Perhaps, he just cared a little too much.
It is impossible to watch even one episode of The Handmaid’s Tale and not feel devastated for the women trapped in Gilead and turned into property to satisfy their reproductive needs. While Gilead prides itself on being the society with the highest birthrate, the lives of people who are already adults are being torn apart left, right, and center.
While the show may make its viewers somewhat desensitized to violence and sexual abuse, there are some characters whose fates are so tragic that no one can help but feel especially sorry for them. For many viewers of The Handmaid’s Tale, one such character was Eden Blaine.
Married to Nick Blaine as a child, Eden never really saw life outside of religion and the principles of Gilead. She was raised to be the perfect wife, and she was ready and happy to do so, but she was met with her husband’s rejection. Trying to save the marriage, she was always as nice and polite as possible, doing everything a Gilead man would ever want, but Nick was never there to show her any love or affection.
While it’s easy to understand from a viewer’s point of view why Nick would find it so wrong to marry a young girl and never fall in love with her, Eden’s tragic arc still makes some viewers angry with him. As an older man, he could have played a role in this marriage and offered Eden his protection and guidance.
Had they both been careful enough and communicated more, their act of being a loving couple could have worked, even if in reality they’d found their true love elsewhere. All Eden ever needed was advice on how to navigate this world, and Nick was smart enough to give it.
But he was also scared enough to see her get even more attached to him to reject the idea altogether. In the end, Nick was unhappy enough to see a girl’s life ruined by her marriage as it was, so it felt better to stay cold and avoid anything that might solidify her feelings.
Although Eden has met her tragic end, Nick’s fate is still uncertain. To find out what The Handmaid’s Tale’s final season has in store for him, make sure to stay tuned to not miss any important news and behind-the-scenes updates.
