Warning: This contains a major spoiler (or two) from season 3 of Handmaid's Tale.

Christopher Meloni has shaken the already-unstable ground all of us Handmaid’s Tale fans are currently standing on. In his latest TV role, the actor is one of the most powerful Commanders in Gilead. Commander Winslow, far different from the beloved Detective Stabler on Law & Order: SVU, has made Reddit go wild for his complex, twisted character. It’s tough to say what’s making these fans lose their minds the most, so let’s break it down.

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When we were first introduced to Commander Winslow, we predicted that he and Commander Waterford were going to engage in an illicit affair. Reddit and Twitter thought so too, but I guess we'll really never know. That's because in episode 11, June stabbed him to death ... with a pen ... and the Marthas helped her clean the whole thing up. We're still catching our breath, but these are the main topics being buzzed about right now:

Commander Winslow's death

We were only just learning who he was, and just like that, he's gone. After running into June at Jezebel's, he took her back to his room and attempted to rape her. She fought back, though, and he died. And so did we (kind of).

"Me after watching episode 11 of @HandmaidsOnHulu .... especially @Chris_Meloni," shared Twitter user @YasMEAN26.

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"The thing is, I have undying love for @Chris_Meloni that spans generations," shared @LizabethPaulat. "From years of SVU to this last episode of #HandmaidsTale ... But during THAT scene, and the furnace scene? I clapped so loud I scared my dog."

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The thing is, I have undying love for @Chris_Meloni that spans generations. From years of SVU to this last episode of #HandmaidsTale



But during THAT scene, and the furnace scene?

I clapped so loud I scared my dog. pic.twitter.com/8nh2o9JVqK — Lizabeth Paulat (@LizabethPaulat) July 31, 2019

This scene was satisfying for most vengeful Handmaid's Tale fans, but we were still left wondering if anything would have happened between Commander Winslow and Commander Waterford.

"I really liked Commander Winslow and was hoping for a special 'ceremony' between him and Fred," shared @WonderGoddess51.

"I think two of the most disappointing things about what June just did is that I didn't get to see @Chris_Meloni's a-- once and I didn't get a Winslow/Waterford sex scene," wrote fellow fan @XoXoGossiPTr0ll.

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I think two of the most disappointing things about what June just did is that I didn’t get to see @Chris_Meloni ‘s ass once and I didn’t get a Winslow/Waterford sex scene #HandmaidsTale pic.twitter.com/tIO95fSLLI — Troll 🌈🇵🇸 (@XoXoGossiPTr0ll) July 31, 2019

Elizabeth Reaser’s Handmaid’s Tale name

It’s Olivia! Commander Winslow's wife is played by Elizabeth Reaser, who we've learned is named Olivia Winslow on the show. And we’re all hoping it’s an ode to Meloni’s SVU partner-in-fighting-crime Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay, we miss you!).

Jasper Savage

“You did notice his wife in the episode was named Olivia, though, right? Cute little nod,” shared ofthrees in the Reddit thread for Handmaid’s Tale episode 6.

“Please tell me @Chris_Meloni’s wife in @HandmaidsOnHulu is named Olivia because of his undying love for SVU and his partner @Mariska,” shared @Briannaology on Twitter.

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Please tell me @Chris_Meloni's wife in @HandmaidsOnHulu is named Olivia because of his undying love for SVU and his partner @Mariska. 😍 — brianna 🌿 (@Briannaology) June 26, 2019

One user even wanted a stronger connection to Law & Order:

“I was half hoping it was a long term undercover SVU operation to investigate Gilead as a sex trafficking ring,” shared MeisjeMayhem.

Commander Winslow’s attraction to Fred Waterford

Though they weren't sure Waterford shared the affection, fans thought he might become a victim of rape — just like every Handmaid. Many argued that Waterford would be forced to give Winslow what he wanted to secure his position in Gilead.



Jasper Savage

“My instant thought was that commander is gay and might use his power and influence to try to force Fred to sleep with him,” suggested Foxelette . “I could be WAY off, it's just what popped into my head. How fitting it would be to see Fred as the victim of a rape.”

Several people caught that, including jpallan , who said, “I was like, ‘Oh, you might have to have uncomfortable sexual encounters to survive in this society, Fred Waterford? Guess what, I'm totally comfortable with that.’”

One Reddit user went so far as to guess Serena would catch her husband in the act. Let’s not forget she lost a finger for simply reading ...

“$10 on the table says Serena walks in on Christopher Meloni making the moves on Fred,” wrote daringitlog .

Christopher Meloni’s butt

Yes, we can’t ignore that. While they were busy coming up with theories about Winslow and Waterford, people also couldn't stop talking about Meloni’s butt. His derrière was the talk of the town long before he starred in The Handmaid’s Tale, but there were predictions that we'd see much more of it in coming episodes.



“Blessed be the assets,” said Protanope , which prompted ronan_the_accuser to reply, “90% sure he has it in his contract that his ass get sizable screen time in whatever show he’s in.”

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Meet #TheHandmaidsTale's newest commander played by @Chris_Meloni, who makes quite an entrance in episode 6. “He’s a man of voracious appetites.” https://t.co/y8djoTryec pic.twitter.com/8EIjP7eTvJ — Stacy Lambe (@sllambe) June 26, 2019

And people really couldn't stop mentioning that particular shot when the two Commanders were playing an intimate game of pool.

“Winslow was hitting on Fred which started with the full on butt shot right in front of Fred while playing pool,” wrote flyersrights.



Just the fact that Christopher Meloni is on screen.

People were genuinely happy to see him, even as an evil Commander in Gilead. And over on Twitter, feelings could be summed up with this meme:

We’re also losing our minds over here, and still trying to get over what just happened. Hopefully, season will bring many more guest stars and plot twists too!

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Blake Bakkila Associate Editor Blake is the Associate Editor for GoodHousekeeping.com covering beauty, celebrity, holiday entertaining, and other lifestyle news.

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