‘Stranger Things’: Jonathan, Nancy and Steve’s love triangle finally gets a resolution

For a tense stretch of season 5, volume 2, Stranger Things appears to tease a major turning point for Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers. A hidden ring, a near-death moment and an emotional confession all point in one direction, before the show pulls the rug out from under viewers.

The short answer is yes. Nancy and Jonathan do break up, even if the moment is designed to look like something else entirely.

The fake proposal that fooled viewers

The confusion centres on a scene set deep inside the Upside Down, where Nancy and Jonathan find themselves trapped as the walls around them begin to melt. Believing they are about to die, the pair finally confront the truths they have been avoiding.

Jonathan admits he never applied to Emerson College, a secret Nancy already suspected. He then reveals an engagement ring he has been carrying for days, appearing to set up a last-minute proposal.

Instead, he stops himself.

Jonathan calls it an “un-proposal”, admitting that he once believed marriage might fix their relationship but has since realised it would only make things worse. Nancy accepts the un-proposal, not as a step forward, but as an acknowledgement that they cannot continue as they are.

They say they love each other. They kiss. And then they survive.

What looks like a romantic turning point is, in reality, a goodbye.

The Duffers confirm the breakup

Any remaining doubt is cleared up by show creators Ross and Matt Duffer, who have confirmed that Nancy and Jonathan are no longer together. According to the Duffers, the decision was intentional and long planned.

They felt Nancy’s story required independence rather than another defining relationship, particularly one rooted in shared trauma. The emotional honesty of the scene is meant to provide closure, not reconciliation.

What about Steve?

The moment also appears to close the long-running love triangle. During her conversation with Jonathan, Nancy makes it clear that while Steve Harrington is a good person, they ultimately want different things. Steve knows exactly what he wants from life. Nancy does not.

As a result, season 5 positions Nancy as unattached heading into the finale, with neither Jonathan nor Steve framed as her endgame.

Off screen, the story is different

While their characters part ways, Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton, who play Nancy and Jonathan, remain together in real life. The actors have been in a long-term relationship since meeting on the show, offering some reassurance to fans as the series moves towards its final episode.

For viewers hoping for an engagement, the scene lands as a shock. For the story, it marks something more final. Stranger Things does not tease a future for Nancy and Jonathan. It quietly ends it.