Max Minghella’s Commander Nick Blaine is no more.
Bradley Whitford’s betrayed Commander Joseph Lawrence’s comparatively straightforward act of sabotage evolved into a suicide mission near the end of the penultimate episode of “The Handmaid’s Tale.
” When Commander Wharton (played by Josh Charles) invited Lawrence to board a Commanders-only flight with an explosive device he had hoped to leave behind before the others arrived he was forced to accept.
Nick was unaware of what was waiting for them, and he spent his last moments in the air asking Lawrence if June was okay before remembering that she had frequently advised him to leave Gilead behind, but he had disregarded her advice.
Nick had good reason to be worried. Before revealing June’s schemes to Nick’s archconservative father-in-law, Commander Wharton, earlier in the season, Nick, whose tumultuous relationship with Elisabeth Moss’s character June has served as the show’s main bad romance, assured her that he would finally free her.
A complex undercurrent underlies the action and politics of the show as Nick alternates between trying to assist June and remaining loyal to the theocracy that is oppressing her. He is loyal to her, but only when his allegiance to the state and its powerful leaders gets in the way.
Max Minghella, a filmmaker and previous Emmy nominee for the role, has brought all of this to life. Speaking to Variety from a film set in Wales.
Max Minghella shared his thoughts on Nick’s complex loyalties and what connections this particular radicalized young man has—and doesn’t have—to the current political climate. “Shell,” a film he directed starring Elisabeth Moss, was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival last fall.
What did it mean to you that Nick was thinking about and talking about June in his last moments?
It was incredibly moving and in line with the character’s behavior throughout the series. That relationship has been his main motivator. Finishing with Bradley, who has grown to be such a close friend off-screen, was also a pleasure. I also thought that was correct.
I’m not even sure if that was the original plan. Before we began filming this show, Lizzie and I had never met. We were relieved to find that we gelled as creative partners in addition to having, I believe, some on-screen chemistry. Therefore, the story most likely reflected that more.
I believe she always looked forward to their scenes as much as I did.
The writers probably started writing about the chemistry and relationship you two had over time.
The answer to that is unknown to me. I’ve always been blissfully ignorant of “The Handmaid’s Tale’s” inner workings, primarily because I have faith in the show’s creative leadership and writing staff. Not having to give these kinds of decisions much thought has been great.
Since the first season, that has existed Although we don’t usually know much about the characters’ pasts, we were given brief flashbacks to each character’s past before everything that transpired in the first season.
You really get a sense of Nick’s identity in a brief period of time, as well as how his lack of education and obviously abusive upbringing have caused him to cling to paternal figures who appear throughout the narrative.
Josh and I discussed this a lot, and I felt that Josh was a really smart casting choice. I believe that young men who are fundamentalized or easily misled are frequently searching for a strong male role model that they may not have in their lives.
. I found that to be pretty ingenious. In my opinion, Wharton is the most self-centered and assertive man in Gilead, despite being the worst. Therefore, even though he is a very evil character, I believe that Nick is misled by a sense of security.
