“It Felt Inevitable”: ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Showrunner Discusses Nick’s Shocking Moment in Season 6’s Penultimate Episode

Written by co-showrunner Eric Tuchman and directed by Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale‘s penultimate Season 6 episode, “Execution,” is perhaps one of the most shocking of the entire series so far, as the clock ticks ever closer to an Earth-shattering finale. Sabotage was on the mind of Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford), as he intended to leave an explosive device on a Commander-only flight, only for Commander Wharton’s (Josh Charles) invitation to leave him with no other choice than to turn a once-simple exercise in explosive disruption into a suicide mission.

This, sadly, left the fate of several, including a none-the-wiser Nick (Max Minghella), sealed, something made even more tragic when June’s controversial lover seemed to care about her safety in his final moments, asking Lawrence whether she was alright. Nick and June’s romance has been a constant point of contention throughout Season 6, but most wouldn’t have expected it to end like this, although, according to showrunner Bruce Miller, perhaps we should have seen it coming. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Miller described Nick’s end as “inevitable,” saying:

“I know it’s controversial, but it felt inevitable that June was going to lose Nick this way. They’re fighting on opposite sides and eventually, one of them is going to come upon the other at a time where they could die or sacrifice themselves. Gilead is a terrible, brutal, death-filled world, and there’s a lot of loss. Part of Nick’s backstory is that he was very involved in Gilead’s version of January 6. He’s considered one of the OG people who wasn’t going to be forgiven by the U.S or Canadian governments. He put his lot in with those people.”

Fans and Critics Remain Divided On ‘The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6

Despite proving one of the most popular shows since its debut nearly ten years ago, The Handmaid’s Tale has often proved divisive, especially since Season 3. Although Season 5 perhaps caused the most disparity between critics and audiences, Season 6 certainly isn’t immune to such an imbalance, with this no better illustrated than on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. With critics awarding the final outing of Miller’s adaptation a “certified fresh” 90%, the show’s highest since its debut season, the sixth season’s audience score remains at a lowly 53%, almost half of its critical counterpart, albeit the best from viewers since Season 3, which still only managed 57%.

The Handmaid’s Tale is available to stream on Hulu. Make sure to stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter