We’re 9 episodes into the ultimate season of The Handmaid’s Story now, and in some methods it’s like Hulu reached into my mind, stole my plot wishlist, after which made it occur. I’ve watched a couple of clips from episode 9 on repeat extra occasions than I might care to confess. We’ll get into all of that after the collection finale, however there’s one half specifically that requires a deep dive. In season 6, Nick’s transition from Almost Pointless Nick to Actively Horrible Nick has apparently taken lots of people without warning, and having given him quite a lot of stick for eight years, I take no pleasure within the canonical institution of the ‘Nick Sucks’ membership.
That could be a huge lie. Spoilers are forward!
My smug jubilation began in episode two when Holly yelled at June for romanticising the truth that she’s “f-cked a Nazi” and it solely grew from there. Now, the nice love story between Nick and June is over; he was metaphorically useless to her when she discovered that he’d betrayed her and the American mission to avoid wasting himself, resulting in a slaughter so unhealthy that it radicalised Aunt Lydia. AUNT LYDIA. Now he’s actually useless to her; she had time to cease him getting on that aircraft, however she selected the mission, and now he’s ash falling from the sky.
Nick-stans are so mad! I’ve seen folks crying that Nick and June weren’t endgame and complaining about character assassination. There are many ‘Nick would NEVER’ and, like, are we watching the identical present? Nick has all the time been a disappointment!
I’ve additionally seen a lot of folks speaking about how Nick was Mayday, and the present model deviated from the ebook on this regard. Yeah, no. That, my loves, was an optimistic studying of chapter 46. Right here’s what occurred. At this level, Offred is ready in her room for Eyes to take her away. Guess who reveals up?
I anticipate a stranger, but it surely’s Nick who pushes open the door, flicks on the sunshine. I can’t place that, except he’s considered one of them. There was all the time that risk. Nick, the personal Eye. Soiled work is completed by soiled folks.
You shit, I believe. I open my mouth to say it, however he comes over, near me, whispers. “It’s all proper. It’s Mayday. Go along with them.” He calls me by my actual identify. Why ought to this imply something?
“Them?” I say. I see the 2 males standing behind him, the overhead mild within the hallway making skulls of their heads. “You have to be loopy.” My suspicion hovers within the air above him, a darkish angel warning me away. I can nearly see it. Why shouldn’t he learn about Mayday? All of the Eyes should learn about it; they’ll have squeezed it, crushed it, twisted it out of sufficient our bodies, sufficient mouths by now.
“Belief me,” he says, which in itself has by no means been a talisman, carries no assure.
However I snatch at it, this provide. It’s all I’m left with.
[Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale]
The anomaly is the purpose. All we will say for sure is that Nick is aware of Mayday, and doubtless isn’t considered one of them. He doesn’t say ‘include us’; he doesn’t say ‘we’re Mayday’. It’s more likely that he’s an Eye with contacts who can play either side the place it fits. That is the place Nick lives, within the gaps. After we take a look at Nick’s defining traits, his ambiguity has all the time been proper up there with resplendent eyebrows and constipated expression. It serves him properly, making him a trusted determine for either side, with everybody projecting their very own expectations on that taciturn blankness. We snatch at it. It’s all we have now. It’s non-committal sufficient to allude to the opportunity of hope. However that’s so far as it goes, and that’s not sufficient.
We’re within the closing season now, in spite of everything, and ambiguity received’t lower it anymore. Everybody else round him is selecting a facet and standing up for what is correct. Sitting on the fence may need appeared revolutionary in season 1, however Nick’s constant failure to do something productive with the ability he has gathered up for himself is inherently unhealthy by itself — how lengthy can somebody stand idly by earlier than we choose them for inaction? — and it additionally reveals extra starkly that the ability is the purpose. He has been exhibiting his true colors all alongside. Soiled work is completed by soiled folks.
His redeeming characteristic was his love for June, and he has been concerned in serving to her over the course of the present, however after we dig in to these examples, he has solely ever helped her, by no means a wider trigger, and his actions have all the time ended up restoring the established order alongside the way in which. He has had ample alternative to get out however hasn’t. He dedicated treason when he was a part of the terrorist rebellion that made Gilead occur. He’s incel tradition ‘working class financial angst’ personified. Gilead has been good for him! He has energy, standing and respect. He appears simply unhappy sufficient at occasions that much less highly effective folks don’t see him as a menace, and he’s compliant sufficient that his superiors don’t suspect him. He has turn into so snug on this fence that he has ascended from Eye to Commander. Probably the most overtly rebellious factor he ever did was punch Lawrence within the face. He served Fred as much as Handmaid Justice in No Man’s Land as a favour to June and to eliminate somebody who may undo him. He’s not the hero. He has been sometimes helpful, however even a damaged clock is correct twice a day. Have a look at what occurs when Rita asks him for assist; he tells her to sod off. There’s nothing in it for him with Rita.
He solely hates Gilead when it interferes along with his love life (if we’re being form) or his ‘entry to June’ (if we’re not), which tells us he in all probability thinks it’s high-quality in any other case. This isn’t the work of a pleasant particular person. They don’t make good folks Eyes. They don’t make good folks Commanders. Nick is properly related sufficient as an Eye to know Mayday and be capable of contact them, however he’s not a part of their inside circle. He was not trusted by them even earlier than he bought all the ladies at Jezebel’s slaughtered. Holly and Luke each confer with him as a Nazi and actually, the arcs of all the opposite characters present Nick up much more.
In the long run, Nick’s unhealthy decisions lead him to blunder into the ultimate lure. His spouse, Rose, asks him to ‘finish’ June, and that’s the trail he chooses, along with his Commander Bro Membership. That’s his redeeming high quality gone. He betrayed America for a second time when he sentenced lots of of girls to dying to avoid wasting himself, and he finds himself subsequent to Commander Lawrence and a beeping briefcase. Lawrence made the correct alternative; a more durable one, and a braver one. Even Serena and Aunt Lydia made the correct decisions in episode 9. Nick, clearly and formally a cowardy cowardy custard, makes a pithy remark about selecting the winners, and like that, poof, he was gone.
How will the revolution cope with out him, eh?
The Handmaid’s Story finale is out there on Hulu on Could twenty seventh.