HuluIn The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 Episode 4, ‘Promotion’, Naomi tells her new husband, Commander Joseph Lawrence, about “virility,” which has a deeper meaning in the context of the show.
Lawrence is a busy man in the sixth and final chapter of the Hulu series. He’s heading up Gilead’s “liberalized” territory of New Bethlehem, establishing international relations, and helping his new wife Naomi (formerly Putnam) to raise her stolen daughter Angela.
While he was one of the original architects of Gilead, Lawrence has always stood apart from its theology. He’s not a believer, and he’s repeatedly risked his position to quietly help June and the Mayday resistance.
Unlike his late wife Eleanor, who was tormented by Gilead’s regime, Naomi embraces its brutal approach. Their marriage is all for show, and her efforts to connect with Lawrence only highlight their differences. Warning: minor spoilers ahead!
What does virility mean?
HuluVirility typically refers to manliness, strength, and a high sex drive, qualities often tied to traditional ideals of masculinity. It can also be used to refer to a man’s ability to father children – so, virility is for men what fertility is for women.
The word comes up in The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 Episode 4, as Lawrence prepares for a ceremony in which he’ll be sworn in as a High Commander.
Naomi leans in to kiss him but he recoils, which clearly bruises her ego, and the pair get into a power play.
“They’re gonna expect things from you now, you know,” she says, to which Lawrence replies, “I can handle whatever the brain trust throws at me.”
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Anyone in their right mind would know they aren’t going to out-wit Lawrence, but not Naomi. She just keeps going: “Well, it’s not just golf and cocktail parties anymore. The High Commanders share a very specific set of priorities.”
Lawrence snarkily retorts, “I know their priorities,” a subtle dig at the High Commanders of Gilead.
Naomi then argues, “They derive their sense of power from their virility,” indicating that Lawrence will be expected to demonstrate a level of manliness (including a sexual interest in women other than his late wife – i.e. her).
But Lawrence has the final word, telling her, “Power will come from reform. They know I’m their man.”
Virility takes on a deeper meaning in The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6
HuluNaomi’s mention of “virility” isn’t just about Lawrence’s lack of passion in their marriage – it cuts to the heart of Gilead’s long list of contradictions.
In a society that claims to be founded on strict religious values and purity, the men in power privately indulge in hedonism, as seen later in the episode when the High Commanders drink and party at Jezebels.
Publicly, they preach morality, but behind closed doors, the men cling to the same behaviors they claimed to overthrow. Except in this society, only straight men can indulge.
Naomi’s comment also highlights the performative nature of power in Gilead. She’s warning Lawrence that being promoted means more than political skills and influence – he needs to prove his masculinity to fit in.
In Gilead, “virility” isn’t just about fathering children. It’s about dominance, aggression, and control.
For someone like Lawrence, who leads with his intellect and diplomacy (and who clearly resists physical intimacy with his wife or any other women), this puts him at odds with the system he helped create.
Not that he’s particularly bothered by what Naomi has to say, or the rest of the High Commanders for that matter.
Whether this will be his downfall is yet to be seen, but the man won’t be swayed and it’s why he’s one of the few Commanders – aside from Nick – we can respect.
Find out when the next episode drops with Dexerto’s guide to The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 release schedule. You can also catch up with our recaps of Season 6 Episode 1, Episode 2, and Episode 3.