Stranger Things Season 5 Vol. 2 Finally Settles Nancy and Jonathan’s Fate—Death, Breakup, or Something Else?
Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2 is now streaming, and it finally decides Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers’ fate — and the fate of their relationship — as the series barrels toward its endgame. With both still trapped in the Upside Down, the final chapters crank up the peril and hint at major casualties.
Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2 is live on Netflix, and yes, it finally answers the big Nancy/Jonathan question. Fans have been bracing for major losses as the show barrels toward the series finale, and these two have been in the danger zone for a while. Here’s where they land after the new episodes.
Where Nancy and Jonathan start in Vol. 2
They’ve been on thin ice since Season 4. In Volume 1 of Season 5, Jonathan was quietly carrying a ring, thinking a proposal might patch things up. Not exactly the healthiest plan, but points for trying.
The Upside Down disaster in Shock Jock
In Volume 2 Episode 5, titled Shock Jock, they stumble onto this bizarre bit of Upside Down physics: the exotic matter that props up a flesh wall. It’s exactly as gross and sci‑fi as it sounds. Nancy, not waiting around for a committee vote, shoots it. Immediate consequences:
- Shockwaves rip through the Upside Down and knock both of them out.
- Everything around them starts to melt, including the floor.
- They drop into a room that begins filling with thick, gooey sludge.
When they come to, they try every obvious escape move. Nothing works. It gets bleak fast, and they start talking like these are their last minutes.
The talk they should have had ages ago
They’re honest for once: they still love each other, but they need time apart. Then Jonathan finally pulls out the ring he has been lugging around, and we get the moment that defines their status going forward.
"I tried to convince myself that this would somehow fix everything. But it was just gonna make things worse. Which is why it has been sitting like a cannonball in my pocket for the last two days. So, what do you say? Do you accept my un-proposal?"
"I accept your un-proposal."
Nancy chucks the ring. It lands on the sludge, which has conveniently solidified by then. They hug, relieved, and try to break through a wall to get out.
So, do they die? Do they break up?
They don’t die. Steve and Dustin swoop in and rescue them in the next episode. They make it to the Season 5 finale alive.
The relationship, though? That’s done. The un-proposal sticks.
What’s next
The series finale drops on New Year’s Eve on Netflix. Nancy and Jonathan are out of immediate danger, but they’re still in the Upside Down when Volume 2 leaves them, which means the final stretch isn’t exactly a victory lap. Buckle up.