Warning! Spoilers for Stranger Things season 4 part 1 ahead.
Netflix's Stranger Things season 4 is building up to the inevitable Jonathan and Nancy break-up, and although volume 1 of the 4th season hasn't confirmed it yet, the final two episodes are bound to see Nancy and Steve get back together again. This isn't necessarily a bad thing for the series' take on '80s coming-of-age romance. Besides, Hawkins has way bigger problems, as revealed in the Stranger Things season 4 ending.
That said, Nancy and Jonathan breaking up would end an era that began back in Stranger Things season 1. Jonathan, Nancy, and Steve have come a long way since the three first overcame their differences to work together against a Demogorgon. Everyone has grown up and changed considerably following the events of Stranger Things seasons 2 to 3, culminating in the Battle of Starcourt.
Now, Stranger Things season 4 sees Jonathan trying to find his own path, getting lost in smoking weed, and having his quiet intelligence put on the backburner. Meanwhile, Steve has become kinder and more selfless, overcoming the toxic attitudes that led to Steve and Nancy's break up in the first place. Nancy is undoubtedly the character who has grown the most, becoming a fierce and dedicated journalist while serving as the de facto leader of the group in Hawkins. The Stranger Things season 4 cast is now all grown up, which is mainly why the Jonathan and Nancy break-up seems inevitable.
Stranger Things: Why Season 4 Will See Jonathan & Nancy Break Up
While it's sad how the show failed Jonathan and Nancy's relationship, Stranger Things is a coming-of-age story. It's not just about the mischievous mystical forces that haunt Hawkins; it's also about kids and teenagers maturing and growing up alongside these unexplained events. Growing up means watching relationships deteriorate, accepting the changes in people's lives as they find their own paths, and moving away from friends and loved ones. Back in the '80s, growing up also meant not having easy access to long-distance communication, which only contributes to the certainty of a Jonathan and Nancy break-up. While everyone in the town of Hawkins is threatened by Brenner's criminally abusive activities at Hawkins Lab, these teens are further burdened with being in a transitory period in their lives while having to fight a horrific and all-consuming threat.
As Nancy and Jonathan find themselves separated by a more-than-3,000-km distance while overcoming great challenges without each other and long-distance comms, it's unlikely that their relationship will survive through this all. The romance has gone stale, and the relationship is reaching its breaking point. It also seems that Stranger Things season 4 is headed towards rekindling Nancy and Steve's relationship.
Stranger Things Will See Nancy And Steve Get Back Together – Again
The Jonathan and Nancy break-up will leave room in the script to allow Nancy and Steve get back together, which has been teased throughout the 4th season. Hellfire Club leader Eddie even explains this outright in Stranger Things season 4, episode 6 "Chapter Six: The Dive." During this episode, Dustin uses his compass to find a portal to the Upside Down that was opened by Vecna, the Stranger Things season 4 villain.
Dustin calls the portal "Watergate" because it's under the lake, and Steve is the first one to dive in and investigate. When Steve comes back up to report his findings, an unknown force pulls Steve downward. As Eddie later calls for Steve, Nancy immediately dives down to go after him without an ounce of hesitation. Moreover, Robin has also made it clear to Nancy that Steve and Robin are just friends, almost urging Nancy to take Steve back.
Steve And Nancy Are Better As A Team
Jonathan and Nancy had beautiful moments together. But from a romantic, strategic, and narrative standpoint, Steve and Nancy are the better team. Besides, the Jonathan and Nancy split has been long overdue. This is best observed in Stranger Things season 3, when Jonathan and Nancy find themselves abruptly out of school and hard at work for a cartoonishly terrible local newspaper staff.
In a sloppy bit of characterization, Jonathan is too meek to help his girlfriend stand up to their bullying co-workers until they turn into literal monstrous body snatchers – this is despite Jonathan previously facing down Demogorgons and government agents and risking his life to save his brother in earlier seasons. Jonathan can’t stand up to the mean-spirited staff as Nancy needs to take them on alone to give her character a theoretically empowering moment. However, like Nancy's heart-to-heart with her mother (who had just narrowly avoided having an affair with the Mind Flayer), these moments fall flat, as they do not ring true to the established characters.
In contrast, Steve and Nancy's development in Stranger Things season 4 – both together and as separate characters – have been entirely congruent with their experiences so far. Struggling but ultimately succeeding at putting his ego aside, Steve now knows exactly when to question Dustin and when to just do as the kid says, allowing both to leverage their respective strengths. Steve also faces the charismatic Eddie as an equal, and the two even come to terms with their jealousy about each other's big-brotherly relationship with Dustin.
Notably, despite Steve and Robin's romantic woes, they are mature enough not to take advantage of each other, allowing Steve and Robin to potentially pair up respectively with Nancy and Eddie. Meanwhile, Nancy's leadership is essentially what gives the kids of Hawkins a chance against Vecna despite Eleven's missing powers in Stranger Things season 4. As the two oldest group members – who actually have experience facing Hawkins' strange denizens – Steve and Nancy naturally become co-leaders, the unexpected but welcome central focus of season 4's The-Evil-Dead-inspired hike through the Upside Down.
Moreover, while the challenges Jonathan and Nancy faced together happened mostly in an arguably unnecessary subplot, Steve and Nancy's ongoing journey is actually integral to the main story. When Nancy and Steve get back together, this will no doubt also punctuate a crucial moment in Hawkins' and Eleven's fight against Vecna. While Hopper and Joyce might be better suited for the task of leading an inexperienced force against a near-unstoppable psychic serial killer, Steve and Nancy prove to be perfect stand-ins. The same cannot be said of Nancy and Jonathan, even though they're still technically together.
Nancy And Steve Getting Back Together Would Complete Stranger Things' Coming-Of-Age Journey
Jonathan and Nancy are barely together anymore, and as Stranger Things S4 Part 2 is likely to see Steve and Nancy meeting in the middle, Stranger Things' coming-of-age journey can come to a satisfying end when Nancy and Steve re-embrace. Steve and Nancy have too much history to ignore the value in finding each other again – especially as they currently have no choice but to face Vecna together. Elsewhere, Jonathan embarks on his own quest, alongside Mike, Suzie, Will, and Argyle, and the group heads to NINA, providing Eleven some much-needed backup in the coming face-off with Vecna.
As Steve's group works to save Nancy from Vecna, both the Upside Down and Vecna's mind are open to those who know where and how to seek passage. In short, it isn't out of the question for the separated members of the cast to reunite at some point during the final episodes, especially considering how Hopper returned in season 4. Whether it happens in the physical world, in Vecna's mind, or in the Upside Down, Jonathan is bound to step aside for Steve and Nancy to get back together.
Stranger Things season 4 part 2 rekindling Steve and Nancy's romance recognizes their growth into young adults who've been facing insurmountable odds since they were clueless teens. This would also open new opportunities for Jonathan to grow by himself or even find someone else in Stranger Things season 5. Meanwhile, alongside Max and Lucas, Mike and Eleven face their own challenges as young teens, and Dustin and Suzie remain wholesome and adorable. Steve and Nancy getting back together again is the final piece of the puzzle in Stranger Things' multi-genre coming-of-age romance. Alongside these couples, Hopper and Joyce, who have fallen in love during their own Russian action-thriller story arc, will continue to develop in Stranger Things season 5.
Represented by Stranger Things grandfather clock, Vecna's disdain for humanity stems from how he sees people trapping themselves into repetitive and ultimately self-defeating patterns. Ironically, by forcing the residents of Hawkins to step away from their normal lives and resist his schemes, Vecna is orchestrating his own defeat. Nancy may be trapped within Vecna's mind, but this is also where Vecna is most vulnerable. As Jonathan is still on the way to NINA and Eleven, Steve will be the one coming to Nancy's aid. Liches are powerful, but even Vecna has no chance against Steve and Nancy in their own coming-of-age romance story.
Stranger Things season 4 release on Friday, 1st July at 3AM EST.
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- What The Grandfather Clock Means In Stranger Things Season 4
- Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 1 Easter Eggs & References