Spoilers ahead for the Handmaid’s Tale Season 5 premiere “Morning”
In the midst of the streaming wars, Hulu has had a few megahits-- including the dystopian series The Handmaid’s Tale. The former Emmy Award favorite recently debuted its first two episodes of Season 5 , bringing audiences back to Gilead for more intense drama. While fans will be glad to catch up with fan-favorite characters (just not Alexis Bledel’s Emily), we’re also meeting a few newcomers. Nick’s Wife Rose is rapidly becoming the show’s best new character for The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5, but her first scene begs the question: what is her deal?
Throughout Season 4 it was hinted that Max Minghella’s Nick was getting married again, especially since he’d been promoted to the rank of Gilead Commander. The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5 premiere episode “Morning” confirmed this, and introduced Rose Blaine played by actress Carey Cox. While she first appears to be a typical Gilead wife, her first scene with Nick seemingly reveals an intriguing twist: he’s been honest with her and she knows all about June.
Rose Blaine appears early in the Season 5 premiere of The Handmaid’s Tale, which picks up shortly after the wild and violent events of the Season 4 finale. When Nick returns home his new wife offers to make him coffee, and they greet each other with typical Gilead language. But then things get more intriguing, as she asks her husband if he saw June. Furthermore, she asks if she “did what she needed to” aka killing Joseph Fiennes’ Commander Waterford in No Man’s Land. She even utters June’s name, revealing just how much she and Nick have shared in their marriage. But conversely, she says she’ll pray for the former Handmaid.
This quick scene was dizzying, as it appears that Nick’s wife Rose know all about his affair with June, as well as the murder of Waterford. Is she a member of Mayday, or is she simply able to make an exception when it comes to her husband? All that remains to be seen, which is why I need more of Carey Cox’s new character ASAP. Unfortunately, she was noticeably absent from Episode 2 of the new season.
For her part, Carey Cox seems thrilled to be joining The Handmaid’s Tale in Season 5. She posted on Instagram after debuting in the premiere, thanking star/director Elisabeth Moss and others for welcoming her to Gilead with open arms. The actress’ role is also an exciting step forward in regards to onscreen representation, as she’s openly living with Ehlers Danlos, calling herself a “Ehlers Danlos babe” on her Instagram description. You can check out Cox’s post below,
Of course, hardcore Handmaid’s Tale fans will recall that this isn’t the first time Nick has been married in Gilead. We saw this happen for the first time back in Season 2, when he was still working for the Waterfords. His wife was a young girl named Eden, played by Euphoria actress Sydney Sweeney. Unfortunately, she met a grisly end after falling in love with a guard.
Hopefully Carey Cox’s Rose returns to The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5 (which was revealed to be its penultimate season) sooner rather than later, and we learn more about her history and motivation. With Gilead seemingly making a national incident out of Fred’s death, she might be privy to some very valuable information about his murder. Does she also know about Hannah, who is seemingly becoming a larger role in the new season? Only time will tell.
The Handmaid’s Tale is available on Hulu, with the first two episodes of Season 5 streaming now. In the meantime, check out the fall premiere list to plan your next binge watch.
