The Handmaid's Tale's O-T Fagbenle Explains How Luke Escaped the Wheelers' Clutches

After Oct. 19's episode of The Handmaid's Tale, fans were left wondering how Luke (O-T Fagbenle) escaped from his captors. Now, the actor tells E! News exclusively how his character got out.

By Charlotte Walsh Oct 20, 2022 5:46 PMTags
Watch: O-T Fagbenle on Learning From Elisabeth Moss in The Handmaid's Tale

Don't worry: O-T Fagbenle knows about that Handmaid's Tale plot hole. 

"The powers that be—we're aware that it didn't come on-screen!" the actor, who plays husband Luke Bankole to Elisabeth Moss' June Osborne, joked exclusively to E! News. "Okay?!"

Fagbenle is referring to Oct. 19's episode of the long-running dystopian series, which largely focuses on June aiding Serena (Yvonne Strahovski) as she has to unexpectedly give birth in a barn following their escape from the Wheelers. But, at the end of the episode, Luke shows up at the Canadian hospital—seemingly unharmed after being captured by the family's team himself.

So, what, exactly, happened to Luke after he was dragged away in that shady-looking van? 

"There are some hints to this, but basically what happened is Luke gets pulled away, he gets put in the back of a van, he gets driven up, and they've got no use for him," he explained. "He has no value. So they kick him out, back on the side of the road. He just walks back. Eventually, he gets a ride, a phone, an Uber."

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Although Fagbenle made sure to clarify that he "made up" the idea of Luke nabbing an Uber in No Man's Land, he noted that it's definitely a more "preferable outcome" than what happens to June—a.k.a. being delivered to Serena for her own assassination.

And while this mystery is officially solved, that still doesn't solve the issue of how the rest of the season will end—including Luke and June's increasingly complicated relationship. Since living together after June escaped Gilead for (seemingly) the final time, the couple has clashed on a number of important issues—and it looks like another explosive fight may be coming down the pike, as Luke just turned Serena into immigration authorities, splitting up her and her newborn baby, Noah. 

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But, according to the First Lady alum, this tension may be a positive thing for their relationship. 

"In relationships, things have to be said to each other," he explained. "If you let things fester, they mold, you know? I think there's nothing June has said that Luke hasn't said to himself a thousand times."

Watch the fallout when The Handmaid's Tale airs new episodes Wednesdays on Hulu. 

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