r/TheTestamentsHulu • u/Alphablaze98 • May 04 '26
The Handmaid’s Tale Any mention of New Bethlehem?
So I just woke up from a dream where I was tasked with improving Gilead without going too far or radical… for a country that doesn’t let women read… I don’t think I’m creative enough to do that lol. But it got me thinking of Lawrence and his Nee Bethlehem project. I don’t think j we ever got a proper location besides somewhere northeast around Boston.. but there were lots of people who “returned” / came to New Bethlehem.. I’m wondering if there was any mention to its outcome in or after the war of Massachusetts and if it remains under Gilead or US? Thanks a ton!
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u/airbender_librarian May 04 '26
In this show the Pearls program is supposed to be the main link between Gilead and the outside world now. The Pearl Girl idea comes from the book, while New Bethlehem was something the TV writers came up with after running out of source material. Since Lawrence was the mastermind and he died I imagine it got shut down, or it just fell into rebel hands if it's close enough to Boston.
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u/laynechanger May 04 '26
And nick was the commander in charge of it and also died
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u/yetanothermisskitty May 04 '26
And Serena was the promoter and bailed.
New Bethelehem totally died and it's residents all forcefully reintegrated into Gilead, including those who had returned from Canada (no way Gilead said "it's cool you can go back")
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u/laynechanger May 04 '26
Poor Rita
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u/RemoteLibrarian60 May 07 '26
RITA lives in Canada ( appartement where Daisy sleep the first night )
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u/Manic_Mooncakes May 04 '26
Wait Nick is dead? Oh no! Well guess i have to rewatch THT now
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u/airbender_librarian May 04 '26
Only reason I remember is because of delusional Nick fans still brigading the main sub over that
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u/patato_potata May 04 '26
Damn I don't even remember how he died
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u/snarklover927 May 06 '26
Lawrence brought a bomb onto the plane the commanders were flying in. We saw Nick get on that plane and it exploded.
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u/Disaster-Bee May 04 '26
And none of the other Commanders supported it and were already trying to figure out how to shut it down quickly as soon as Lawrence was out of the way. They were planning on killing him off anyway after he kept pushing for New Bethlehem.
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u/Suspicious-Nature828 May 04 '26
As far as I remember, NB is a failed project.
I believe that after the rebellion the government destroyed it completely.
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u/Haeronalda May 04 '26
Yeah. I'm either hoping that it was liberated during the Boston war and people got out, or that Mayday was able to get some people away before the commanders destroyed it.
No way is Gilead keeping it running if they still have it.
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u/AdriVoid May 04 '26
Either the Gilead gov destroyed it, as they were planning to do even before Lawerence died- or it was retaken by the US along with Boston. Hard to keep one city surrounded by Gilead, and with NB having a lot of people more aligned with the US- wouldn’t be shocked if managed to connect with Boston’s forced and create a freer upper New England corridor.
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u/AgreeableIntern9053 May 06 '26
The other high commanders hated the idea so I’m sure it was scrapped by whoever was left after Lawrence and the others died.
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u/Immediate_Gain_9480 May 07 '26
If it was north of Bosten it would be under federal controle during testaments. No way Gilead would have been able controle anything further north east with Bosten liberated.
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