“The Handmaid’s Story” showrunners on why [SPOILER] needed to die and getting that Taylor Swift tune

This text comprises spoilers for The Handmaid's Story season 6, episode 9, "Execution."

• The Handmaid's Story co-showrunners Eric Tuchman and Yahlin Chang break down the penultimate episode's main deaths, and tease a "actually emotional, stunning, shifting" finale.
• Tuchman and Chang additionally tackle followers who’re notably upset about Nick's arc this season.
• Plus, they describe what it was like getting to make use of that Taylor Swift tune.

Look what you made them do.

The explosive (actually!) penultimate episode of The Handmaid's Tale fittingly begins off with Taylor Swift's iconic revenge observe, "Look What You Made Me Do," setting the stage for the bloodiest, most surprising, and most cathartic addition to the present but.

Rise up has taken over Boston — first with the handmaids murdering commanders, then with the group on the would-be hanging of June (she survives, because of the rebels), and at last with the American planes dropping bombs on Gilead strongholds. In response, the commanders determine to satisfy in Washington D.C., and Serena (Yvonne Strahovski) lastly chooses a facet as soon as and for all and offers up their plan to June (Elisabeth Moss) and the man rebels.

June then convinces Lawrence to place a bomb on the aircraft with the commanders, which incorporates Serena's husband, Commander Wharton (Josh Charles). She drives Lawrence (Bradley Whitford) to the hangar and watches from afar as he will get on the aircraft with the bomb. On the final second, Nick (Max Minghella) reveals up and will get on the aircraft, too, a lot to June's horror. Lawrence and Nick have a really candy dialog about June — Nick solely needs to know if she's all proper — and Lawrence prophetically tells him, "Can’t maintain a very good girl down.” From June's eyes on the bottom, we see the aircraft with all of the commanders explode mid-air because the episode involves a detailed.

Forward, Leisure Weekly talks to co-showrunners Eric Tuchman and Yahlin Chang about why it was time for Lawrence and Nick to die, that emotional ultimate scene between them, what it was like getting that Swift tune for the episode, and what to anticipate from subsequent week's finale.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Let's begin with "Look What You Made Me Do" — the proper needle drop for this episode. Was that the primary alternative of tune, and what was it like getting the rights to make use of it?

ERIC TUCHMAN: Nicely, the tune was a shock for us once we first noticed the director's reduce. Elisabeth Moss, who directed the episode, and Wendy Hallam Martin, our editor, put the tune in with that sequence. So we weren't anticipating it. And it matches so superbly, and it was type of a placeholder as a result of we didn't think about we'd truly be capable to get the rights to the tune. However when Lizzie [Moss] is behind one thing, she often works some magic. And Taylor Swift and her individuals embraced the concept, and we have been thrilled, completely thrilled that she gave us permission.

It's excellent. It's actually excellent.

Nicely, you need to know that so many individuals are Swifties on our present. The forged specifically all went to Taylor's live performance in Toronto whereas they have been filming, and there are footage on-line if you wish to see. So it was equally thrilling for them.

'The Handmaid's Tale' recap: Season 6, episode 9 sees multiple characters die 'Handmaid's Tale' creator on shocking reunion, teases 'inevitable' ending

Let's get into the massive deaths instantly, of Lawrence and Nick. From interviews Max Minghella has accomplished, it looks like he was stunned and possibly just a little unhappy with Nick's arc this season and his demise. How lengthy did you guys know this was the place Lawrence and Nick would finish their tales?

TUCHMAN: We knew fairly early on once we first began breaking the season, when the author's room received collectively on the high of season 6, and we have been speaking about every character. And for me and Yahlin, it was actually vital that this season could be about testing and difficult these characters and having them reveal who they are surely. What have they realized or not realized over the course of this collection? And that made Nick and Lawrence, no exception. And for Nick, I'll simply say we all know it's a polarizing destiny for him and that lots of our followers are upset about it, however we perceive that that comes from the love that they’ve for this character and the connection he's had with June. And we love Nick for these causes too. Max is an extremely charismatic and compelling actor, and Nick has been June's savior and oasis for such a very long time on the present. However we have now to do not forget that she's not the one factor in his life, and that he's a commander in Gilead. And if there's one factor the collection has proven is there's no such factor as a very good commander. Regardless of how fantastic you might be to our primary character, he has nonetheless been a keen full participant in Gilead.

