The Handmaid’s Tale knows how to manage its effects. Since its first season in 2017, and aided by the fact that it took liberties with Margaret Atwood’s novel, the series has delivered some memorable twists. From the first few episodes, the series chose to decide Luke’s fate, even though the Canadian author cultivated the mystery. The explosion of Red Center, the reunion between Hannah and June, or even Emily’s dispatch to the colonies—Bruce Miller’s creation never misses an opportunity to make a few jaws drop.
The biggest shock will remain the death of Commander Waterford, at the hands of several Handmaids freed from Gilead’s grasp and under June’s leadership. But a twist might well have escaped us… unless the series saves it for the grand finale. Season 6 is currently airing and has its share of surprises in store. However, the series has not yet resolved to question an important dark side of the story, one that we had forgotten after the shocking events of the season 4 finale. What if Nichole wasn't who we thought she was?
In season 4 of The Handmaid's Tale, to everyone's surprise, Serena Joy becomes pregnant. Before being arrested in Canada, the couple had one last sexual encounter, which proved successful after years of failed attempts. Until now, the series cultivated the mystery surrounding the infertility of both characters. Serena's gunshot wound suggested that she was unable to have a child. The fact that the couple had failed to conceive with their first Handmaid could also be a clue to Fred Waterford's infertility.
The idea had even crossed Serena's mind, which gave her the idea of forcing Nick and June to have sex to speed things up. From then on, it was certain for the viewers that the chauffeur of the Waterford house was the real father of the child. The characters were also convinced of it. The choice of the name Nichole (an obvious link to the first name of her apparent father) also seemed to be a snub from Serena to her husband, whom she knew was obsessed with June.
But Fred's paternity calls this certainty into question. What if Nichole was Waterford's child? The series never directly asked the question or immortalized June's doubts on the subject. The question was nevertheless posed to creator Bruce Miller as part of the podcast Eyes on Gilead. When asked about the possible filiation between Fred and Nichole, Miller was rather categorical. He explained: "It wasn't planned that we would say that they did it. But they did a paternity test, as soon as he arrived (in Canada, editor's note)." Switzerland could have recovered Commander Blaine's DNA during this interview, to confirm his paternity. The sequence is not shown in the series, but a glass of water is placed in front of June during the same interview.
If the same was true for Nick, and he drank, the Swiss could have carried out tests rather than relying entirely on June's tape, June herself not being able to know for sure who the father is. Remember that the child is in the care of Luke and Moira at this time, and that she is also at the epicenter of emerging political tensions. This is important information for international authorities, to tip the scales against Gilead and thus refuse to send Nichole back to the country.
And in the novel?
It's no longer a secret to viewers of The Handmaid's Tale that the series has taken many liberties. In The Handmaid's Tale as well as in The Testaments, Margaret Atwood cultivates the mystery surrounding the identity of the father of June's child. Indeed, it is never clearly stated that Nick is her biological father, a genetic test not being possible in this context. However, the Waterfords do not have children and there is less doubt. While it seems quite unlikely that the series will reveal that Nick is not Nichole's father in the final moments, it must be admitted that the series made an informed choice by leaving the viewers to draw their own conclusions.
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