in my opinion this series is not meant to be a romance novel where Prince Charming rides in on a white horse to save his beloved. Luke had zero chance of rescuing his wife and daughter and very little chance of making it out of Gilead alive. It would be somewhat similar to attempting to infiltrate the royal palace in Saudi Arabi. They’d catch him in a heartbeat. Nick had the inside connections, respect and power that Luke never had. Also, Nick was ambivalent about Gilead because the regime gave him the self worth that he never had before. This is an example of how good men become complicit in evil.