Did Nancy and Jonathan from Stranger Things Break Up? An Explanation of the Proposal Scene

Nancy and Jonathan shared an intense moment — with a proposal — in the second part of Stranger Things season 5, but was this scene really a breakup?

During the final season’s second installment, which premiered on December 25, Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) found themselves in a perilous situation. This prompted a heartfelt discussion where they reevaluated their relationship and confessed to holding back feelings from one another.

Nancy and Jonathan recognized that their shared trauma had been a binding force. “It made me feel safe. But also,” Jonathan said, to which Nancy added, “It can be suffocating.”

Eventually, Jonathan revealed the engagement ring he intended to use for his proposal. However, rather than asking for Nancy’s hand, he proposed that she “not marry” him, explaining that getting engaged “was just gonna make things worse” for their relationship.

“I figure that I’ve messed up enough with you that it’d be nice to get something right for once, in the end,” he said. “Nancy Wheeler, will you not marry me?”

Nancy accepted Jonathan’s “un-proposal,” expressing their love for one another before turning their focus back to finding an escape route, leaving their relationship status unresolved. After the episodes aired, some viewers were surprised to learn that Nancy and Jonathan’s scene actually marked their breakup.

“That’s a breakup,” creator Matt Duffer told People on Thursday. “They are broken up.”

Matt shared that he and cocreator Ross Duffer had anticipated this breakup for “a while,” stating, “It’s hard to pinpoint when exactly that idea emerged, but we — and the writers — agreed that Nancy needed to be independent and have the chance to find herself.”

He added: “I mean, how many people end up with their high school girlfriend or boyfriend? [They] have a more complicated relationship than typical high schoolers.”

Ross described their bond as a “trauma bond.” The couple has been central to the series since its launch in 2016. Off-screen, Dyer, 30, and Heaton, 31, have developed a real-life romance as Stranger Things nears its conclusion.

Us Weekly confirmed in 2017 that the costars transitioned their on-screen chemistry into a relationship. Dyer later shared her thoughts on the “pros and cons” of dating her co-star, telling Us in 2018, “It’s a lot of fun, honestly. He’s alright, I guess. He doesn’t ruin our scenes too much! No, he’s great. He’s talented, just like everyone else in the cast. They’re all wonderful to work with.”

Recently, the actress reflected on the challenges of dating in the spotlight.

“The strangest aspect of [our relationship] is how others perceive it and react. Everything else feels very human. It’s a connection that would be tough to replicate. It’s something indescribable,” she told Cosmopolitan UK in May 2022. “I always wonder why it comes up. Why do people want to know about it?”

Stranger Things is currently streaming on Netflix.