#ghostblaine

Max Minghella as Nick Blaine in The Handmaid's Tale (2017-2025)

Like, lol, what even is this? One day they’re giving interviews saying Nick is an evil villain who committed unspeakable atrocities off-screen and is some horrible N@zi — and the next day he’s a good man who never chose Gilead and loves his family.

Dude, do you seriously think we’re complete idiots? 🤡

I mean, I know some people’s media literacy is shockingly low… but come on… this is honestly the most absurd promo campaign for a show I’ve ever seen.

Recall Nick was married when he took June that dossier in 4x9. Nick slips his ring on at the end of that scene. He left Rose to answer June's call for help.

June went to that meeting to ask him to get information on Hannah's location. She was surprised that he had already, on his own, asked under cover rebels "friendlies" to photograph her daughter in another state, as proof that she was ok. He always seemed sad in earlier seasons to confess that he didn't have any information on Hannah's location. But now that he had risen in the ranks, he used that power to help June.

He also used his power to keep tabs on her location and safety. "If she was near the border I'd know about it."

Recall that Rose was cool when Nick was out all night with June at the beginning of S5. (the night he coordinated Fred's international arrest with Tuello and Lawrence, and delivered him to June to murder in the manner of her choosing.)

Rose made him coffee and forgave him, hoping it would be the last time he ran off to help June. The agonized look on his face told us he knew he couldn't promise that.

Recall also that Rose was there when June called on the phone. It was in the trailer- a shot over her shoulder watching him hang up with a guilty horny look on his face. They cut it from the season.

Nick left Rose again to meet June outside that house. He finally told June then that Rose was pregnant. Sharing how entrapped he was in Gilead.

End of S5- Nick punched Lawrence in the face at his wedding, and said "you could have killed her." (June).

Rose visited Nick in Jail to dump him. Because she was sick of how he kept "running off every time his girlfriend called." She was tired of being humiliated because Nick was so clearly still in love with June. He confessed, out loud, that he couldn't stop.

Since pregnant women can't leave baby daddies in Gilead, Wharton stepped in to ensure Nick's marriage remained in tact, and the family name remained untarnished.

Nick was basically on house arrest. His evil Father in law moved in to make sure he wouldn't run off to help June again.

June called for his help. AGAIN!

Made Nick leave his own party- when he was hosting foreign dignitaries.

Nick answered June's call for help. He rescued her friends. He killed 2 Gilead Soldiers to do it.

Nick's absence was noted by his evil Father in law, who took even MORE interest in Nick's activities. Knowing he was still sneaking around and cheating on his daughter. He was delighted to see that Toby was recovering, and could narc on whoever shot him.

Nick smothered Toby to death with his hands. To protect June's secrets and his own life. Hoping, praying it would be the last time she would put him in danger. Starting to dream of running the fuck away. Gathering passports for him, June, June's mom, and their baby. In Gilead.

June shows up at Lawrence's. Lawrence calls Nick to come get his crazy ex girlfriend.

June tells Nick to go to Jezebels to get the letters.

He asks why. She tells him.

He gets the letters. He's spotted.

Bell calls Nick's evil father in law, who can't wait to crucify his adulterous son in law. All he needs is silence, and he'll have proof that Nick was at Jezebels. Cheating on Rose. And he's a dead man. Finally.

Nick tells the truth.

Verifiable truth, to save his own life.

Truth he wouldn't know if June hadn't told him.

About why he was in a place he shouldn't have been in. A place he went because June asked him to go.

Wharton took evil action. Of course.

Nick runs to June, breathlessly begging her to leave for Paris. He'd already made all the arrangements. If they had a few more minutes, he might have convinced her to SAVE HIS LIFE. He was finally ready to drop the pretenses. He chose June. He asked her to choose him.

But the timing was already fucked. The slow motion tragedy June set in motion unfolded before them both.

June closed her heart to Nick.

He called to June, but she didn't answer.

And then she killed him. By refusing to acknowledge him- as he searched for her. As he felt her. Before he got on the plane.

His last thoughts were for her safety.

After he was dead- she dishonored his memory. Forgiving their rapist, and speaking ill of the man who saved her over and over. Killing even his good name. Even Serena fucking Waterford didn't do that.

June couldn't forgive Nick- for saving his own life one (1) time.

He was dead either way, though. At Wharton's hand if he remained silent, or June's if he spoke the truth.

It was a no win situation.

His love for June killed him.

It was a painful barb he couldn't remove.

Her love for him an illusion. A lure she used to lead him to his death.

The petty in me wants June haunted, good. 👻😂The mature adult in me just wants Nick’s spirit to be at peace. If she’s sticking with Luke I think we need not worry about her misery, at least. Imagine settling for that and then continually remembering the man you truly loved who you let die without a second thought. Yikes.

I’ve done a lot of apologizing, a lot of rationalizing, for June over the years, but this is the last straw. And more than that, I think being around Nick allowed her to be her best self—he mellowed her recklessness and softened her cruelty while simultaneously feeding her fire. She callously destroyed him, and without him, that version of June is dead, too.

I stumbled upon this post on tiktok and thought of sharing it as a friendly reminder that what we are feeling is okay and it's valid. We are allowed to grief for a beloved character because even tho it's fictional, our feelings are not, and just as the post says, that just makes us empathetic and human.❤️‍🩹