Why Did Nick Betray June on ‘The Handmaid’s Tale'? Inside the Shocking Twist (SPOILERS)

Spoiler Alert! This article contains spoilers for Season 6, Episode 6 of The Handmaid's Tale.

After a lengthy wait, the sixth season of the hit Hulu series The Handmaid’s Tale has finally returned, and fans can’t get enough. However, a shocking betrayal has left viewers outraged due to Nick turning his back on June.

Portrayed by Max Minghella and Elisabeth Moss, Nick and June’s relationship has been a constant in the dystopian thriller — which is why fans are completely beside themselves at Nick’s change of heart.

When Nick double-crossed June by sharing her Mayday attack plan with High Commander Wharton (who is also his father-in-law) in the sixth episode of the current season, you could practically see all of the Nick and June shippers slipping away.

Nick and June have had a complicated relationship from the start, but despite the difficulties their romance poses in relation to their circumstances, many fans held out hope that things could turn around. Now that is in serious jeopardy.

In an exclusive interview with TVLine, the actor unpacked the tense scene where his ultimate betrayal was discovered. “You know, I don’t think any of us expected to be doing this show for six seasons, and I don’t know if I’ll ever get to play a character again for this long,” he told the outlet.

“The privilege of it is, you get to explore so many facets of the character, and I think that that’s kind of an amazing thing. I’ve really gotten to dig into who Nick is.”

“Nick’s been put through so many different circumstances, and I’ve gotten to experience all of that stuff with him. I don’t have an investment, really, in him being heroic. I have an investment in him being interesting and complex. So, I thought that the season is full of complexity for the character,” Max said. “I’m conscious of the fact that it’s probably gonna be pretty divisive.”

“And I was impressed that Hulu stood by the writers, clearly, and supported them making certain creative decisions this season that I recognize may not be popular. I think the show investigates a lot of different parts of the human condition in a way that is pretty special and unique to the show. And I like that about it. This feels very organic to that,” he added.

“He’s in a moment of hysteria. I mean, even in the scene with Wharton, where he reveals information that we don’t want him to, it isn’t calculated,” Max told TVLine. “It’s really him in a moment of desperation, trying to figure out the best way to handle something earnestly and not coming up with the answers and making the wrong choice. But it’s not a considered decision.”

“I think, like, we all want people to believe that our favorite characters on TV are going to behave perfectly all the time, but none of us do. And sometimes, if you put a gun to somebody’s head, they’re going to do something stupid. I think most of us are kind of capable of cowardice, you know,” he said.