Why Nick changed his mind in The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 Episode 5

In The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 Episode 5, Nick makes a literal U-turn in the hospital while visiting Toby, the dying guardian. It might have seemed sudden, but their conversation explains why Nick changed his mind. 

The pressure is piling on Nick in the sixth and final chapter of the Hulu show. Although he still secretly helps June from the inside, he’s a Commander now and has a baby on the way with his wife, Rose. And her father, High Commander Wharton, is keeping a close eye on him. 

In The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 Episode 3, Nick helps June bail Moira and Luke out of No Man’s Land, which doesn’t come without complications. When two guardians unexpectedly show up, Nick makes the difficult decision to shoot them both. 

There’s a slight issue, though: as Wharton tells Nick, the youngest guardian Toby survived. He’s in a coma right now but is showing signs of improvement, and so Nick decides to pay him a visit. Warning: SPOILERS ahead!

Nick foils Toby’s plan in The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6

Hulu

At the hospital, Nick decides not to kill Toby and begins walking away, but then he changes his mind and turns back around to finish the job. Although it’s not said out loud, it’s assumed Nick realized that Toby was deceiving him and playing dumb to avoid getting killed. 

You see, at the hospital, Nick finds Toby in a hospital bed with his mother by his side. Nick relieves the mother and says he’ll watch over Toby so she can get some rest. Once they’re alone, Toby stirs and says he’s cold. 

Nick pulls the blanket over him before asking, “Do you know me Toby?” The guardian forces his eyes open and he sees the man who shot him, causing his heart rate to spike. After a tense pause, Toby asks, “Where’s my dog?”

Nick nods and says, “Your dog’s fine. Try and get some rest,” and a look of relief washes over Toby’s face. It seems like enough to convince Nick and he leaves, allowing Toby to recover. 

Hulu

But on his way out he stops and shakes his head, turning back around to finish Toby. Now, it could be that he changed his mind over concerns that Toby’s memory might return later down the line, which would undoubtedly land Nick on the wall. 

However, we know Nick is no fool. The look of fear on Toby’s face when he opened his eyes suggests he knew exactly who was standing in front of him and what this meant. 

The dog decoy was smart, but Nick foiled him before it was too late. Taking to Reddit to discuss The Handmaid’s Tale’s latest episode, one fan wrote, “This guy waking up and immediately asking about his dog, please.”

“He knew who Nick was and what he did to him,” said another. “He said something about a dog in hopes Nick wouldn’t finish the job. It almost worked, but Nick figured it out.”

A third agreed, “Yep. As soon as Nick asked him if he knew who he was, his heart rate shot up, and his eyes widened. He knew, and Nick realized this and finished the job.”

One said the fact that he asked about his dog is when they “knew he was RIP for sure.”

Find out when the next episode drops with our guide to The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 release schedule. You can also check out our recaps for Season 6 Episode 1, Episode 2, and Episode 4, and read more about New Bethlehem and Timothy Simons’ Commander Bell.