‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Season 4: Does June Leave Luke? Trailer Indicates Marital Issues

The new trailer for season 4 of 'The Handmaid's Tale' is here, and it's clear something romantic is going on between June Osborne and Nick Blaine. Where does this leave June and her husband, Luke Bankole, after June escapes Gilead?

by Lauren Weiler

Published on March 30, 2021

3 min read

Is June in love with Nick in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’?

'The Handmaid's Tale' Season 4 star Elisabeth Moss as June Osborne allowing actor Max Minghella as Nick to rest his head on her shoulder

June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss) and Nick (Max Minghella) in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ | George Kraychyk/Hulu

The Handmaid’s Tale Season 4 is sure to feature more of June and Nick Blaine’s complicated relationship. The Hulu series shows Nick as one of June’s early allies in Gilead. After failing to achieve a pregnancy with Commander Fred Waterford, Serena Joy Waterford encourages June to get pregnant with Nick. Ultimately, this occurs — and it strengthens June’s bond with Nick, as they have a child together who’s taken by the Waterfords.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of twists and turns that come with Nick’s story. Bustle reminds us he’s an eye and the chauffeur for Commander Waterford, which puts him in a tough position with June. However, Nick wants to do the right thing — he just might not have June’s bravery.

So, are Nick and June in love within the confines of Gilead? According to Max Minghella, the actor who plays Nick, yes. “I think he has a child to protect and a woman he loves and this is not a world where you want to have emotional investments, so it’s almost to his detriment now that he has something to fight for,” Minghella explained, according to Bustle. Unfortunately, June “is in many ways ahead of Nick in terms of integrity and certainly how brave she is.”

‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Season 4 trailer initially excluded Luke

In season 1, fans see June and Luke living their happy, married life together with their daughter, Hannah, prior to June and Hannah’s capture for Gilead. Unfortunately, it looks like the dynamics changed for the couple by The Handmaid’s Tale Season 4.

The first teaser trailer for the new season introduced by Hulu shows plenty of familiar faces. June, of course, leads the trailer. The beginning of the short clip shows June standing in a deserted street with a baseball cap on. She’s seemingly no longer in Gilead, as she’s not wearing her handmaid clothing.

We also get glimpses of the Waterfords, Aunt Lydia, Nick, a few other notable handmaids, and Hannah. But Luke is surprisingly missing from the teaser, giving an initial clue Luke and June might not have the inseparable bond fans may assume they would’ve kept through their turmoil.

Does June end up with Nick or Luke? Season 4 trailer leaves questions

So, does June end up with Nick or Luke? Given what we’re seeing in The Handmaid’s Tale Season 4 trailer, it’s tough to say — but it looks like June and Nick keep their bond outside of Gilead.

The beginning of the trailer shows Nick seemingly looking for June inside of Gilead — and one of the Marthas suggests he should stop looking. A later scene in the trailer then shows June’s face close to Nick’s as she places her hands on the sides of his face. This shows June in her handmaid garb, though, so it could be a flashback. Yet another scene shows Nick saying he “can’t” move on from June even when it’s his in his best interest.

As for Luke, June is seen crying and yelling, “How can I face him?” before the trailer shoots to a clip of Luke alone. “Everything that has happened to her is because of me,” she adds.

Then, a voiceover and additional clip of Luke states, “She chose to stay in Gilead. I can’t ask God for something that she didn’t want.” Throughout the rest of the trailer, there are no clips of June and Luke together.

Given the trailer’s clues, it looks like Luke and June are estranged. We’ll have to wait for the season premiere on April 28.