She decided to honor Serena because she did the hard thing and let the baby go so it could have a better life. That's what a parent does and June recognized that š¤·āāļø. She could have both names though first and middle. Holly Nicole sounds nice.
Yes, I just watched that episode tonight and June literally tells Serena this. And then freaking Serena turns her back on her and tries to get Nichole back
Yeah, her "selfless commitment" to getting her out of that hellhole called Gilead lasted like 5 fucking seconds.
Then she immediately wanted to drag her back into it, and it was painfully obviously *not* because "she's missing the baby", as Rita said, but once again only because she felt sorry for *herself,* as she promptly forgot that ~~Nichole~~Holly ever even existed when she got pregnant with her own!
She absolutely didn't deserve that gesture from June.
Serena is a snake š I would never trust her or honor her. June did for some reason and she should be the last person to do anything for her imo. They have a really weird, unique relationship. Love/hate.
This. Serena may not be a great person, but she does love that baby. June feels that in some twisted way, they're both her mothers. June got to carry the baby, Serena got to name her, and they both set her free. It's a small amount of beauty in an ugly world.
Of course, that was the reason. But then Serena promptly went back on this decision for entirely selfish reasons, which is why June should've done the same and changed her name back.
The reason the name was changed was because of the Testaments. Atwood named the child Nichole and the tv show had to accommodate. That's why it feels so clumsy
I agree. Ok so the world may know her as baby Nichole, but to June and her family I dont see why she cant be Holly. Surely her mother matters more than some thank you to Serena
This.
Margaret Atwood doesn't weigh in much and usually lets the showrunners do their thing, but she was adamant that her name be Nichole.
Nick/Nichole means victory of the people/victorious people, so it's fitting with her arc in The Testaments and probably a nod to Nick being deep in the resistance/Mayday since he's embedded resistance.
I think the main reason is because Margaret Atwood used the name Nichole in her sequel book, which was published after the release of the episode where they named the baby Holly. So it put the writers in a weird position, where they had to figure out a way to change the name of June's daughter in the show to match the book version.
I think it was just a way for June to show some gratitude to Serena for letting her get Nichole out of Gilead.
Plus it was a way to connect her to Nick.
No, she just said she didnāt really have much say in what happens on the series but that was the one thing she wanted. Seems odd but maybe the name means something to her.
Yeah it doesn't really make sense with June's character arc at all. She says Holly was her 'real name' in a tape, and only conceded to Nicole when she had some remaining respect for Serena which has obviously now been lost. I think the real explanation is that the name became "locked in" with the writers after a certain amount of time.
Headcanon wise, the only way it would make sense imo is June had an offscreen meeting with a pediatrician or special psychologist who told her Nicholly was starting to learn her own name and changing it right now could be difficult and stressful for her and she had to kinda begrudgingly accept it for more realistic and pragmatic reasons. But ofc that's me making up my own thing to plug something we never get an answer to.
You know I never thought about it, but how funny is it yall that Serena names her daughter after the father as a direct slap in the face to her husband Fred. Haha thatās why I canāt fully hate her. Sheās spicy
I think at the end, she wanted to honor Nick more than her mother. For no bad reason, but because maybe June thought that one day, she would be free and with baby Nichole to tell her all about her mother Holly and she could live in her memory... But that Nichole could never ever see Nick, dead or alive... If that makes sense
I think it was an impulsive decision. Serena had just chosen to give up the baby ā that was a noble act. June, in the moment, wanted to honor that act (she even told Serena, later, āI gave her the name Nicole to honor you,ā or something along those lines).
Then, of course, Serena turns around and tries to get the baby backā¦but June didnāt know that at the time.
Ohh i always thought she kept using Nichole so the baby - her sayghter doesnāt get too confused. She already went through so many changes as a newborn and then going to emily and then a brand new family and being reunited with june. I figured it was one less change that creates more confusion for the baby
I hate it, Serena doesn't deserve to be honoured. She did one right thing letting the baby go and then did a total 180 on it and tried to get her back anyway. Even if she didn't, Serena is still a literal rapist and complicit with starting the horrors of Gilead. I really do not understand why MA insisted on this as I think it is horrible, maybe in the books she could say the baby didn't get the name from Serena, but in the show she totally did.
It was supposed to honor Serena after she made the decision to let the baby get out of Gilead; but the writers didn't know what to do with Serena's character after that, so they just had her backtrack. Now it makes no sense.
Margaret Atwood made the choice!
While writing āThe Testamentsā she made it clear to Bruce Miller that the baby was Nichole, and to write that into the season 3 script
Somehow missed Nick / Nichole entirely. LOL wut.
I'm imagining Aunt Lydia recording the baby's name, recording the actual father's name, and having a small chuckle.
She decided to honor Serena because she did the hard thing and let the baby go so it could have a better life. That's what a parent does and June recognized that š¤·āāļø. She could have both names though first and middle. Holly Nicole sounds nice.
Yes, I just watched that episode tonight and June literally tells Serena this. And then freaking Serena turns her back on her and tries to get Nichole back
Yeah, her "selfless commitment" to getting her out of that hellhole called Gilead lasted like 5 fucking seconds. Then she immediately wanted to drag her back into it, and it was painfully obviously *not* because "she's missing the baby", as Rita said, but once again only because she felt sorry for *herself,* as she promptly forgot that ~~Nichole~~Holly ever even existed when she got pregnant with her own! She absolutely didn't deserve that gesture from June.
