#tht 6x06

[sometimesoliloquy]

"Now, finally, she is able to see who he is and what he's capable of. It's devastating"

I need to rewatch the episode before I think I can write any more about it in detail. But I thought it would be interesting to briefly revisit the "notorious" quote in the wake of finally seeing what actually happened.

And oh man, Devastating is the right word. I'm absolutely devastated for Nick. Fully crushed.

Yes, we see who he is--a desperate man, desperately in love and in over his head. A (likely abused) abandoned boy who grew into a young man so desperate to save what was left of his crumbling family that he got roped into an extremist cult, turning the tide of his life. And now again, finding himself in the impossible position of ensuring the well-being of not one but two families, when these things are often at odds. Having had to do things to protect his family that weigh on his soul like an anchor. Backed into a corner by another terrifying, abusive father figure. So in a word, human. Flawed. Trying.

What he's capable of? (clearly not lying well but we already knew that) Making mistakes I guess? Making another impossible choice for survival when forced between a rock and a hard place, albeit a selfish one, but with a reasoning June can certainly understand. He was choosing his family--not the forced/false one he believes will be fine and that he's no good for--but the one he can't live without, that he longs for everyday: June and Nichole. He finally made the first selfish decision we've ever seen--to be with the woman he loves, with his real family. He made the choice, finally, to truly ask her to run away with him, not "I wish", not "I should have", not a fantasy. To really do it. Because he knows she loves him. And now he's about to lose the only good thing in his life. Because she doesn't know the full context. She sees an affable commander bragging about his son-in-law's loyalty to Gilead and she doesn't know this unhinged villain threatened Nick with the wall. Will she even give him a chance to explain? Will he even try to defend himself? The kicked puppy dog look in his eyes at the end was just heartbreaking. That said it all. If he does lose June what's left for him? Go "full Gilead"? Kill himself? Try and make one final sacrifice of himself to prove to June where his loyalty truly lies?

Not gonna lie, fam, this is dark. I hope there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Can you see it? I think I maybe do, right there? Just a tiny spark? (squinting)🖤🖤

[vampiricalxdata]

In A Woman’s Place (s1e6), June yells at Nick:

You’re an eye. You’re untouchable.

Nick responds, That’s not true.

In Useful (s3e3), June tells Nick:

So, you’re a commander now and you can go get Hannah. You can get me out.

Nick replies, I’m sorry.

In Promotion (s6e4), Rita says to Nick:

Well, then I will stay. But only until you can get my family out. All of us. And you’re a commander so you can do that, right?

Nick says, Eventually. It could take a while.

These were the main scenes that came to mind at the end of last night’s episode. This “betrayal” feels less like a betrayal and more like yet another demonstration of the misunderstood limitations of Nick’s power. Which is to say, he really has none.

You could probably apply this to Lawrence, too.

The difference is Lawrence would outright tell June she was asking for too much. But Nick would never. Nick would slowly dig away at the tower holding Hannah: Marry the friend of her kidnappers adoptive parents. Make nice with friendlies in the area near her school. Meticulously collect a file on her. All while working with the knowledge that he won’t get anything in return. Not for helping June, not for helping Rita.

And I blame Fred, to be honest. That guy loved throwing around his weight. He completely misconstrued everyone’s understanding of what a commander can do. Boasting to June that he can get her whatever she wants, as long as it appeals to him, because he’s just got it like that.

All of this to say, I just hope this “betrayal” is more of a moment of realization of what the limitations of Nick (and Lawrence) are. And the dangerous game they play.

[always-in-myveins]

Btw can we take a moment to appreciate this image please

June in a confessional like a priest, silently listening to sins

[queercherrypie]

June Fucking Osborne. The same June who says she won't take the thing out of her ear, that fucking cattle tag until all the Handmaids are free is definitely ready to drop everything and go to Paris with you Nick. Sure.

I mean, if you made sure before you took away all her options, she might lol

[just-b-wilde]

Hands 6x06

[supporter-of-my-fav-ships]

The Handmaid's Tale: Nick and June [S06E06]

[nickjunesource]

We’ve been so mad about the “supposed betrayal” ( if we can even call it that), we forgot to appreciate Max Minghella for bringing life to Nick so well this season despite the crappy cards he’s been dealt. It’s in the subtle gestures this episode.

