‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Shocks Fans With Two Major Deaths in Explosive Episode

*Spoilers ahead for Season 6 of “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

“The Handmaid’s Tale” continues to deliver emotional blows to their fans, with its latest episode eliminating two major characters. Several fans were shocked about the decision after their character arcs were carefully developed over several seasons.

June, played by Elisabeth Moss, remains at the center of the Mayday resistance against the Republic of Gilead. But in the penultimate episode of Season 6, she once again faces profound loss. Commander Nick Blaine, portrayed by Max Minghella, is killed in a surprise act of rebellion led by Commander Joseph Lawrence (Bradley Whitford). Lawrence went on to plant a bomb aboard a plane carrying Gilead’s top male leaders.

The scene is one of the most harrowing in recent memory, easily becoming one of the show’s best-written scenes of the show. After helping orchestrate the plan, Lawrence boards the aircraft with Nick in a final, intentional act of sacrifice. Prior to the takeoff, the two men share a reflective moment, acknowledging their end only by Lawrence. Nick says, “She told me to give it all up,” and Lawrence simply replies, “You should have listened to her.” Their last exchange is quiet but powerful, made more painful by the knowledge that June will never get to say a proper goodbye to Nick.

As the plane explodes midair, June watches from the ground with a conflicted expression. Some believe it was a mix of grief and disbelief written all over her face. The emotional weight of the moment captures the complexity of her relationship with Nick and the price of her continued resistance.

Nick’s Betrayal Sealed His Fate

Nick’s fate had been foreshadowed earlier in the season after he revealed details of June’s actions to Gilead’s leadership. According to executive producer Eric Tuchman, Nick’s betrayal was a critical turning point in the season’s plot. Some fans believe it directly led to his death.

“Once we decided on Nick’s betrayal midway, that led to his fate—and Lawrence’s, combined with that,” Tuchman told The Hollywood Reporter. He also confirmed that the decision to kill both characters was made early in the writers’ room. When they pitched the storyline to their TV homes, Hulu and MGM, Moss was so taken by the narrative arc that she immediately knew she had to direct the episode. She quickly volunteered to take matters into her own hands. “She was on board immediately, as was Max,” Tuchman added.

Minghella called the moment a “poignant way to end” his character’s arc. He went on to admit that Nick never fully understood the repercussions of his choices. “I don’t think he would have given those answers if he had known the implications,” he said.

June’s Complicated Goodbye

The aftermath of the explosion leaves June emotionally shaken. As we can all see by the state of shock she had on her face. While she and Lawrence had a brief exchange before the mission, her final moments with Nick were stolen by circumstance. Moss, who has portrayed and has been growing June, emotionally and physically, since the show’s beginning, reflected on the emotional complexity of the scene.

“I feel like Nick was not the person June fell in love with,” she said. “So as much as she can mourn the loss of the person she fell in love with, it won’t trump the loss of the women [who were killed] at Jezebel’s. But there is pain there, too.” She noted that seeing Nick at the wedding earlier in the season added to June’s emotional turmoil. “Of course, there’s a lot of complexity [seeing him step onto the plane].”

Fans took to social media to express their shock over the character deaths, with many lamenting the lack of closure between June and Nick. This is especially since they have been a pivotal point in the love aspect of the show since the beginning. The show’s creators, however, have made it clear that the impact of these choices will ripple into the season finale and, hopefully, beyond.

With one episode remaining in Season 6, the stakes are higher than ever. Will there be other deaths? What will happen to the woman? So many questions left unanswered, but definitely intriguing enough to keep viewers on their toes and glued to their TV screens. As June faces the aftermath of losing Nick and Lawrence, her resolve, faith, and strength are tested once again. The final chapter promises to be as explosive, emotionally and most likely literally, as the one that just aired.

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