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What does virility mean in The Handmaid’s Tale season 6? Explained
Hulu debuted the sixth and final season of The Handmaid's Tale on April 8, 2025. The American TV series, created by Bruce Miller, is based on the 1985 novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood. Set in the dystopian era of post-Second American Civil War, it follows a theocratic society that forces young, fertile women into childbearing slavery.
The most recent drop of the fourth episode of season 6, titled "Promotion," shows Naomi (Ever Carradine) having a conversation with her new husband, Commander Joseph Lawrence (Brad Whitford), about virility. While the typical definition of virility refers to a man’s sexual power, energy, and childbearing capabilities, its meaning goes a lot deeper in The Handmaid's Tale.
What is the definition of virility in The Handmaid's Tale?
Naomi mentions virility to her husband after he pulls away from a kiss from her, moments before his swearing-in ceremony as High Commander of Gilead. Clearly displeased, she remarks that if he wishes to fit in, he would have to act carefully.
She says to him, "They derive their sense of power from their virility," hinting that he will have to prove his masculinity to the High Commanders. This is a direct nod to the behaviors of these men in power behind closed doors—engaging in hedonism and all the pleasures they preach against when in public.
Naomi's statement also digs at Lawrence's lack of passion in his relationship with his wife. She implies that a man who doesn't show interest towards a woman in his own home couldn't do it elsewhere, either. Virility wasn't just about fathering children in Gilead; it was how men displayed their dominance over society.
This could prove to be a challenge for the intellectual Lawrence, who rejects physical intimacy with any woman, even his wife. Having helped build Gilead, he is now put in a challenging position to continue his leadership.
Naomi, who was married to Commander Putnam, raises her stolen child, Angela. Unlike Lawrence's late first wife, Eleanor, Naomi is accepting of the way of life in Gilead. Despite being one of its original architects, Lawrence was not a believer in their extremist laws.
Premise of The Handmaid's Tale season 6
In a post-war society, the theocratic government of Gilead assumes power over what used to be the United States. Owing to the growing number of sexually-transmitted diseases and pollution, fertility rates among women have dropped significantly, and those found to be fertile were subjected to slavery - forced to bear children for the elite men of the society.
These women, termed Handmaids, were assigned to the home of a High Commander, who was required to impregnate her in the presence of his wife. The child would then be claimed by the High Commander's family, and the Handmaid would be reassigned to someone else.
While most people in Gilead have accepted this as the norm, few do their best to publicly overthrow the tyranny of the High Commanders, abolishing the inhumane concept of childbearing slavery for good.
The sixth and final season of The Handmaid's Tale is available to stream on Hulu, with a new episode every Tuesday.
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