The Duffer Brothers Explain Why Nancy & Jonathan Broke up in 'Stranger Things' Season 5 Volume 2
And it's not about Steve.
In the second half of the fifth and final season of Stranger Things, fans witnessed one of the most emotionally devastating events: the breakup of Nancy and Jonathan.
Although it's tempting to blame Nancy's ex, Steve, series creators Matt and Ross Duffer offered a definitive explanation in an interview with Variety – the breakup wasn't caused by a third person.
What Happened in 'Stranger Things' Season 5 Volume 2?
Amidst the apocalyptic events unfolding in Hawkins, where Vecna is exploiting kidnapped children to breach the boundary between worlds, Nancy and Jonathan find themselves ensnared in a deadly trap.
In this critical situation, they have an honest and lengthy conversation. They admit that their feelings for each other have faded and that they are only together because of their shared trauma and terrible past.
Recognizing the strain on their relationship, they make the difficult but mature decision to separate in order to remain friends and move on with their lives. Soon after, Steve and Dustin come to their aid.
The Duffer Brothers Explain Why Nancy and Jonathan Made Their Decision – It's Not About Steve
The series creators emphasized that Nancy's motivation wasn't returning to Steve. Matt Duffer called the breakup scene one of the longest and most complex of the season and praised the brilliant performances of Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton.
According to the showrunners, they had planned for the characters to reach this moment for a long time:
“It's quite a long scene; it's complicated, what they're going through. It's very messy, because they do love each other very much, but we always felt that at the end of the day, they need to let each other go in order to grow as people and be independent.
[...] And how could anyone else ever understand them the way, say, Jonathan understands Nancy or vice versa, having not gone through this? Can they ever form a connection with someone that is as meaningful as this?
But also, how do you grow as a person on your own? You need that independence.”
Thus, their separation was not the end of their story. Rather, it was a necessary step for Nancy and Jonathan to become independent individuals outside the framework of their shared trauma.
When Will 'Stranger Things' Season 5 Volume 3 Be Released?
The final Volume of Stranger Things will be released on December 31.
Consisting of a single, 2-hour-and-8-minute-long episode, it will see Hawkins' heroes make their final stand against Vecna in the final battle for the fate of the world.