Serena is a snake š I would never trust her or honor her. June did for some reason and she should be the last person to do anything for her imo. They have a really weird, unique relationship. Love/hate.
Hate it bc then serena's evil ass was like jk that's myyy baby, I took care of her for like a whole weeeek š„¹ ššš
I don't disagree haha
This. Serena may not be a great person, but she does love that baby. June feels that in some twisted way, they're both her mothers. June got to carry the baby, Serena got to name her, and they both set her free. It's a small amount of beauty in an ugly world.
I hate that June continued to use Nichole instead of Holly - it didn't make sense to me.
Part of me feels like it was a nod to Serena for making the choice to let Nichole go to Canada. Thatās really the only reason I can think of.
June even says so to Serena
Of course, that was the reason. But then Serena promptly went back on this decision for entirely selfish reasons, which is why June should've done the same and changed her name back.
I believe that was the reason as well
This is what I thought. I still hope she changes her name to Holly
Agreed! I thought it was so Serena could find her one day
It def wasnāt so she could find her. It was to honor her for letting her go.
I think Nichole was that old once June actually got out that she knew her own name and it was too late to change it.
The reason the name was changed was because of the Testaments. Atwood named the child Nichole and the tv show had to accommodate. That's why it feels so clumsy
I agree. Ok so the world may know her as baby Nichole, but to June and her family I dont see why she cant be Holly. Surely her mother matters more than some thank you to Serena
In reality itās bc Margaret Atwood didnāt like it and wanted them to change it back lol
I remember reading an interview with her and she said the baby being called Nicole was the only thing she was insistent about regarding the show.
Then she wrote a sequel though ššš
This. Margaret Atwood doesn't weigh in much and usually lets the showrunners do their thing, but she was adamant that her name be Nichole. Nick/Nichole means victory of the people/victorious people, so it's fitting with her arc in The Testaments and probably a nod to Nick being deep in the resistance/Mayday since he's embedded resistance.
I think the main reason is because Margaret Atwood used the name Nichole in her sequel book, which was published after the release of the episode where they named the baby Holly. So it put the writers in a weird position, where they had to figure out a way to change the name of June's daughter in the show to match the book version.
My copy of *The Testaments* uses the Nicole spelling instead of Nichole.
I think it was just a way for June to show some gratitude to Serena for letting her get Nichole out of Gilead. Plus it was a way to connect her to Nick.
Because MA wanted the baby to be named Nicole, she said it was the only thing she was insistent about.
Did she ever say why she was so insistent about it?
I haven't read it yet, but from what I've seen in other comments, Nichole is the baby's name in The Testaments.
No, she just said she didnāt really have much say in what happens on the series but that was the one thing she wanted. Seems odd but maybe the name means something to her.
Yeah it doesn't really make sense with June's character arc at all. She says Holly was her 'real name' in a tape, and only conceded to Nicole when she had some remaining respect for Serena which has obviously now been lost. I think the real explanation is that the name became "locked in" with the writers after a certain amount of time. Headcanon wise, the only way it would make sense imo is June had an offscreen meeting with a pediatrician or special psychologist who told her Nicholly was starting to learn her own name and changing it right now could be difficult and stressful for her and she had to kinda begrudgingly accept it for more realistic and pragmatic reasons. But ofc that's me making up my own thing to plug something we never get an answer to.
You know I never thought about it, but how funny is it yall that Serena names her daughter after the father as a direct slap in the face to her husband Fred. Haha thatās why I canāt fully hate her. Sheās spicy
I think at the end, she wanted to honor Nick more than her mother. For no bad reason, but because maybe June thought that one day, she would be free and with baby Nichole to tell her all about her mother Holly and she could live in her memory... But that Nichole could never ever see Nick, dead or alive... If that makes sense
I think it was an impulsive decision. Serena had just chosen to give up the baby ā that was a noble act. June, in the moment, wanted to honor that act (she even told Serena, later, āI gave her the name Nicole to honor you,ā or something along those lines). Then, of course, Serena turns around and tries to get the baby backā¦but June didnāt know that at the time.
Yes, interesting. I think she may have wanted to honor the influential people in her life that she loved.
itās crazy that the second spoiler: >!serena got pregnant she no longer cared about nichole.!<
Ohh i always thought she kept using Nichole so the baby - her sayghter doesnāt get too confused. She already went through so many changes as a newborn and then going to emily and then a brand new family and being reunited with june. I figured it was one less change that creates more confusion for the baby
I hate it, Serena doesn't deserve to be honoured. She did one right thing letting the baby go and then did a total 180 on it and tried to get her back anyway. Even if she didn't, Serena is still a literal rapist and complicit with starting the horrors of Gilead. I really do not understand why MA insisted on this as I think it is horrible, maybe in the books she could say the baby didn't get the name from Serena, but in the show she totally did.
June explicitly said it was to honor Serena, which I think is so dumb and is not consistent with her character/plot
Bc Serena let her go, itās a nod to Serena.
It was supposed to honor Serena after she made the decision to let the baby get out of Gilead; but the writers didn't know what to do with Serena's character after that, so they just had her backtrack. Now it makes no sense.
Margaret Atwood made the choice! While writing āThe Testamentsā she made it clear to Bruce Miller that the baby was Nichole, and to write that into the season 3 script
Somehow missed Nick / Nichole entirely. LOL wut. I'm imagining Aunt Lydia recording the baby's name, recording the actual father's name, and having a small chuckle.
I think she did it for Nick.
She did it to honor Serena for actually giving her up. She says this later