After an extended wait, Season 4 of The Handmaid’s Tale has finally arrived on Hulu. The return to Gilead has been a doozy, with June escaping and being captured a number of times already. One of the overarching plots of the series so far has been the love triangle Elisabeth Moss’ protagonist June has with her husband Luke and Gilead partner Nick. And as the debate rages on, the cast of The Handmaid’s Tale has officially weighed in.
Four seasons into The Handmaid’s Tale, and the audience has seen June transform into a resistance leader and cold-blooded killer. It feels like she’s split into two different women, each with their own love interest and father of her child. Nowhere is that more clear than the debate between Luke or Nick. Elisabeth Moss was recently asked to pick a side, and she sidestepped by saying:
I mean, look. I do have an idea as a producer of where I think it has to go. But that is no reflection on either of those gentlemen. And as their friend, co-worker, and sometimes boss I am not at liberty to choose! I can’t.
Since Elisabeth Moss is June as well as a producer and director on The Handmaid’s Tale, it’s especially difficult for her to settle this debate. After all, anything she says could be seen as a potential spoiler down the line. As such, she kept it cryptic.
Luckily, not all of The Handmaid’s Tale cast shied away from picking sides in the Luke Vs. Nick debate. Commander Waterford actor Joseph Fiennes was asked the same question by Rotten Tomatoes, and didn’t pull any punches. He made his allegiance known, saying:
If you had to put me on the spot I’m old fashioned and I have a ring on my finger and whoever has the other part of that ring wins. So I have to go with the married man here.
Well, he’s got a point. Luke and June are still very much married, although they’ve spent years away from each other while she was trapped in Gilead. Elisabeth Moss’ protagonist has been tortured and assaulted, so it should be interesting to see exactly if/how she can still connect with her husband. Still, Joseph Fiennes is an old fashioned guy who wants to see the husband and wife combination together.
But not all of The Handmaid's Tale agrees with Joseph Fiennes’ feelings about #TeamLuke. Rita actress Amanda Brugel also weighed in, and she believes that June should end up with Max Minghella’s Nick. She took the time to apologize to Luke actor O.T. Fagbenle, but got honest saying:
At the end of the day I’m going to say it, I’m sorry O.T., team Nick. I think there’s been such a shift in June over the last four seasons. And Nick at least understands Gilead, has been in Gilead and knows who she is now. I don’t think she’ll ever return, unfortunately, to being the June before all of this. And she’s a wildcat. And he can sort of deal with it. Luke is a beautiful, wonderful man who has no idea who this woman he married seven years ago is.
Another solid perspective. June has been living in hell for years, and has seen and endured countless atrocities. She also caused her own amount of pain, and Luke will never really be able to understand. But Nick also survived in Gilead, falling in love with June and even having a baby together.
Janine actress Madeline Brewer felt conflicted when asked this question, but eventually came around to the same logic that Amanda Brugel did: Nick understands who June has become. She parsed through her logic, saying:
She should be with Luke I think. But also, you know what? June is not the same woman that Luke married. Maybe she should be with Nick. Maybe she shouldn’t be with either of them. Because everyone’s been through a lot.
We’ll just have to wait and see how June’s story continues to shake out, including her very complicated love story. The Handmaid’s Tale Season 4 has been making massive changes to the universe, which should allow for the Nick Vs. Luke debate to take more twists and turns.
The Handmaid’s Tale airs new episodes Wednesdays on Hulu. Be sure to check out the summer premiere list to plan your next binge watch.
