#tht 6.03

[twentyhoursinstudiosixty]

The Handmaid's Tale 'Devotion' S06E03

[zalrb]

As a Nick & June shipper myself, I want to ask you, what do you think June has done for Nick? We saw him time and time again risk EVERYTHING for her, and sometimes it feels like she decides to interact with him only when she requires his help. Example the most recent episode to save Luke and Moira knowing it hurts Nick.

OK, I write as I think so bear with me, this might be all over the place but I actually find this entire issue really interesting because what I think June does for Nick is love him and know him and see him and want him for him and not for any other purpose, and what is often a characterization of their relationship and her dynamic with him is the opposite of what I just said i.e. she uses him when she needs something while he risks everything for her.

So, I'm going to try to explain my thinking.

1. As I mentioned in my "unconditional love" post about them, I think something that gets lost about their dynamic is that I would say that throughout the series as a whole, most of the time, June doesn't know Nick is helping her until she just knows

which is why it's almost always a reveal

2x01

4x02

4x03

I also have a whole breakdown of her 3x03 "what are you good for?"

Guilty Pleasure

ZAL, omfg can you interrupt the nick and june 3x03 moment, please????? i love your pov on things and honestly it's such a bittersweet scene,

Once she's in Toronto, it's not as if she can just pick up the phone and call him just to call him or just to see him, he's a Commander in Gilead with a wife and a child on the way and she's Gilead's Public Enemy Number 1. If she calls him it's because she needs to call him. In 4x09, she's not even the one who has the idea to reach out to him, Luke is

in 6x03 it's made clear that he's a last resort because Tuello can't help, Mayday can't help, he's the one who can help.

So I kind of just feel like with circumstances, when else logically are they going to see each other unless she needs his help with something or he leaves Gilead, that's just the reality of where their lives are at right now, which is why they have their Scandal-esque Vermont theme (iykyk) with Hawaii or running away together or the world going away

but when they do see each other or speak to each other, she loves him, she actively loves him

they even crack jokes like they used to.

So, establishing my feelings about when June and Nick see each other, and her using him, let's talk about June loving Nick for Nick.

A few years ago, an anon asked what I thought was the difference between Serena and Nick and I spoke about the manipulation of Nick in the 1x08 flashback:

I, then, go on to say that this is why Nick is wary of the Swiss in 3x06

because whenever someone takes an interest in Nick or deigns to care about Nick, it's not real. They don't see Nick, they see an instrument, they see a tool for something bigger and terrible but June cares, she legitimately cares

he matters to her even when he doesn't admit it to himself

she sees him and she sees him even when he's not there, she sees him to other people:

I've spoken about this before but I find June's message to Luke in 3x05 to be one of the most romantic Osblaine moments for various reasons but one of them being that June tells him that he met Nick and her telling Luke that they met indicates to Luke that Nick told June about their meeting, which I feel is June telling Luke that Nick's the type of man to do that, i.e. he's a good man.

And what I think we can talk about more is how there are times where Nick will try to keep distance or give space or just be there for her without any expectations and simply be a crutch but June draws him close

which we actually see in 6x03, he said his piece about how he risks everything for her, and how she chose Luke, about how he loses her again and again, and then he expects that to be it

but she doesn't let him,

she responds to what he says by loving him i.e. they're not going to say goodbye, because they can never say goodbye, because they love each other, which is why I love the ending shot -- sure Nick will always be there

but June will always look behind

Nick is always there but June is also always there.

So, what she does for him is love him unconditionally, it's just very messy and very complicated.