The Handmaid's Tale Season 6, Episode 6 ended with a shocking twist that shook June's world. June and Mayday were planning a deadly bombing in Gilead, a secret that was safeguarded by June's second love interest, Nick. However, Nick gets put into a life-threatening tight spot, one that forces him to reveal the plans to his superior. This upends the rebellion's big move and shoves a deep metaphorical knife into June's heart as she is betrayed by someone she loved and trusted.
The Direct sat down with The Handmaid's Tale star O-T Fagbenle, who plays June's husband Luke. He broke down how Luke feels about Nick's betrayal while also discussing his character's journey in the show and possible future beyond the finale. The Handmaid's Tale is streaming on Hulu.
Warning - The rest of this article contains spoilers for The Handmaid's Tale Season 6, Episode 7.
The Handmaid's Tale Star O-T Fagbenle on Nick's Big Betrayal
Luke Has a Lot to Say to Nick When June Reveals What Happened.
- The Direct: "Episode 6 ended with the reveal that Nick betrayed June and the entire rebellion. And when June does come back with the news, you know, Luke is pretty quick to anger. Can you break down what exactly Luke is feeling in that moment?"
O-T Fagbenle: I mean, like he doesn't know all the details of it anyway, but I think it's quite hard, as much as, like, Luke understands that when June was out there, she needed some sort of connection, and Nick providing the sense of security and safety and also excitement and luck.
I think he understands that aspect to it [and that] it's quite hard... Yeah, if one is like a victim of the Taliban, I think it's quite hard to imagine that you could fall in love with a member of the Taliban, and then watching someone tell you, Well, he's not really a member of their world.
You know, high up in the Taliban, you know, like, it's hard. So, when she comes back and she's like, Oh yeah, he betrayed us. Oh, great. Oh, girl, guess what? A member of the Taliban betrayed us, you know, like, we didn't think of this before now?
- The Direct: "Does he feel like vindicated that this man who his wife fell in love with betrayed them all in sort of like I told you so kind of way?"
O-T Fagbenle: There is no victory here. The victory is getting our daughter back and safe, like the victory is dismantling that institution, that organization... I guess maybe there is some cathartic-ism or something like that, like I've been able to say because the rest of the time you can't talk bad about who someone loves, like, people just aren't here to hear that.
And so you have to hold that down a lot, unless all you want is a fight. So, I guess that maybe there's a sense of being able to get that off his chest, of saying what he's been thinking is that, like, do you think that being in love with someone's part of the Taliban is gonna work out?
- The Direct: "Yeah, something tells me that it's probably not a great idea, but, you know, it's a complicated world out there."
O-T Fagbenle: Testament to Max [Minghella], the actor who was able to go and take that dude, he's got, like, Member of Gilead on his Tinder profile, basically, and make it a really compelling person that you go, Well, yeah, but you do want to be with him yet you understand the situations he's been through. You get it. I just think what he's done with that character is incredible.
- The Direct: "You actually, you got a scene with him this season, which you haven't had in a long time. And it was a brief, but what was that like, being able to actually share the screen with him for a little bit after all this time?"
O-T Fagbenle: I mean, it's fun, you know, it's fun because I love that, but he's so smart and charming and interesting. I really love Max, and with Luke being able to be there with Nick, it just creates this great tension. It was a lot of fun to shoot.
Star O-T Fagbenle on Luke's Journey in The Handmaid's Tale
"It's [a] Liberty or Death Kind Mentality..."
- The Direct: "Luke, he makes a point of note to June [in Season 6] that these violent rebel plans and actions are kind of now, how he is able to fight for Hannah in his own way. Can you dive deeper into just how that drive has influenced your character this particular season?"
O-T Fagbenle: I think always, Luke has wanted to get his daughter back, but like I said, he doesn't have those tools. Doesn't have the tools that Nick has, the tools of violence, and he also doesn't have the tools of a state, so that kind of leaves him powerless.
But I think now, over the years, he's managed to gain some more of those tools and skills, and now he has–and also a kind of like, hey, it's [a] Liberty or Death kind of mentality, I think that's very empowering. And he's like, you know, he's using that to try and make a difference.
- The Direct: "You've been with Luke for a long time, over the course of these five seasons, what has been the biggest change for him on a character level, do you feel?"
O-T Fagbenle: I think there has been a steady degradation, I think in his mental health. I think he's more desperate now is that he's more against the wall. He's kind of, especially in the last two seasons in particular, faced a little bit more of the actual violence which can happen. And so I think that's affected him a lot. It's like, it's now or never.
- The Direct: "Was there any change or evolution with the character that kind of surprised you over this journey, that you were just kind of like, Oh, wow. I didn't really expect that direction, but it worked so well."
O-T Fagbenle: Not really. I mean, I've been waiting, you know, one thing for him to be more physically involved in the resistance. But at the same time, I thought it was really interesting, that kind of frustration, that sense of helplessness, which is actually the truth of most people's situations.
As we know now, there are so many refugees, people from war-torn areas, innocent individuals caught up, and they don't have the power to just go in and topple their government, so they have to deal with that.
And so I really liked the representation that it had that kind of realism. But I was excited, especially this season, that he gets to get his hands dirty.
The Handmaid's Tale Star Reveals Deleted Luke Storyline
"Luke Was Gonna Have a Semi-Affair..."
