This story contains spoilers for “Execution,” Season 6, Episode 9 of "The Handmaid’s Tale," now streaming on Hulu. Max Minghella's Commander Nick Blaine is no more. Near the end of the penultimate episode of "The Handmaid's Tale,

This post contains spoilers from The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6, Episode 9. Proceed accordingly. One of the most enigmatic — and frustrating — characters in The Handmaid’s Tale met his end in this week’s episode.

Actor Whitford, who portrays Commander Lawrence, explained the pivotal decision was one of his final scenes in The Handmaid's Tale. "It was a fraught day on the set because, as lucky as I've been, it makes me more acutely aware of what kismet it takes for a show to work," he expressed.

The penultimate episode of The Handmaid’s Tale puts multiple characters in the crosshairs of the war against Gilead. One of them is High Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford), who makes the ultimate sacrifice when he literally blows up the fabric of the totalitarian state he helped create.