Are Nancy and Jonathan engaged in ‘Stranger Things 5’? Duffer Brothers drop a brutal truth after Volume 2
Are wedding bells about to ring for Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers? ‘Stranger Things’ fans might think so after one of the most emotional moments in Volume 2 of the show’s fifth and final season. However, the reality is far more complicated. In the new episodes, Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton’s characters, who have been romantically linked since Season 2, find themselves facing what appears to be certain death. Trapped inside Hawkins Lab in the Upside Down, Nancy and Jonathan are surrounded by a thick, melting substance that spreads across the room like wet paint.
With the walls closing in and no clear escape, the two are forced into a raw, confessional moment that strips away years of unspoken tension. Believing their time is up, they begin admitting truths they’ve buried for seasons. Nancy confesses that she hates The Clash, while Jonathan admits that he dislikes reading Nancy’s articles. The biggest revelation comes when Jonathan finally tells her that he never applied to Emerson College, a secret Nancy reveals she already knew. Then comes the scene that set the internet buzzing. Jonathan pulls out an engagement ring he’s been carrying with him and delivers what he calls an “un-proposal.”
“I figure that I have screwed up enough with you that it’d be nice to get something right for once, in the end. Nancy Wheeler, will you not marry me?” he asks. Overwhelmed and emotional, Nancy accepts, telling him she loves him. Moments later, they realize the substance has hardened around them, effectively saving their lives. On the surface, it feels like a romantic turning point for one of ‘Stranger Things’ longest-running couples. But according to series co-creators Matt and Ross Duffer, the moment isn’t meant to signal a happily-ever-after. “That’s a breakup,” Matt Duffer tells PEOPLE, “They are broken up.”
Matt explains that the decision to end Nancy and Jonathan’s relationship had been brewing for quite some time among the creative team. “It’s hard to recall when exactly that idea came, but I think us — and the writers — all felt that Nancy needed to end up on her own and be independent and have an opportunity to find herself,” he says. Ross Duffer sums up their connection, calling it a “trauma bond.” While the fictional couple’s journey ends in heartbreak, the real-life story behind the scenes is far more stable. Dyer and Heaton have been together off-screen since 2017, after meeting on the set of ‘Stranger Things.’
Despite keeping their relationship relatively private, Heaton recently opened up about their partnership in an interview with Wonderland magazine. “It’s been a gift to work with my best friend,” he said. “To be able to have a shared experience with your partner about the anxiety when you don’t get a job – I know what that feels like, she knows what that feels like.” Describing their bond as “precious,” he added, “To be able to both understand each other on that level is great.” Moreover, Volumes 1 and 2 of ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 are now streaming on Netflix, with the series finale set to arrive on Dec. 31.