- The Direct: "The show is wrapping up, and so I have to ask over these years, were there any storylines or ideas with your character that were ultimately cut and just didn't make it you kind of think about it going that would have been interesting to see how that might have played out?"
O-T Fagbenle: There are a couple, but the first one that comes to my head was that at a point, Luke was gonna have a semi-affair, no, like a relationship, with a lady—a couple of times that's kind of bubbled to the surface, and to be honest, I've been resistant to it. I like Luke's dedication and monomaniacal focus...
But the decisions weren't made because of me. Trust me, they're making their own decisions. But there were a couple of times where little vestiges of those things, if you looked really close, you could be like, Oh.
Because those characters still existed. Those female characters still, there's two of them still exist in the show.
- The Direct: "Oh, who were they? Can you say who they were?"
O-T Fagbenle: There was a character. Now, you know, forgive me, I don't remember her name, but basically, I think it's like Season 3 or 4, I get a gun from someone, and that person was going to be one of Luke's love interests...
- The Direct: "That would have been very interesting, especially watching this season. You know, that scene where you and June are just like, we should leave each other, but we're not going to."
O-T Fagbenle: My personal perspective is just like, you can't break them up. They're bonded people...
Reflecting on The Handmaid's Tale With O-T Fagbenle
O-T Fagbenle Wants More Political and Social Commentaries in Media
- The Direct: "What do you feel is the most important part of the show's legacy, not only for audiences, but kind of pop culture as a whole?"
O-T Fagbenle: I thought back [to] some of my favorite musicians, I think about, like Bob Marley or John Lennon or Marvin Gaye. These are people who make great music, and they spoke about politics. I mean, Marvin Gaye made a song about environmental, you know...
I think we have less of in our culture now, which is, explicitly political or social, political art, which is also pop and popular. And so when I look back at some of the great shows that we've had over the last decade, 20 years, lots of them were great, but very few of them were explicitly political, had a social commentary.
And I just hope its legacy is about like, hey, we can do this, and it can be great. We can talk about social issues, complex social, political issues, and we can make popular art something that's enjoyable.
- The Direct: "Audiences are quick to point to this show as a dark reflection of the world we currently live in. But, on the flip side of that, with this final season, how would you say that these episodes serve as more of a beacon of hope for audiences that feel that way, instead of like a dour look at this miserable world we live in?"
O-T Fagbenle: I think ultimately, we have to take the actions we can to create the world that we want to live in, and the earlier one takes those actions, the better. And the show and the book itself, I think, is an ode to resistance.
And resistance isn't necessarily easy, and it doesn't mean you win every battle, and it doesn't mean you fight every battle, but, to me, the show isn't about how everything's going to pop.
It's a show about how, when things are going to pop, there are roots to fight even when it feels like the odds are against you. Yeah,
- The Direct: "At the end of the day, when the show wraps up, what do you want audiences to take away from that experience the most?"
O-T Fagbenle: You know, I try not to get involved in the people's experience of art, that's just up to them. I think for me, because I get to experience the art as well, I get to read these screenplays, these great screenplays, I get to see these performances opposite me.
And when I watch these performances, when I read these scripts, it makes me think, hey, look, is there something you can do this week to be involved in making your community a little better [and] stronger.
Are there things you can do to reach out to those who maybe are not as empowered to help, and, you know, some weeks I do better than others...
I once read, this guy, Jonathan Safran Foer said, don't measure yourself from how far from perfect you are, measure yourself from how far from doing nothing you are. And so I just hope this show, for me, makes me want to get further and further away from doing nothing.
- The Direct: "We talked about the audience and what they're going to take away, but for you, in that experience, what are you going to remember most?"
O-T Fagbenle: That to me, is almost very straightforward... It's the artists I got to work with these beautiful, brilliant, inspiring, charismatic people. It's my dream to work with people [who are brilliant] and also carry themselves with grace, love, and humility. I'm really grateful for it.
The Handmaid's Tale Star O-T Fagbenle Teases the Finale & His Future in the Franchise
"Are We Gonna Defeat Gilead?"
- The Direct: "With the final three episodes of the season, or the show as a whole, what can you tease as vaguely as you can about how Luke's story will unfold? I know it's a tricky question."
O-T Fagbenle: I mean, look, there are various questions, right? It's like, are we gonna defeat Gilead? Are we gonna get Hannah back? Are Luke and June gonna end up together? And you get definitive answers to all of those. Mostly, yeah.
After The Handmaid's Tale, a spin-off series called The Testaments will be produced in Canada. It follows Hannah, who grew up in Gilead, 15 years after the events of the mothership show. The show does not currently have a release date. While O-T Fagbenle is not confirmed to appear in it, many are assuming he will.
- The Direct: "Now another question, which I don't know how you're going to be able to answer, but, you know, I had to ask about 'The Testaments,' because, you know, in the source material, your character is alive and well, and they're making the spin off show actively. Might we see you pop up in that series and play a major role?"
O-T Fagbenle: I'll say it's not impossible. One thing that is interesting to me is Chase Infinity, who plays the lead in 'The Testaments.' She was in 'Presumed Innocent,' which I was in on Apple, and so we became friends on that. And now it's funny because we saw each other in Canada. I'm shooting out there another thing now, and I was like, you're my daughter.
The full interview can be seen here:
Fans of The Handmaid's Tale should also check out The Direct's interview with stars Amanda Brugel (Rita) and Sam Jaeger (Mark).
