As The Handmaid’s Tale came to an end with season 6, the series attempted to reframe Nick (Max Minghella) as a far more sympathetic and tragic figure, despite episodes showing him making dark turns before his death. The Hulu series is an adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s influential and increasingly relevant novel, which imagines an America that is overrun by a theonomic regime that forces fertile women to become childbearing slaves. The Handmaid’s Tale follows Elizabeth Moss’s June Osborne, who is forced into serving as a Handmaid, but fights to be free of Gilead.

Upon entering services for the Waterford Family, June is introduced to their driver, Nick Blaine, and the pair strike up a romance as they try to break free from the tyranny of Gilead. However, while June fights to escape Gilead, Nick finds himself ascending the ranks of leadership, reaching the rank of Commander. In a moment of desperation, he trades intel that cost a vital mission for June and the Mayday Resistance. June breaks things off with Nick, and he returns to his role, only to die with the other Boston Commanders in an assassination attempt.

The Handmaid’s Tale Finale Reminds June Of Her Love For Nick

Several Characters Try To Highlight His Positive History

Image via Hulu

As June and former Gilead housewife Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski) are brought back together for one final conversation in the series finale, Nick’s name enters the discussion. While Serena apologizes for Nick’s loss, June simply states that he got what he deserved. However, Serena insists that had he known that he had a choice, Nick would have stayed by June’s side until the end.

Serena Joy isn’t the only member of the cast to urge June to look back on her time with Nick more fondly, as June’s husband Luke (O-T Fagbenle) also addresses their relationship. In their final farewell before parting ways, he urges her to remember those who mattered during her ordeal, including Nick. When paired with the episode presenting their happier moments in a montage alongside other acquaintances and allies, it is clear that the episode hoped to frame Nick in a far more positive light.

Serena Joy Insists Nick Didn’t Have A Choice

Nick Was Placed In A difficult position, But His Choices Afterward Defined Him

Despite these comments by Serena, Luke, and the episode’s montages, it doesn’t address the entirety of the situation. While Nick had done all he could to atone for his actions and dedicated himself to June’s cause, his actions within the Jezebel massacre not only led to the Mayday Resistance’s plans being exposed to Gilead’s commanders, but also led to the deaths of several women. Nick attempted to justify his actions to June as being for them and promised to take her away from the horror to Paris.

As June makes it clear that their relationship is over, Nick gives up on trying to help the Resistance when it becomes clear that there is nothing that benefits him, refusing to aid Rita (Amanda Brugel) and her family, and promising his wife that he will dedicate himself to Gilead. As such, there is true weight behind his comments to Joseph Lawrence (Bradley Whitford) when he states he chose the “Winning side“. This final straw showed a key flaw in Nick’s character that held him back from truly becoming a better person.

Nick Wasn’t A Hero, But He’s A More Complicated Villain

Nick’s Attempts To Be Better Show He Could Be So Much More

For Nick, his actions have often been driven by what will benefit him, rather than what is the right and just thing to do. Prior to the rise of Gilead, he becomes invested in the Sons of Jacob’s mission and aids in the takeover in hopes that his actions will reward him with a better life in the new world. While his place in Gilead may have pushed him into the role of driver publicly, his part in its rise and quick acceptance into the Eyes does show his loyalty, as he knew very well the kind of regime he was helping put in place.

However, it can be argued that Nick was an easier candidate for recruitment, due to the circumstances. Part of his drive to join the Sons of Jacob was to escape the poverty that his family found themselves in when his father and brother lost their jobs at a steel mill. When paired with his care for June, it appears that Nick takes up these roles and is willing to do evil, so long as his loved ones can survive.

Furthermore, Nick was trying to atone for his decisions before he met June, believing his membership of the Eyes could “Clean up Gilead” after witnessing the fate of the Waterford’s previous Handmaid. This can explain Serena’s sympathy towards Nick, as she too, once believed that she could fix Gilead from within once the cracks became apparent to her. The pair may have opposed the system, but assumed that it would be fair enough to give them the chance to change things for the better.

Ultimately, though, when it became clear that June could no longer forgive him for the Jezebel massacre, it was here that Nick’s actions defined him. As seen with how June could forgive Serena and Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) once they dedicated themselves to the cause, despite their history, she may likely have been able to find a way to forgive Nick had he fought on. However, when faced with the possibility that no reward would come, Nick seemingly renounced everything he stood for previously, showing his true priorities.

Nick’s Legacy Can Live On In The Testaments

Nichole May Redeem Her Father’s Name Through Doing What He Didn’t

With June seemingly following the advice of Serena and Luke, and now being willing to forgive those who wronged her, it is possible that his legacy may be explored in The Testaments. While June may have left Nichole with her mother, Holly (Cherry Jones), it is possible that she may still be allowed to learn the truth about her father, as June has even previously imparted to Serena how important a birth parent being there for their child is. Though at the moment of the fall of Boston, she may feel that Nick made his choice, it would be within her character to be open about him to her.

Furthermore, while his worst deeds will make him polarizing to viewers of The Handmaid’s Tale, Nichole’s story may offer Nick the opportunity to have his legacy redeemed. Nichole is set to be one of The Testaments‘ leads, and may be inspired by both her mother and father to continue the fight against Gilead. While it won’t absolve him for what he did, it can at least ensure that his best attributes live on.