‘The Handmaid’s Tale’: It Was Elisabeth Moss’ Idea for June and Nick to Kiss in Front of Fred

In the season 4 finale of 'The Handmaid's Tale,' titled 'The Wilderness,' Nick Blaine and June Osborne kiss in front of Fred Waterford as a way to get revenge. According to actor Max Minghella, the kiss was not originally in the script and was Elisabeth Moss' idea.

by Eryn Murphy

Published on August 17, 2021

3 min read

Why June and Nick kissed in front of Fred in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’

In The Handmaid’s Tale, June and Nick fell in love while June was a Handmaid and Nick was a driver in the Waterford house. June was emotionally and physically abused by Fred and his wife Serena Joy Waterford (Yvonne Strahovski), and Fred and Serena kidnapped June and Nick’s daughter Nichole in an attempt to pretend Nichole was their own.

Flash forward to the fourth season of the Hulu series, and Nick is a Commander in Gilead while June has escaped to Canada. When June realizes she cannot let Fred see freedom after all of his crimes in Gilead, she decides she will find a way for him to be punished.

In season 4 episode 10 of The Handmaid’s Tale, “The Wilderness,” June works with Commander Lawrence and Mark Tuello (Sam Jaeger) to have Fred sent back to Gilead. When Fred reaches Gilead, Nick takes Fred into custody and brings him to June in “no man’s land.” June approaches them and kisses Nick. After Nick leaves, June and other former Handmaids murder Fred in the woods.

Because Fred always assumed June and Nick were loyal to him, the couple’s kiss proves to him once and for all that his reality was a delusion, adding even more fear and confusion to his final minutes.

The kiss between Nick and June was Elisabeth Moss’ idea

Multiple cast members from The Handmaid’s Tale are nominated for acting awards at the upcoming 2021 Emmy Awards, Minghella included. In an interview with Awards Focus, Minghella discussed the show’s fourth season and revealed that Moss decided June and Nick should kiss in front of Fred.

“It’s funny because I’m not part of the brain trust and don’t really know the evolution of the kiss. My understanding was that it wasn’t in the script and was an idea that Lizzie (Moss) had,” Minghella said.

He continued, “It struck me as something very organic to the characters that I know seems strange and crazy, but I love how much it makes sense for June and Nick. It’s a great embodiment of their dynamic.”

Max Minghella enjoys working with Elisabeth Moss in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’

Not only does Moss star as June in The Handmaid’s Tale, but she also serves as a producer on the Hulu series and made her directorial debut in the fourth season. Moss directed three episodes, “The Crossing,” “Testimony,” and “Progress.”

Speaking with Awards Focus, Minghella shared that Moss directing episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale was his “favorite thing” about filming the new season.

“It was my favorite thing because she really elicited the best work from the actors. She has a remarkable ability to make you feel safe, and step out of the traditional boundaries of the show. She also has an incredible visual flare, like in episode three, doing these complicated set pieces like trains flying off the rails while also directing intimate character work,” he said.

All four seasons of The Handmaid’s Tale are available to stream on Hulu.