With Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2 finally here, the questions haven’t stopped. If anything, they’ve ramped up as fans try to catch up, figure out how Volume 2 fits with the rest of the show, or something as simple as the timeline. And after Episode 6 “Escape from Camazotz” some fans are wondering if Nancy and Jonathan really breakup?
The Duffer Brothers gave us a resounding confirmation. Yes, they broke up. According to PEOPLE, Matt Duffer said, “That’s a breakup. They are broken up.” In fact, they’ve known that the breakup was coming for a while. Matt added, “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.” So no Nancy and Steve either.
For those who need a refresher, Nancy and Jonathan are in The Upside Down at Hawkins Lab in Episode 6. While there they encounter this mysterious force that knocks they out as the building starts to melt around them. When they wake up they take refuge on a table as the room slowly fills with melted goo. They’re going to die here. And that’s the honesty that Jonathan can give Nancy. That opens the floodgates.
“I hate The Clash,” Nancy confesses. From there the music changes, signaling a lighter tone even though they’re surrounded by this fresh horror. Jonathan follows her lead, relaxes, and says, “I hate reading your articles.” From there they go back and forth confessing how Nancy has never read Slaughterhouse-Five, Jonathan never read Anna Karenina, Nancy is bothered by Jonathan being 6 minutes late always, and Jonathan confesses he took her favorite pink sweater to the Goodwill.
These exchanges continue until they realize how much they’ve kept from each other. And they might not have all the answers, but as they continue to peel back the layers, they realize this is shared trauma. That’s what bonded them. And Ross Duffer confirmed Nancy and Jonathan have this holding them together when he said they have a “trauma bond.”
Nancy and Jonathan seal their breakup when Jonathan reveals his final confession, that he was going to propose. With the engagement ring in her hand, Nancy watches as Jonathan asks, “Nancy Wheeler, will you not marry me?” And they both get emotional because they know nothing can fix what is broken between them, not even their looming death. “Do you accept my un-proposal?” Jonathan asks. She responds with “I accept your un-proposal.”
It doesn’t matter that they just said “I love you” to each other. You can love someone and still want to breakup. And that’s what Nancy and Jonathan do as they hold each other close and he throws the ring away. They are at peace with each other, ok with their end clearing the air of any hidden grievances and only leaving behind how much they care for each other.
So if you’re wondering “Did Nancy and Jonathan breakup in Stranger Things?” they did.