YAHLIN CHANG: And I might identical to so as to add, too, as a result of I've seen feedback about how may they flip him from such an exquisite man right into a villain, and I might say that he was by no means both of these issues. I even have plenty of sympathy for Nick. I imply, he was a man who did fantastic issues to avoid wasting the girl that he cherished. Whereas on the similar time he had this job as a commander in Gilead, and I don't see him as an evil villain. I believe that he was underneath plenty of strain. I’ve sympathy for him in that second when Wharton, his father determine, got here after him and stated, "You'll find yourself on the wall. Your son can be left with no father." Nick made a split-second choice that was a mistake. He made a mistake. He didn't assume it by means of.

He didn’t know that each one these girls would get murdered in consequence. He wasn't considering. He was actually wired. So in that cut up second, he made the incorrect choice and a horrible mistake, however who doesn't make dangerous selections and horrible errors underneath stress? But it surely had this large consequence. However I believe all of that simply makes him actually human. Like Max has stated, he was not inquisitive about a personality who's heroic. He's inquisitive about a personality who’s advanced, as a result of all human beings are advanced. So the concept he abruptly went from white to black or from hero to villain is simply that we might be doing a disservice to our characters by portray them as only one factor or the opposite. They're all embodied in shades of grey as a result of that's what people are.

That ultimate scene between Nick and Lawrence — clearly Lawrence knew concerning the bomb, and Nick didn't, however it form of felt like he did, and was virtually making peace along with his demise in that second. Is {that a} bizarre technique to interpret that scene? What was the subtext there, for you guys?

TUCHMAN: I may see the way you responded that method. They're so good, these two actors. I'm going to go away your interpretation as much as you. I believe you might definitely see that Nick has a spidey sense that one thing isn’t fairly proper in what Lawrence is saying to him, that he’s suspecting one thing, however I don't know if he's considering there's a bomb in a briefcase on the facet of the following chair. I'll depart it open to interpretation.

CHANG: I believe part of him has died and is dying. So I believe that you just're proper there, that the June a part of him is dying, and so that may be a large a part of him.

A lot of this episode is, as you talked about earlier, seeing everybody lastly revealing who they are surely. We see it with Aunt Lydia [Ann Dowd] lastly shedding it on the gallows, and yelling within the face of the commanders about their wickedness, and naturally with Serena betraying all of the commanders. What was it like crafting this ultimate arc for her to select the fitting facet, as soon as and for all?

TUCHMAN: Nicely, we discover Serena a very fascinating character. She's simply such a sophisticated individual and he or she's received a historical past of taking one step ahead and two steps again. She's at all times attempting to enhance herself and to make amends, after which she'll do one thing horrible once more. And right here we’re within the penultimate episode of the collection. She's lastly, it's now or by no means, do-or-die time, the place she has to lastly make a alternative. Which facet are you on? And June very neatly persuades her by invoking two issues, God and their kids. And if something goes to enlighten Serena, it's that she has to serve God as a result of he's entrusted her with the welfare of her youngster and of all kids. So I believe she in the end sees that if there's to be a future stuffed with love, as they are saying within the present, that she's going to have to surrender her husband and the opposite militant commanders.

What can followers anticipate from subsequent week's collection finale?

TUCHMAN: I believe they will anticipate a very emotional, stunning, shifting expertise that as a result of Bruce [Miller, series creator] is the author and Lizzie is the director, actually seems like basic Handmaid's Story in its vibe and in its influence. So I'm very excited for individuals to see it. I believe the decision of varied tales feels trustworthy and natural to the storytelling that we've been doing.

CHANG: Nicely, I believe what was so courageous about Bruce's storytelling in episode 10 is that he actually didn't need it to endure from collection finale-itis. So there may be for certain a temptation, and I personally would completely give into that temptation. I’ve an actual form of pander-y, feel-good vibe, and Bruce can maintain that at bay, however he didn't need to tie up each single factor in a bow. And I believe the facility of the present is that it doesn't really feel like a TV present, however it seems like actual life. So the form of rhythm and the construction of this season was that [episode] 8, after which twice as a lot [episode] 9, have been type of these large, epic, form of little mini movies with large climactic explosions. After which 10 has the sensation of denouement — the enjoyable of it’s what occurs the following day? So you actually can't beat [episode] 9 for an execution and the aircraft exploding. There's simply large, large strikes, after which 10 returns to a way of that quiet realism of like, effectively, what occurs the following day, and that feeling that we're simply dropping in on this second.

This interview has been edited for size and readability.

Join Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV information, unique first appears to be like, recaps, evaluations, interviews together with your favourite stars, and extra.

Shut