The ring scene between Nancy and Jonathan causes confusion. The Duffer brothers clarify: What really happened in “Stranger Things” season 5.
With the release of the penultimate episode of the fifth and final season of “Stranger Things,” Netflix has further increased the excitement shortly before the big series finale on New Year’s Eve. The three new episodes, which were released on December 26th, are intended to provide emotional preparation for the conclusion – but a central scene is now causing ongoing discussions among fans. Warning: spoilers for episode seven!
A “non-marriage proposal”?
The focus is on a conversation between Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers, played by Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton. In a quiet scene, the two talk openly about their relationship and all the things that stand between them. Jonathan finally reveals that he is carrying an engagement ring and proposes to Nancy. She says yes, confesses her love for him and kisses him – shortly before they both discover a possible escape route. For many viewers, the moment seemed like a reconciliatory turning point.
The Duffer brothers make it clear: “This is a separation”
The irritation was even greater when the series creators Matt and Ross Duffer later made it clear that exactly this scene was supposed to mark the end of the relationship. They told People magazine unequivocally: “This is a breakup.” Particularly noteworthy: Nancy and Jonathan themselves do not describe the moment within the scene as a classic “proposal”, but rather as a so-called “unproposal”. This choice of words in particular should make it clear that this is not a real marriage proposal, but rather a conscious farewell. Is Nancy now free for Steve “The Hair” Harrington?
Despite everything Nancy and Jonathan went through together, and even though their relationship was built on a mutual understanding of what was happening, the Duffer brothers decided not to write them a common ending: “At the end of the day, Nancy felt the need for independence. And so did Jonathan, in a way. They feel that they need to be together in some ways. Especially when you go through a lot together.” Nancy should be given the chance to find herself, the Duffers continued on “Entertainment Tonight”.
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Emotionally intense farewell for the actors
For the two actors involved, Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton, who made their relationship public outside of the series in 2017, the twist meant an intense confrontation. “Nat and Charlie got the script a few months ago, and it was a big moment for them – a big moment for their characters,” say the Duffer brothers. “They had been working on it for a long time. You can see that in the final scene.”
Fans are confused on TikTok:
However, many fans criticize that this intention was not conveyed clearly enough to the audience. Comments like: “That didn’t seem like a breakup scene at all” or “Who else missed the fact that they broke up?”
The debate is part of a larger discussion about the series. Since Stranger Things premiered in 2016, no member of the main cast has left the series, which some viewers see as a loss of excitement. However, the Duffer brothers emphasize that they consciously forego pure shock effects in favor of emotional consequences for their characters.