The creators of the global Netflix phenomenon, Stranger Things, have been forced to issue a clarification after a crucial scene in the show's final season left its vast fanbase utterly bewildered.
Confusion Over a Pivotal Moment
The penultimate volume of the show's fifth and final season landed on Netflix on 26 December 2025, setting the stage for the grand finale scheduled for New Year's Eve. However, a key moment between long-term couple Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer) and Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton) sparked widespread debate.
In the scene, the pair have a brutally honest conversation, airing their grievances. Jonathan then reveals he has been carrying an engagement ring. He tells Nancy, "I figure that I have screwed up enough with you that it'd be nice to get something right for once, in the end. Nancy Wheeler, will you not marry me?" She accepts, declares her love, and they share a kiss just before finding an escape route.
Many viewers interpreted this as a romantic reconciliation and proposal. However, the show's creators, the Duffer brothers, have definitively stated the opposite.
The Creators' Official Clarification
In an interview with People magazine, the Duffers explicitly confirmed the scene was intended to signal the end of Nancy and Jonathan's relationship. "That's a breakup," they stated plainly. "They have broken up."
They elaborated on the creative decision, explaining, "It's hard to recall when exactly that idea came, but I think us – and the writers – all felt that Nancy needed to end up on her own and be independent and have an opportunity to find herself."
Fan Backlash and Broseries Criticism
The clarification did little to quell the frustration among fans, who argued the scene's direction was ambiguous. On social media platform X (formerly Twitter), one viewer wrote, "This did not feel like a breakup scene," while another added, "I didn't even realise this was what they were aiming for." A third commented, "absolutely everyone that watched this scene had no idea this was even what happened…"
This incident feeds into broader criticism the show has faced regarding character safety. Since its 2016 debut, no main character has been permanently killed off, leading some to argue it lessens the impact of the show's perilous events.
The Duffer brothers addressed this directly in a separate interview with The Independent, defending their approach. "We could kill anyone off at any point very easily – it’s not difficult," they said. "It’s more about the repercussions that would have for all of our other characters. We just always want to think ahead and not just do it to shock people or because people have a bloodlust, which they seem to have."
All eyes are now on the series finale, arriving on 31 December, to see how the stories of Hawkins' heroes – including a newly single Nancy Wheeler – will ultimately conclude.
