**Spoilers Ahead: Nancy Wheeler’s Love Life Comes to a Head in *Stranger Things* Season 5, Volume 2**
The eternal *Stranger Things* question of whether Nancy Wheeler will end up with Jonathan Byers or Steve Harrington appears to have been answered—and it seems neither man will win Nancy’s heart.
As fans of the Netflix drama know, Nancy (Natalia Dyer) has had two main love interests throughout the series: Charlie Heaton’s Jonathan and Joe Keery’s Steve. Although Nancy has been in a relationship with Jonathan during the show’s final season, their partnership has felt awkward and strained in recent episodes. Meanwhile, Steve has spent the season pining for Nancy in increasingly unsubtle ways.
Back in Volume 1, which released in November, fans learned that Jonathan had procured an engagement ring for Nancy, cleverly hidden inside a John Coltrane cassette tape. It wasn’t clear if Jonathan would ever work up the nerve to pop the question — or, frankly, if he should.
However, a perilous moment in Episode 6 (released as part of Volume 2) prompts Jonathan to reveal the ring. What follows is arguably their most and least romantic scene ever.
Without giving too much away about why Nancy and Jonathan find themselves in potentially mortal danger during Episode 6 (there’s plenty of scientific jargon Dustin could explain instead), the Upside Down begins to literally melt down around them. Their shared trauma over recent years comes to light as they confront their feelings.
Jonathan admits, “It made me feel safe. But also…” and Nancy finishes his thought, “It can be suffocating.”
At this vulnerable moment, Jonathan reveals the ring inside the cassette tape packaging and asks, “Nancy Wheeler, will you… not marry me?” He confesses that he thought getting engaged would fix their relationship, “but it was just gonna make things worse.”
Through tears, Nancy accepts his “un-proposal,” and they share heartfelt I-love-yous that feel both genuine and fitting as they amicably part ways.
But what about Steve? It doesn’t seem like Nancy will end up with him either.
During her conversation airing grievances with Jonathan, Nancy concedes that Steve is a good guy who makes her laugh, but they’re ultimately too different. For example, Steve knows exactly what he wants out of life—and that includes six kids. Nancy? Hard pass.
We suspect Nancy and Steve will get closure of their own in the *Stranger Things* series finale, which drops on New Year’s Eve at 8 p.m. ET.
In the meantime, we want to hear from you: How did you feel about this pivotal Nancy and Jonathan scene? Did you also take it to mean they are amicably parting ways? Drop a comment below with all your thoughts!
https://www.tvline.com/2060530/stranger-things-season-5-volume-2-nancy-steve-jonathan-love-triangle-end/