1. Him flinching when Wharton screamed. We don’t know his past or about any abuse he may or may not have faced since it was never referenced but just through Max’s portrayal, we could feel it. No words needed!

2. Him disregarding June’s comment about him being handsome. It’s a second long face shrug but still so telling. Like it isn’t an important aspect or consideration for him. 

3. The fingers drumming on her shoulder while he tells her about not having a college education. Self deprecating but still not hiding it from her. 

4. Him staring at that bloody tooth he found on the floor. Subtle forhead creasing. Worrying about what might have gone down in that room and yet there is no judgement. 

It feels like Max is the only one still staying true to what Nick has always been. I guess we should be thankful, he wasn’t made to say “I suck” in that inside the episode featurette. Everyone else pretty much shat on him. 

Honestly if the aim of the writers and the powers in that room as it were, was to make us like Nick a little less- You failed. Big time! I’m still in awe of this character and want him to survive. 

Our response:

What an amazing post! We couldn’t agree more. 

Max really did amazing last episode. He’s truly been one of the stars this season alongside Maddie, Yvonne, and Bradley. 

All the details you mentioned were great and added so much to the story. 

1. Yes! Max’s flinch and leaning away from Wharton told us so much about Nick’s past without even showcasing it. 

2. We love that too. Nick has never been a character that we’ve considered to be vain in any sense, so that little shrug does say a lot. He doesn’t care about June seeing him as handsome and he doesn’t believe her when she says he’s good, kind, and brave. 

3. We were so obsessed with how he used his hands in that scene! Affectionate, nervous, self-deprecating. It’s genuinely amazing that he said so much with such a simple movement. 

4. Yes! We haven’t seen that scene mentioned very much, but it does say everything about Nick- he worries but doesn’t judge. 

We’re truly grateful that Max is staying true to Nick in the press. We love that he respects the audience so much that he doesn’t try to play games with us. Truly the mark of a good actor who lets the writing and his performance stand. 

We love that the writers failed if their intention was indeed to get us to question Nick. Most people were not buying it at all and instead were rightfully upset over the cruelty of the press and the clear shock value they were engaging with. We too are in complete awe of Nick. We completely believe that he will survive to the end and reunite with his beloved daughter. 

[maleficent088]

Flashbacks Osblaine moments!!! This episode had more osblaine than some whole seasons. We are eating so good yall.

[otp-after-dark]

THT Season 6, 8 Episodes In: What We’ve Learned About Partnership, Love, Lies, and What Comes Next

Here we are — 8 episodes down, 2 to go. And if this season has proven anything, it’s that the cracks in every relationship are finally shattering open.

For June, Nick, and Luke, this season has been one long, brutal stripping away of all the pretenses they’ve been clinging to — about love, about loyalty, about what it means to survive. Now, as we head into the final episodes, it feels like everything is finally coming to a head.

If there’s one word for Nick this season, it’s unraveling.

For years, he’s kept his head down and his heart locked up. Doing whatever it took to survive — for June, for Nichole/Holly, for himself. He’s played Gilead’s game, worn the mask of a Commander, stood beside men he despises. But in Season 6, that mask is slipping.

In 6x03, he comes apart. “I loved you,” she said — and it nearly killed him. Because for Nick, it’s never been past tense. He doesn’t just love her — he’s still in love with her. Actively. Passionately.

And the weight of that — the years of holding back, of sacrificing his own soul just to keep her alive — finally cracks open in 6x06.

“You’re it. It’s always been you.”

But here’s the thing: June kissed him. She said yes. And she's confirmed that she does love him. But she said yes before she knew the whole truth.

Before she knew he’d killed for her. Before she knew he was capable of terrible things.

Now she has to decide: Can she still love him, knowing the full cost of what he’s done?

Nick lays it all out. The Guardians. The blood. The lies. He’s finally showing her the man he’s always been — the one who would do anything to keep her safe, even if it means staining his hands with blood.

“You never cared what I did when I helped you.” “I killed those two Guardians to protect you.” “You didn’t face it. And now you have to.”

For years, June held onto this idealized version of Nick — her protector, her soft place to land. But now he’s saying: I’m not just that. I’m also the man who killed a nineteen-year-old to keep you breathing.

And instead of looking at him and seeing the whole picture, June pulls back. Because it’s easier to judge him than to face what he’s really saying:

I did this for you. I bled for you. And I would do it again.

That’s the question as we head into the final two episodes: Can June forgive Nick? Can she love him as he is — not just as she wanted him to be?

Because that’s what Nick is asking for. Not just love. Not just Paris. But forgiveness.

He’s saying, I am not clean. I never was. But I still love you. Will you love me back?

Now, June has to decide: Can she love him, knowing the full truth? Because if she can’t, then the love she said yes to in 6x06 wasn’t real. It was a fantasy. A safe place. A lie.

But if she can? If she can look at Nick, the man who has done terrible things for her, and say, I love you anyway, then their love still has a chance.

And that’s where the Damon/Elena parallel comes in. I swear this arc is giving me all kinds of D/E vibes.

Damon spent years convincing himself that he was a monster. That he wasn’t good enough for Elena. That he was too dangerous, too reckless, too far gone.

And after everything they’d been through, when Damon finally looked back on the moment he knew they were meant to be, he said:

"I was all ready to go, and the door opens, and you jump in the car and say, 'We're in this together'... and you weren’t taking no for an answer. That was the moment I realized you were the perfect girl for me because you were just as crazy as I was."

That’s exactly what Nick is doing now. He’s asking June to jump in the car. To be his partner in chaos, in fire, in the life that isn’t safe or simple — but is real.

When June says, “You’re crazy,” she’s not just calling him reckless. She’s acknowledging that same fire in herself. He’s the one who will run with her — just like Damon did with Elena.

They’re both a little crazy. Both a little wild. Both willing to do whatever it takes to keep each other alive.

That’s why he says, “I know.” Because he knows she feels it too. And the only question left now is — will she get in the car? Metaphorically speaking.

I’ve put a lot of thought into different scenarios at play, and here’s my interpretation (or hope) for where this is all heading.

Because the Nick she kissed in 6x06 — the Nick who acknowledges he’s crazy —wasn’t asking her to come back to some fantasy.

Yes, Paris was a fantasy. But what he was really proposing wasn’t. He wasn’t asking her to play house or fit inside four walls.

He was asking her to run with him. To burn the world down together. To finally, truly, be partners.

And I swear that’s what this season has been building toward. Not Nick and June playing house. Not June pretending she can ever be the woman she was before.

But two people who have always been more dangerous together than they ever were apart. Two people who don’t just survive the fire — they become it.

Because Nick has always seen her clearly. The fighter. The wild one. The woman who would risk it all for the people she loves. And now he’s asking her to be that woman for him. Not the soft, safe version of herself. But the one who would run. The one who would burn. The one who would say yes.

And if she can’t love that man — the whole man —then she was never really in love with him at all.

And this is where I have to say it.

If the writers end this story by having June choose obligation over desire, duty over passion, or moral high ground over the man she truly wants —it would be the ultimate betrayal of her character.

Because from the very beginning, this story has been about reclaiming your body, your voice, your desires. It’s been about a woman who refused to be owned. A woman who refused to be controlled. A woman who fought to get back to herself — to own her choices, her sexuality, her fire.

If June can stand in front of Serena and say, “I will never let you own me again,” if she can take back her body, her life, her freedom — then how can she not take back her heart too?

How can she preach about finding your voice and then silence herself in the one place that’s supposed to be hers? How can she talk about freedom and then stay in a life that isn’t hers, with a man she doesn’t really want, because it’s safer or easier or more acceptable? And I'm sorry her ending solo would be such a cop out on this decision. If she can’t be brave enough to say, “I love you, I want you, all of you,” then what was the point of this entire story?

Because in the end, choosing Nick isn’t just about choosing a man. It’s about choosing herself. Her real self. The self she became in Gilead. The self she was always meant to be. The self that is wild and reckless and burning.

And that’s the woman Nick is in love with. The one who jumps in the car without hesitation and says, “We’re in this together.” The one who will never be owned again. Not by Gilead. Not by Luke. Not by anything but her own desire.

So, yeah. If she chooses anything less than that? Then she was never the June Osborne they told us she was.

[sometimesoliloquy]

"I have a high commander living in my house, I can't just do whatever you want."

"I'm no good to you dead."

I think it's interesting that Nick says these words to Mark Tuello in 6x03, and then they end up perfectly echoing the reasons behind him giving up the Mayday plot in 6x06. That's all.

[vampiricalxdata]

I keep seeing a lot of “Nick’s a bad guy.” “How could he do this?” “He’s always been bad, why are we shocked?” content.

So, I’m gonna say it—

Nick becoming a commander started off as a punishment by Fred/Serena.

The rest was him trying to survive. See: “Safest thing to be.”

Which is not to say, Nick doesn’t have his faults or things he needs to atone for. He does.

But dude has been strategizing survival for going on 6 seasons. And Wharton is a window into that strategy. Not only does he show us how terrifying the other commanders are, but also how much no one is safe. Bell (assuming it was him) threw Nick under the bus without a second thought. Meanwhile, Nick has mostly been able to trust his actions as going unnoticed up to this point. But here comes Wharton. A reminder that no one is safe if they’re outside their designated lane. A warning that any time spent with your toe out of line is borrowed.

And Wharton is just one psycho in a long line of evil dudes Nick has to navigate.

Did we forget about Winslow? Did we forget about DC. If that episode was any indication of just far these guys are willing to take things to maintain control, I don’t need to see more. At this point, Fred was a cake walk compared to the rest and we’re seeing that thru Nick and Wharton.

Also, I don’t recall ever being given any indication that Nick likes any of this. Like this has not been a good time for him. Nick is not this ambitious soldier seeking the title of future war lord. My guy was a kid living on the poverty line, saddled with adult responsibilities from a young age trying to make it work and then finding himself in the deep end.

He’s just a guy who wants love and to take care of his people. His main flaw was in thinking that the state of the country/world has no impact on his ability to do that. (But wasn’t that Luke and June’s flaw, too?)

[she-ismysun]

The Rookie 6x06 Live Blog Thread

Obvious spoilers ahead 🫡💫

I can't . for your own good. LMAO Angela !! First off, why is tim just leaving his car unlocked. Second, how long has he been in his car?? I didn't strike tim as a man to leave that many wrappers in the front seat of his car

"If I get fired.. I start living off my husband's trust fund :D" i love you angela

Oh boy. RIP Nolan, getting turned left and right with disaster. Unsolved murder, escaped convict, BAILEY WANTING A KID

I do really enjoy ad breaks for live Television. it gives me a minute to breathe and process and pee LMAO

Really? You're gonna walk away from your job, your relationship with Lucy.. angela's saying what we're all thinking. She's the realest.

*reminder to look for that Tim gif

"This is very annoying" [angela look]

PFFFF "I'm a grown man, I don't have a bff"

why confess to the murder by lie about the method indeed...

anyone else think this mom and daughter look wayy too close in age to be mom and daughter? No shade to teen moms, she just looks so super young and good for a mom

CUNTY? WHY HE COME OUT THE CAR LIKE THAT?? A good ol twirl and all. Slayful

oh yeah. timothy "the reaper" bradford

ok what the hell is the tea. it can't have just been lying on a report says Angela.

"I put my career above my oath" 💔

OAHDLK NOT THE "expecting mommy" book. Bailey, this is the whole reason he didn't continue dating Jessica (well there was more but he didn't want more kids!) "The longer you let me have hope, the more painful it'll be"

welcome back lucy. its been the whole half episode HEUHFDLJAKS WHAT THE FUCK. RAY? GE THT EFUCK AWAY FROM HERE. YOU CANT JUST COME IN

the way my heart just dropped. chat i am NOT ok

"YOU HAVE TO TELL ME WHATS GOING ON RIGHT NOW. NOW!!!! STOP TRYING TO PROTECT ME!"

I am DONE being the good girlfriend! You don't have to tell me everything but you HAVE to let me in *cue ad break*

PHEWWW. Nyla and Aaron are always beefing bro. I mean fair! Fair maiming from Nyla but whew.

I'm so used to watching on Hulu and being back to rewind every 5 seconds because i Didn't catch everything. lmao nice moves Nolan with da soap

also i desperately need captions and there are *none* rewatching tomorrow in class <3

oh what the fish. my stream FROZE . AND i got spoilers for Greys 😭

OH HELLO???? IA INVESTIGATION. Timothy?!?! why the HELL are you lying?! to IA!!! and how the hell is this going to come back to bite him in the ass. Tim *knowingly* falsified reports. Lying through his damn teeth. Not something I wa slooking forward to or expecting.

NYLA PRETENDING TO NOT KNOW HOW TO SHOOT A GUN IS SO FUCKING FUNNY.

so IA investigation closes without a hitch. No one gets in trouble. Not Tim. Not Angela. Not Lucy.

OU. THE HUG. THERE WAS SO MUCH HURT IN THAT. QUICK. -

UM SO. i quickly had to abandon this thread beacuse I couldn't even enjoy a chenford comfort hug. because it wasn't that. TIMOTHY BRADFORD. WHAT IS HAPPENING

[queercherrypie]

I don't ship Nick and June, that's not my main motivation for watching this show. I really only care about seeing rapists' heads roll, so I really hope that I'm watching Nick and June do this dance so that something really interesting happens with Nick's character, because so far he's been a blank sheet of paper. I wish he had an interesting redemption arc, but it seems like they're not going in that direction. Nick has the potential to be an interesting character, but that's all he has. Potential. Because it seems like the script doesn't know what to do with him. Is his only motivation really going to be to help the resistance because he's in love with June and nothing more?

I wanted to see Serena have a real redemption arc too, but she's still the same as always. Deluded into thinking that her conservative views are what will save the world...I don't really like either of them, but I like seeing characters have character development, so feed me rapist heads for dinner and an interesting plot please, don't disappoint me THT

[just-b-wilde]

G r e e t i n g s f r o m P a r i s

[supporter-of-my-fav-ships]

The Handmaid's Tale: Nick and June [S06E06]

[nickjunesource]

Hi, After 6x06, how do you feel?

Hey!

So our predictions basically remain the same- we think that after a huge struggle, that Nick and June will end up in a good place where their love is deep and true and completely unconditional. The patina of their "love glasses" will wear off and we'll end up with the kind of full relationship that withstands all trials and tribulations as it is deep and true and where the good, the bad, and the ugly are accepted and acknowledged.

With the additional scene now where June calls Nick good, kind, brave, and handsome, we think that she is going to see those parts of him again. She'll always notice those parts of him and she'll be in a position to do so again, we have faith in that.

We also believe based on that flashback that we'll be getting a first date sort of scene where they go to a restaurant after Boston falls back into American hands. This will then allow for them to start anew, having a relationship free of the toxicity of Gilead. No longer will anyone be able to claim it's a relationship based on survival, circumstances, or "trauma bonding". They'll get a chance to be normal and they will at the very least end hopefully with a "see ya later".

We spent so much time worried about Nick's betrayal only for it to turn out to be a fairly small thing in the grand scheme of things. Him hiding what he did from June wasn't ideal, but we also could see that he wasn't thinking straight. We are afraid of June's reaction though as she typically has a cruel streak in her, as we've seen in the past with Nick, Natalie, and even Lawrence. But if June could work with Lawrence again and trust him, then she will with Nick too.

We do accept and acknowledge that the next two episodes are gonna be a rough ride. Nick and June will both be spiralling without the other. Nick will dive deeper into Gilead, clinging desperately to the only family he has left and will be leaning on Wharton as the only figure that seems to love and understand him (even though we know that not to be true). June will become involved in an extremely reckless and dangerous plan that we know ends with her neck in a noose. Nick will likely be broken and June cold. But as we've said before- all great ships must walk through the fire before coming out the other side stronger.

We recommend that Osblaines just avoid the press or reduce consuming it. It has always been dramatic, but this season is something else, and it's contradicting the things that we're seeing on-screen. It doesn't make for an enjoyable viewing experience when the producers deliberately try to say things to upset you and keep you engaged.