Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Handmaid’s Tale season 6, episode 3.
The Handmaid’s Talecontinues leaning into its long-running love triangle, though by now it feels increasingly out of step with its themes. While Luke and Nick are essentialThe Handmaid’s Taleseason 6 characters, the latest episodes see them falling into familiar roles. Their unwavering devotion to June makes it likely one of them, especially Nick, might sacrifice himself so she can reunite with her children. That possibility seems even stronger afterThe Handmaid’s Tale season 6 episode 3, in which Nick (Max Minghella) kills two Guardians to ensure June, Moira, and Luke make it safely back to Alaska.
However,The Handmaid’s Taleseason 5’s endingproved Luke (O-T Fagbenle) is just as committed to keeping her safe, as he doesn’t hesitate to kill the Canadian man who ran her over. Notably, this event ignited a rebellious fire in him, as he joined Mayday, also presumably driven by a desire to prove himself as a capable partner and man.The Handmaid’s Taleseems determined to bring the love triangle to its end, though it may yet try to subvert the trope’s problematic associations — especially as current storylines foreshadow a more nuanced resolution.
For A Series Like The Handmaid’s Tale, A Classic Love Triangle Is A Bit Reductive
June Represents Female Liberation & Resistance
While many enjoy taking sides in the love triangle, with evenshowrunners speaking about June’sHandmaid’s Taleseason 6 romance, this storyline is far from being the core interest of the show. Seemingly, Gilead means to battle an environmental crisis, which has led to grave rates of infertility worldwide.Over six seasons, the show has examined the systemic oppression of women, revealing how religious rhetoric and ideology can be weaponized by men to justify control over women’s bodies and lives. Gilead’s leaders frame their brutal regime as a path to salvation, masking tyranny behind the promise of national renewal.
The continued focus on a classic love triangle can feel reductive — especially in contrast to the show’s larger themes of female resistance and liberation.
The show has never shied away from depicting the abuses inflicted on women’s bodies by men in power, offering a harrowing exploration of gender and power. The continued focus on a classic love triangle can feel reductive — especially in contrast to the show’s larger themes of female resistance and liberation. After all,The Handmaid’s Taleseason 6 teases June driving a rebellionto dismantle Gilead’s regime, protect her children, and, hopefully, heal from her trauma. Her emotional indecision betweenchoosing Luke and Nick in season 6 can seem superficial, especially as she prepares to lead a revolution.
The Handmaid’s Tale’s June Love Triangle Doesn’t Happen In The Book
The Hulu Series Expands Both Nick & Luke’s Roles In June’s Story
While the love triangle has become a key element in Elizabeth Moss' character arc in the series, it’s not a part ofJune’s fate inThe Handmaid’s Talebook. Whereasthe book never reveals what happened to Lukeafter he and June were separated from their daughter, the show confirms he was saved by a resistance group heading to Canada. Accordingly, the character’s role is expanded significantly, as he goes from being a memory and symbol of what was lost to an active participant in the rebellion — dedicating himself to finding and protecting June and Hannah.
Even if Nick does help June escape Gilead in the book, he, too, is developed into a knight willing to risk everything for her. Notably, their bond has been transformed into a “wrong place, wrong time"situation, made more tragic because of their child, Nichole, a character absent from Atwood’s novel. Still, the love triangle took time to unfold onscreen, asJune and Luke don’t reunite until season 4, and Nick has periods of inactivity while he rises through Gilead’s ranks — now more complicated as he aidsLawrence’s New Bethlehem plan inThe Handmaid’s Tale.
The June/Luke/Nick Love Triangle Really Isn’t As Interesting As The Handmaid’s Tale Thinks
June’s Storyline Is Best When It Sees Her Fighting For Mothers & Their Children
Lately, the love triangle has become more consistent, with Luke being the official partner even whileThe Handmaid’s Talecan’t end June’s romance with Nick. The show has made efforts to distinguish the roles each man plays in her life, showing she needed them at different points to survive. However, given everything June has accomplished on her own — coordinating the escape of 86 children, sparking rebellion among the Handmaids, and breaking free from Gilead’s masculine grip — her predicament inchoosing a man feels not only underwhelming but increasingly out of step with the fierce, self-possessed womanshe’s become.
The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 Is “The Revolution We’ve All Needed,” Teases Star
EXCLUSIVE: The Handmaid’s Tale star, Amanda Brugel, who plays Rita Blue in the show, teases the fight everyone has been waiting for in season 6.
What drove June into her heroic actions wasn’t her love for Luke or Nick, but her desire to liberate the women and children from Gilead.June’s decision to save Serena in season 6carries more emotional weight than her romantic entanglements, as it underscoresher deepest priority: keeping mothers and children together, the mission that has defined her throughout the series. Still, the love triangle isn’t without merit, as it adds nuance to the show’s portrayal of gender dynamics, revealing the grey areas in an otherwise stark battle between men and women, emphasizing both can work together.
The Handmaid’s Tale Can Still Do The Right Thing With Season 6’s Love Triangle
June’s Love For Nick & Luke Carries An Important Message, Despite Its Unlikely Happy Ending
While the love triangle hasn’t directly influenced the fight against Gilead, season 5’s finale delivered a bold reveal by having June tell Luke she “doesn’t want to be alone anymore.” At first sight, the line seems odd coming from the show’s most formidable and unyielding rebel, someone who doesn’t think twice about risking her life if it means protecting those she loves. However, it is precisely because of the statement’s dissonance with June’s ideals, that it becomes powerful in its own way. Yes,even the most feminist, confident, and unbreakable woman needs loveto survive.
The Testaments, the highly anticipated spin-off ofThe Handmaid’s Talebased on Margaret Atwood’s sequel novel, is set to begin filming this summer, with a likely premiere in early 2026.
In fact, this has been a persistent message throughoutThe Handmaid’s Tale. All characters, whether they are rebels or part of Gilead, are prone to betray their set ideals because of their meaningful connections to others — giving them a touching vulnerability. Even ifThe Handmaid’s Tale’s ending for June may see her ultimately choose the greater good for women and children, there’s no denying that the men she loves help sustain her spirit. While it’s unlikely the three survive, having June admit she loves both would be a realistic conclusion and a fitting one for the show.
The Handmaid’s Tale
Cast
The Handmaid’s Tale is a television adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s novel, released in 2017. It is set in a dystopian future where a woman is compelled to live as a concubine under a strict fundamentalist theocracy.
