Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Handmaid's Tale season 6, episode 3.

The Handmaid's Tale season 6 episode 3, in which Nick (Max Minghella) kills two Guardians to ensure June, Moira, and Luke make it safely back to Alaska.

However, The Handmaid's Tale season 5's ending proved Luke (O-T Fagbenle) is just as committed to keeping her safe, as he doesn't hesitate to kill the Canadian man who ran her over. Notably, this event ignited a rebellious fire in him, as he ed Mayday, also presumably driven by a desire to prove himself as a capable partner and man. The Handmaid's Tale seems determined to bring the love triangle to its end, though it may yet try to subvert the trope's problematic associations — especially as current storylines foreshadow a more nuanced resolution.

For A Series Like The Handmaid's Tale, A Classic Love Triangle Is A Bit Reductive

June Represents Female Liberation & Resistance

While many enjoy taking sides in the love triangle, with even showrunners speaking about June's Handmaid's Tale season 6 romance, this storyline is far from being the core interest of the show. Seemingly, Gilead means to battle an environmental crisis, which has led to grave rates of infertility worldwide. Over six seasons, the show has examined the systemic oppression of women, revealing how religious rhetoric and ideology can be weaponized by men to justify control over women's bodies and lives. Gilead's leaders frame their brutal regime as a path to salvation, masking tyranny behind the promise of national renewal.

The continued focus on a classic love triangle can feel reductive — especially in contrast to the show's larger themes of female resistance and liberation.

The show has never shied away from depicting the abuses inflicted on women's bodies by men in power, offering a harrowing exploration of gender and power. The continued focus on a classic love triangle can feel reductive — especially in contrast to the show's larger themes of female resistance and liberation. After all, The Handmaid's Tale season 6 teases June driving a rebellion to dismantle Gilead's regime, protect her children, and, hopefully, heal from her trauma. Her emotional indecision between choosing Luke and Nick in season 6 can seem superficial, especially as she prepares to lead a revolution.

The Handmaid's Tale's June Love Triangle Doesn't Happen In The Book

The Hulu Series Expands Both Nick & Luke's Roles In June's Story

While the love triangle has become a key element in Elizabeth Moss' character arc in the series, it's not a part of June's fate in The Handmaid's Tale book. Whereas the book never reveals what happened to Luke after he and June were separated from their daughter, the show confirms he was saved by a resistance group heading to Canada. Accordingly, the character's role is expanded significantly, as he goes from being a memory and symbol of what was lost to an active participant in the rebellion — dedicating himself to finding and protecting June and Hannah.

Even if Nick does help June escape Gilead in the book, he, too, is developed into a knight willing to risk everything for her. Notably, their bond has been transformed into a "wrong place, wrong time" situation, made more tragic because of their child, Nichole, a character absent from Atwood's novel. Still, the love triangle took time to unfold onscreen, as June and Luke don't reunite until season 4, and Nick has periods of inactivity while he rises through Gilead's ranks — now more complicated as he aids Lawrence's New Bethlehem plan in The Handmaid's Tale.

The June/Luke/Nick Love Triangle Really Isn't As Interesting As The Handmaid's Tale Thinks

June's Storyline Is Best When It Sees Her Fighting For Mothers & Their Children

Lately, the love triangle has become more consistent, with Luke being the official partner even while The Handmaid's Tale can't end June's romance with Nick. The show has made efforts to distinguish the roles each man plays in her life, showing she needed them at different points to survive. However, given everything June has accomplished on her own — coordinating the escape of 86 children, sparking rebellion among the Handmaids, and breaking free from Gilead's masculine grip — her predicament in choosing a man feels not only underwhelming but increasingly out of step with the fierce, self-possessed woman she's become.

What drove June into her heroic actions wasn't her love for Luke or Nick, but her desire to liberate the women and children from Gilead. June's decision to save Serena in season 6 carries more emotional weight than her romantic entanglements, as it underscores her deepest priority: keeping mothers and children together, the mission that has defined her throughout the series. Still, the love triangle isn't without merit, as it adds nuance to the show's portrayal of gender dynamics, revealing the grey areas in an otherwise stark battle between men and women, emphasizing both can work together.

The Handmaid's Tale Can Still Do The Right Thing With Season 6's Love Triangle

June's Love For Nick & Luke Carries An Important Message, Despite Its Unlikely Happy Ending

While the love triangle hasn't directly influenced the fight against Gilead, season 5's finale delivered a bold reveal by having June tell Luke she "doesn't want to be alone anymore." At first sight, the line seems odd coming from the show's most formidable and unyielding rebel, someone who doesn't think twice about risking her life if it means protecting those she loves. However, it is precisely because of the statement's dissonance with June's ideals, that it becomes powerful in its own way. Yes, even the most feminist, confident, and unbreakable woman needs love to survive.

The Testaments, the highly anticipated spin-off of The Handmaid's Tale based on Margaret Atwood's sequel novel, is set to begin filming this summer, with a likely premiere in early 2026.

In fact, this has been a persistent message throughout The Handmaid's Tale. All characters, whether they are rebels or part of Gilead, are prone to betray their set ideals because of their meaningful connections to others — giving them a touching vulnerability. Even if The Handmaid's Tale's ending for June may see her ultimately choose the greater good for women and children, there's no denying that the men she loves help sustain her spirit. While it's unlikely the three survive, having June it she loves both would be a realistic conclusion and a fitting one for the show.