After being a core couple for most of the series, Stranger Things’ season 4 trailer hints that Nancy and Jonathan may have broken up. The fourth teaser trailer for Stranger Things season 4 finally showed the Byers’ new life in California after leaving Hawkins in the season 3 finale. The trailer featured Will and Eleven in high school, Jonathan with his new best friend Argyle, Mike coming to visit for Spring Break, and the teens involved in a government car chase in the desert. The Byers’ trailer follows Stranger Things’ sneak-peek at Creel House, which showed Nancy, Steve, Dustin, Robin, Max, and Lucas investigating an abandoned home in Hawkins.

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

Stranger Things season 1 had hinted at Jonathan Byers always having a crush on Nancy Wheeler, but she was dating Steve Harrison at the time. After Jonathan and Nancy spent more time together investigating the Upside-Down disappearances of Will and Barb, the two formed a bond in their shared trauma that connected them deeper than Nancy and Steve. During Stranger Things season 2, Nancy finally broke up with Steve, soon acting on her feelings with Jonathan. Stranger Things seasons 2 and 3 then largely featured Jonathan and Nancy in their own separate storylines, only for Jonathan, Eleven, and the Byers family to move away in the season 3 finale.

While it seemed like Jonathan and Nancy would be able to survive a long-distance relationship, