What Happened to the Character Eleanor Lawrence on ‘The Handmaid’s Tale'?

Hulu’s hit dystopian thriller The Handmaid’s Tale has audiences in a frenzy as the series’ sixth season continues to unfold. However, as new storylines and characters emerge, it’s a good time to take a look back at past standouts, such as the character of Eleanor Lawrence.

Portrayed by actor Julie Dretzin, Eleanor Lawrence was a polarizing figure during Seasons 2 and 3 of The Handmaid’s Tale before her fate was finally sealed.

As the wife of Commander Joseph Lawrence, who June and Emily are assigned to as handmaids, Eleanor Lawrence has a history of mental health issues. In Season 3, after an intense verbal altercation between them, June attempts to bring Eleanor refreshments in bed, but tragically discovers that she has overdosed.

Initially trying to wake Eleanor and call for help, June hesitates and waits beside Eleanor as she slowly dies. Following her death, June kisses Eleanor and spends a few final moments with her before she leaves the bedroom, putting the refreshments outside the door. The next morning, the Marthas discover Eleanor’s body.

Yes. Despite never letting on that he always suspected June being part of how his wife died, Commander Lawrence gets official confirmation from June when she angrily reveals the information in an outburst while the two were talking.

”You could have saved Eleanor,” Commander Lawrence said to a surprised June, who didn’t dispute his claims. This exchange all but proved to him that she was responsible for Eleanor’s death.

In an exclusive interview with The Hollywood Reporter, series star Elisabeth Moss talks about June’s journey as the show nears its end. “It was incredibly meaningful to be able to end this show as a mom, I have to tell you,” Elisabeth told the outlet. “I think I didn’t even realize it until I saw different points in the show as we went through.”

“Like in the beginning of Episode 1, the first image is of June on the train sitting there holding a baby. Then the end of Episode 1, the reunion with the mom. … I’m really glad that I got to have this last season playing June with a little bit more of a visceral emotional experience of some of the things that June is talking about or fighting for,” she said.

Speaking to the outlet about how she knew that the sixth season would be the show’s last, Elisabeth explained that it was all about timing.

“Maybe it’s because I started directing in Season 4, but I feel like a lot of the story really picked up that season and started to develop in a really exciting way with a lot of different characters,” she said. “So it felt like there was still so much story left to tell. It just didn’t feel like five seasons was going to be enough, so I think that’s what resulted in the sixth season.”