The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 Finale Seeks to Redeem Nick Despite His Death
As the Emmy-winning series The Handmaid’s Tale wrapped up with its sixth season, the show made a clear effort to recast Nick Blaine (Max Minghella) as a more sympathetic and tragic figure, even though previous episodes revealed darker choices he made before his demise. Adapted from Margaret Atwood’s iconic and increasingly relevant novel, the Hulu series depicts a dystopian America ruled by a theocratic regime that enslaves fertile women as Handmaids. The story centers on June Osborne (Elizabeth Moss), who is forced into servitude but constantly fights for her freedom.
When June begins working for the Waterford family, she meets their driver, Nick Blaine. A fragile romance blossoms as they both seek to escape Gilead’s oppression. However, while June strives to flee, Nick climbs the ranks of Gilead’s leadership, ultimately becoming a Commander. In a desperate moment, he betrays crucial intelligence, jeopardizing a vital mission for June and the Mayday Resistance. This betrayal leads June to end their relationship. Nick later dies alongside other Boston Commanders in an assassination attempt.
The Finale Highlights June’s Complex Feelings for Nick
Characters Reflect on Nick’s Past
In the series finale, June reconnects with Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski), and Nick’s name comes up during their final conversation. Serena expresses sorrow over Nick’s death, but June bluntly says he got what he deserved. Serena counters, insisting that if Nick had truly had a choice, he would have stayed by June’s side till the end. Serena isn’t the only one encouraging June to remember Nick more kindly; her husband Luke (O-T Fagbenle) also reminds her to cherish those who mattered during her trials, including Nick. The episode pairs these reflections with a montage of Nick’s happier moments, clearly aiming to paint him in a softer light.
Serena Insists Nick Was Trapped
Nick’s Difficult Position and Choices Define Him
Despite these pleas, the full truth remains complicated. While Nick tried to atone and was devoted to June’s cause, his role in the Jezebel massacre exposed Mayday’s plans to Gilead’s commanders and resulted in the deaths of several women. He justified his actions as protecting them and promised June he would take her to Paris, away from the horrors. But when June ends their relationship, Nick stops supporting the Resistance, refuses help to allies like Rita (Amanda Brugel), and pledges loyalty to Gilead. His statement to Joseph Lawrence (Bradley Whitford) about choosing the “winning side” reveals a critical flaw—his ultimate self-interest overshadowed true heroism.
Nick Is No Hero but a Complex Figure
His Attempts to Change Show What Might Have Been
Nick’s decisions often stemmed from self-preservation rather than moral conviction. Before Gilead’s rise, he joined the Sons of Jacob, hoping their new order would grant him a better life. Though publicly a driver, his quick recruitment into the Eyes shows his deeper allegiance and awareness of the regime’s brutal nature. Yet circumstances—such as his family’s poverty after his father and brother lost steel mill jobs—made him a vulnerable recruit. His care for June suggests he was willing to do wrong to protect those he loved.
Moreover, Nick sought redemption before meeting June, believing he could reform Gilead from within, a hope shared by Serena before her disillusionment. Both believed in changing the system once its cracks showed. Nick used his influence multiple times to protect June, proving he understood his power.
But when June could no longer forgive him for Jezebel, Nick’s true priorities surfaced. Unlike Serena and Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd), whom June forgave after they fully committed to the resistance, Nick seemed to abandon his principles when rewards vanished, exposing his self-centered nature.
Nick’s Legacy May Be Revisited in The Testaments
Nichole Could Redeem Her Father’s Name by Continuing the Fight
With June now embracing forgiveness and healing, Nick’s legacy might be explored further in the sequel series The Testaments. Though June left their daughter Nichole with her mother Holly (Cherry Jones), it’s possible Nichole will learn the truth about her father, reflecting June’s belief in the importance of a birth parent’s presence. While June believed Nick had made his choice during Boston’s fall, she might open the door for Nichole to understand him fully.
The Testaments TV adaptation is already diverging from the original book, especially given Lydia’s story and June’s current path, meaning some narrative changes are expected. While Nick’s darkest deeds divide viewers, Nichole’s storyline could offer a path to redeem his memory. As one of The Testaments’ leads, Nichole might draw inspiration from both her parents to carry on the resistance against Gilead. Though it won’t erase Nick’s mistakes, it could ensure the best parts of him endure.