Does Nancy die in Stranger Things season 5 Volume 2? Explained

Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2 was released on December 25, 2025, on Netflix. It consists of three episodes of the final season, Episodes 5, 6 and 7, which continue the story from Volume 1 as Hawkins faces escalating danger from Vecna and the Upside Down, building toward the series’ dramatic conclusion. 

This midpoint installment deepens character arcs and advances key plotlines that lead into the final episode, which will be released separately on December 31, 2025.

Disclaimer: The following article contains spoilers for Stranger Things season 5 volume 2. 

Nancy and Jonathan did not die in the latest installment of Stranger Things despite being in serious danger as the room they were trapped in at one point in the Upside Down began melting around them. After Jonathan’s “un-proposal” to Nancy, the melting suddenly stopped, giving them enough solid ground to move safely.

With timely help from Dustin and Steve who managed to break a large hole through the wall, they were rescued, and escaped the situation alive.

Nancy and Jonathan's relationship status 

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Jonathan and Nancy have finally broken up after their emotional confessions and Jonathan’s unexpected un-proposal. 

In an interview with People, creator Matt Duffer clarified, “That's a breakup. They are broken up. 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.”

The pair had unresolved issues lingering since Season 4 and had not been aligned for a long time, but a crisis forces honesty when Nancy fires a shot that disrupts a sphere in the Upside Down, trapping them in a room rapidly filling with gray sludge. 

Believing they are about to die, they share what director Shawn Levy describes as an all-time great Jonathan–Nancy moment marked by complete honesty. Small admissions like Nancy confessing she hates The Clash and Jonathan admitting he hates reading her articles open the door to deeper truths. 

Jonathan reveals he never applied to Emerson College while Nancy admits she stayed away in California because she needed space. Jonathan then shows Nancy an engagement ring he has been carrying in a John Coltrane cassette and explains why he never proposed, offering instead an un-proposal, saying marriage would only have made things worse. 

Nancy accepts and after Jonathan throws the ring away, the sludge hardens, allowing them to survive. While they escape the danger alive, their relationship does not, signaling the end of their romance.

How to watch Stranger Things season 5?

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— sƃuᴉɥʇ ɹǝƃuɐɹʇs (@Stranger_Things) December 26, 2025

Stranger Things Season 5 can be exclusively streamed on Netflix in the United States and across the globe. The final season is being released in three volumes on Netflix: Volume 1 (first four episodes) on November 26 2025, Volume 2 (next three) on December 25 2025, and the series finale on December 31 2025.

Netflix requires an active paid subscription to watch these releases and there is no free trial available.

Subscription plans currently include a Standard with Ads plan at $7.99/month, a Standard (no ads) plan at $17.99/month and a Premium plan at $24.99/month with 4K streaming and multiple simultaneous screens.

Stay tuned for more news and announcements from the world of entertainment.