nick, Lawrence & Wharton All Die In The Handmaid's Tale Season 6, Episode 9?

There Is Almost No Way They Survived

The final scene of The Handmaid's Tale season 6, episode 9 seemingly shows the death of Nick, Commander Lawrence, Commander Wharton, and several other Commanders. In the episode, Mayday and the United States government task Commander Lawrence with bringing a bomb onto a plane. This plane is set to carry Commander Wharton and the other High Commanders to Washington D.C., where they will plan Gilead's retaliation. Just before the plane takes off, Nick s them, sealing his fate as it soars into the night sky.

June watches as the plane erupts into a fireball, with the scorched pieces of the plane falling down in front of her. The explosion of the plane is seen from a distance, meaning that the bodies of Nick, Lawrence, and Wharton aren't seen. While the general rule is not to trust a character's death unless a body is seen, there is almost no way the characters could have survived this. Even if they managed to survive the initial blast, which is unlikely, they would have been killed by the fall. Unless divine intervention occurred, everyone on the plane is dead.

Why Lawrence Had To Sacrifice His Own Life

It Was The Only Way For The Plan To Work

Sadly, Commander Lawrence had to sacrifice his own life in order to wipe out the Commanders. The original plan was for Lawrence to put the bomb on the plane and leave. As he arrives at the hangar, however, the rest of the Commanders arrive. They are there early, with them being eager to head to D.C. They ask Lawrence why he is there, putting him in a tough situation. Thus, he decides to get on the plane with the bomb, sacrificing his life.

Lawrence already knows that the other Commanders want him on the Wall, so he may have decided that he is doomed either way. So, he decided to die a hero's death.

Lawrence had no other option if he wanted the plan to succeed. There was no way they were going to let Lawrence get on the plane, leave a briefcase, and get back off. That would have been far too suspicious. So, Lawrence either had to get on with the bomb and stay there, ending his own life, or not get on the plane at all, missing his shot to kill the Commanders. Lawrence already knows that the other Commanders want him on the Wall, so he may have decided that he is doomed either way. So, he decided to die a hero's death.

Why Nick Had To Die & June Couldn't Save Him

The Plan Would Have Failed If He Knew

June had to watch as Nick got on the plane, with her knowing that he was going to die. As she hid behind the car, she was clearly conflicted over what she should do. However, she couldn't save him. After Nick's big betrayal in The Handmaid's Tale season 6, episode 6, she couldn't trust him. It is possible that he would have immediately told the Commanders about the bomb if she had warned him, as he undoubtedly wouldn't let them die.

Even if she wanted to tell Nick about the bomb, the plan still would have failed. If Nick decided not to get on the plane due to his knowledge about the bomb, the Commanders would begin to wonder where he is. It is clear that Commander Wharton was expecting him, so it would be odd for them to leave without Nick. Nick probably wouldn't have gotten on the plane knowing he was going to die, so that's not an option. Even if Nick didn't get on the plane, and the plane for some reason took off without him, Nick's driver would know that he was complacent in the deaths of the Commanders.

Why Serena Gave Up Wharton & The Other Commanders

She Finally Saw Wharton For Who He Is

Serena Joy was instrumental in the plan to kill the Commanders, as she is the one who told the United States that they were going to Washington D.C. This means that she sacrificed her own husband, which may seem shocking. However, June managed to convince her by highlighting how horrible of a person Commander Wharton is.

June helped Serena realize that Wharton isn't the kind of man who should raise her son. Serena also realized that reforms would never happen in Gilead, with her sacrifice of Wharton being the only way to bring about positive change.

What The Deaths Mean For The Handmaid's Tale

How Will Gilead Respond?

These deaths will have a massive impact on The Handmaid's Tale, hurting both the United States and Gilead. On the one hand, some of Gilead's most powerful Commanders have been wiped out. This is a massive blow to the country. However, they still have a lot of Commanders left.

The power vacuum will probably be filled in by the living higher-ups in Gilead, and without Lawrence, the United States loses one of its biggest moles. Interestingly, the death of Nick also means that The Handmaid's Tale's big love triangle is over, securing June and Luke's relationship.

What Will Happen In The Handmaid's Tale's Series Finale?

& How Will It Affect The Testaments?

There is only one episode of The Handmaid's Tale left, and with all of these characters left, nobody is sure what will happen in the finale. The episode will probably chronicle the United States continuing its attack on Gilead while Gilead picks up the pieces. June still hasn't rescued Hannah, so the episode could see her take another shot at that. Since the characters are still in Gilead, the finale could see them attempt to escape as Gilead rushes to secure its borders.

The finale will most likely spend a lot of time setting up The Testaments. The Testaments is the sequel to The Handmaid's Tale, and Hulu has already announced that it will be adapting the Margaret Atwood book into a series. Thus, Aunt Lydia will probably get a lot of focus in The Handmaid's Tale finale, as well as setting up Gilead and some other key characters for the next story.

The Handmaid's Tale series finale will release May 27 on Hulu.