As Stranger Things heads toward its final chapter, fans have been closely watching the fate of Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers. With Season 5, Volume 2 now streaming, Netflix Tudum and the creators have clarified where the couple stands and what that means for Nancy’s future.
According to Netflix Tudum’s Episode 7 ending explainer, unresolved tension between Nancy and Jonathan, first simmering in Season 4, comes to a head during a life-or-death moment.
After Nancy fires a shot that disrupts a mysterious sphere, the pair are trapped together in a room rapidly filling with gray sludge, forcing them into a brutally honest conversation.
What the director said
Director Shawn Levy, who helmed Episodes 6 and 7, told Netflix Tudum that the characters genuinely believe they are about to die, which allows them to finally speak openly. He described the exchange as one of the most emotionally raw Jonathan-Nancy scenes in the series.
During the conversation, Jonathan admits he never applied to Emerson College, while Nancy acknowledges she avoided visiting him in California because she needed distance. Jonathan also reveals he’s been carrying an engagement ring, hidden inside a John Coltrane cassette, only to offer Nancy what he calls an “un-proposal,” explaining that marriage wouldn’t fix what’s broken between them.
Nancy accepts. Moments later, the sludge hardens, and they survive, but their relationship does not. As Netflix Tudum confirms, while the characters make it out alive, their romance effectively ends there.
Does Nancy end up with Steve?
Despite long-standing fan speculation about a possible reunion between Nancy and Steve Harrington, Season 5, Volume 2 does not show Nancy choosing Steve romantically.
There is no confirmation that Nancy ends up with Steve by the end of the volume.
For now, the show leaves Nancy single as the story moves toward its final confrontation with Vecna.
Off-screen romance
While Jonathan and Nancy’s story appears to end onscreen, the actors behind them remain a real-life couple. In a recent interview cited by People, Charlie Heaton spoke candidly about working alongside longtime girlfriend and co-star Natalia Dyer, calling the experience “precious.”
Read More: Stranger Things set for final bow: five things to know
Reflecting on filming the final season, Heaton added that some of the closing scenes were among the most emotionally honest work of his career, describing the experience as one he doesn’t think he’ll ever have again, per People.
Stranger Things Season 5 is being released in three parts: Volume 1 premiered on Nov. 26, Volume 2 arrived on Dec. 25, and the series finale is set to drop on Dec. 31.
