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Becka / Aunt Immortelle
Commander Judd is the leader of the Eyes and one of the Sons of Jacob, the original men who initiated the coup that gave rise to Gilead. As one of the most powerful men in Gilead, Judd both cooperates with and stands in opposition to Aunt Lydia, and the two share a very close—though tense and complex—relationship as they maintain their balance of power. It is Judd who orders Lydia’s initial arrest and torture and coerces her into helping him establish the social structures and rules that govern women in Gilead. However, Lydia’s power and influence gradually grow to the point that she represents a legitimate threat to him, and the two take up an uneasy truce as a result. As Lydia is well aware, Judd is also a pedophile and murderer who marries “child brides” and then surreptitiously kills them when they grow too old for his tastes. Although Judd technically outranks Lydia because he is a man, he is reliant on both her intel and her manipulative powers to achieve many of his aims, which increases their interdependence on each other even though they ultimately oppose each other’s aims. When Agnes is of marriageable age—around 12—Judd becomes engaged to her until Lydia rescues her by making her an Aunt. Although Judd works to uncover the plot against Gilead, he does not realize that Lydia is its orchestrator until is too late, and he presumably dies during Gilead’s fall from power.
Commander Judd Quotes in The Testaments
The The Testaments quotes below are all either spoken by Commander Judd or refer to Commander Judd. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 40 Quotes
“Perhaps one day you will be able to help me as you yourself have been helped. Good should be repaid with good. That is one of our rules of thumb, here at Ardua Hall.”
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After Aunt Lydia rescues Agnes from her arranged marriage to Commander Judd by making her an Aunt, and thus no longer allowed to be married, Agnes thanks Lydia profusely and Lydia responds that someday she may call on Agnes to help her instead. This interaction encapsulates much of Lydia’s character, demonstrating that she is both compassionate and cunning, helping others while developing the machinations of her own plot against Gilead. This is evident in that, although Lydia rescues Agnes out of her own compassion and sympathy—literally saving her life, since Judd habitually murders his wives—she also already reckons that the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque err
Chapter 44 Quotes
Aunt Beatrice ordered in pizza for lunch, which we had with ice cream from the freezer. I said I was surprised that they were eating junk food: wasn’t Gilead against it, especially for women?
“It’s part of our tests as Pearl Girls,” said Aunt Dove. “We’re supposed to sample the fleshpot temptations of the outside world in order to understand them, and then reject them in our hearts.” She took another bite of pizza.
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After Jade is picked up by Pearl Girls in Toronto, she goes back to their condo with them to prepare for her trip into Gilead. While they are in the condo, the Aunts order pizza and eat ice cream, which seems to Jade to be a breach of Gilead’s protocol. Aunt Dove’s claim that they are only trying out the junk food of the outside world so that they can virtuously set their hearts against it is obviously false, since both Aunts seem to genuinely be enjoying the pizza rather than begrudgingly tolerating it. Although this instance of their lapse Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum
Chapter 46 Quotes
The Angel’s real crime was not [smuggling] the lemons, however: he’d been accused of taking bribes from Mayday and aiding several Handmaids in their successful flight across our various borders. But the Commanders did not want this fact publicized: it would give people ideas. The official line is that there were no corrupt Angels and certainly no fleeing Handmaids; for why would one renounce God’s kingdom to plunge into the flaming pit?
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Aunt Lydia and Commander Judd watch the public execution of an Angel who collaborated with Mayday to smuggle Handmaids out of Gilead, though Gilead officially only charged him with black market dealing. The fact that Gilead feels the need to level false charges against the Angel and conceal the fact that so many people are fleeing Gilead demonstrates a different angle on the concept of knowledge and power. The fact that people want to leave Gilead at all obviously contradicts its claims to be a virtuous utopian paradise, revealing it instead as a hellish authoritarian pit. The simple knowledge of Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. El
Chapter 68 Quotes
I had a flashback, not for the first time. In my brown sackcloth robe I raised the gun, aimed, shot. A bullet, or no bullet?
A bullet.
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As Lydia’s plot enters its final stages and her document cache makes its way to Canada, she meets with Judd. While they are speaking and she is trying to maintain her appearance of innocence, her mind flashes back to the day that she stood in the stadium as part of the firing squad and executed another woman. Judd once tried to console her by telling Lydia that her rifle only had a blank round, but in this instance, she decides that her rifle fired an actual bullet. Lydia’s conviction that she fired a bullet suggests that in these final hours, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore
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Commander Judd Character Timeline in The Testaments
The timeline below shows where the character Commander Judd appears in The Testaments. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 12: The Ardua Hall Holograph
Lydia is invited to meet Commander Judd in the Eyes’ headquarters, established in what was once a grand library that still possesses...
