Commander Fred Waterford

Commander Fred Waterford is a fictional character from the television series "The Handmaid's Tale." He is a high-ranking official in the dystopian society of Gilead, which is built onstrict control and oppression. Waterford is married to Serena and responsible for overseeing "handmaids" like June, women assigned to bear children for elite families. Throughout the series, he embodies themes of authority, complicity, and moral ambiguity, often demonstrating cold professionalism mixed with personal vulnerability. His character explores the moral complexities faced within a totalitarian regime and the personal costs of enforcing or living under such oppressive rules.