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Judd explains that his operatives in Canada have identified and eliminated two members of the Mayday...
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Chapter 20: The Ardua Hall Holograph
...doing; she secretly loves to torture. Lydia promises to pass the plan along to Commander Judd. Later in the day, the Aunts report back that a number of civilians have been...
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Chapter 24: The Ardua Hall Holograph
Lydia receives another summons to Judd’s office, even though they have a private phone line. Lydia suspects that Judd enjoys their...
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Lydia meets again with Judd, who reveals that his operatives recovered Mayday’s communication method with whomever their source is in...
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...her at a repurposed police station. Inside, sitting at a boardroom table, she met Commander Judd of the Sons of Jacob. Judd asked Lydia if she was thankful to be alive...
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Chapter 29: The Ardua Hall Holograph
Lydia was taken from the hotel back to meet with Commander Judd, now wearing the brown robe. He asked if she had found “enlightenment” in her time...
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...was clearly indoctrinated, but Elizabeth and Helena were in the brown robes like Lydia. Commander Judd explained that although many would see them as traitors for overthrowing the government, they were...
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...free rein to operate as they saw fit. Vidala was wary of this, but Commander Judd accepted her proposition, stating that he did not want to be burdened with the “petty...
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...broken by the Thank Tank and the horror of what they were taking part in. Judd regarded Lydia as the group’s head and took credit for any ideas she presented that...
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As Lydia’s power and influence grew, Judd even asked for her forgiveness for the harshness with which she was treated. He tried...
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Chapter 34: The Ardua Hall Holograph
...“turning point” but she does not intend to back down. Soon, she will tell Commander Judd that Baby Nicole is back in Gilead, within her grasp.
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Chapter 35: Transcript of Witness Testimony 369A
...Agnes knows it will not actually be her choice. Most impressive among them is Commander Judd, whose young wife has recently died, and who is very powerful and important. The other...
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Chapter 36
...Meanwhile Commander Kyle and Paula do their best to convince Agnes to marry their choice, Judd. Weddings are easier when the bride is willing; some families have had to resort to...
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Chapter 37
...grows “desperate.” She often contemplates methods of suicide or perhaps even trying to murder Commander Judd on their wedding night, but she knows that she lacks Becka’s resolve to follow through...
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...but must approach Aunt Estée herself to claim her higher calling. Lydia will handle Commander Judd. After Lydia leaves and Paula returns, Agnes knows that Paula will lock her in her...
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...her about the horrible marriage and that she will either kill herself or cut Commander Judd’s throat. Aunt Estée understands, asking if she has received a higher calling. Agnes says that...
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Chapter 40
...Agnes is dedicated to “the greater good,” so Agnes shows it, even expressing sympathy for Judd’s disappointment at the marriage being called off. Helena simply wants their interview over quickly, since...
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...congratulates her on making her way to Ardua Hall. She announces that Shunammite will marry Judd in her place, and although Agnes worries for Shunammite, she knows that the girl envied...
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Chapter 46: The Ardua Hall Holograph
In Commander Judd’s office, Lydia drinks coffee with him and watches a “Particicution” through his viewing screen. Judd...
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In Judd’s office, he turns off the screen and expresses his sympathies for Dr. Grove, asking if...
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Chapter 48
...visits during Agnes’s second month with the Aunts, gloating about her new marriage to Commander Judd and how many Marthas she now has. Agnes realizes that Shunammite now outranks Paula, which...
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Chapter 51
Commander Judd’s file is the thickest and most significant, describing his murder of every one of his...
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Chapter 52: The Ardua Hall Holograph
Lydia rushes to meet Commander Judd at his home. Shunammite opens the door and Lydia remarks that she looks very ill....
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...be transferred to Ardua Hall, and after glaring at each other for a long time, Judd agrees and implies that it would be better for her to die there, away from...
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Chapter 59: Ardua Hall Holograph
...greatly alarmed, and as she is striding out to deal with it runs into Commander Judd. Lydia is angry, but Judd explains that they have discovered that microdots were being smuggled...
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Chapter 60: Transcript of Witness Testimony 369A
...into Becka and Agnes’s apartment and announces that there is an emergency. She says that Judd has discovered Nicole’s true identity and wants to marry her soon, so they must hatch...
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Chapter 68: The Ardua Hall Holograph
Commander Judd is both enraged and terrified that Baby Nicole has escaped, since his and Lydia’s reputations...
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...seemingly headed for Canada, and most realize that this must be Aunt Victoria and Jade. Judd sends his operatives to hunt for them, authorizing them to shoot both girls down if...
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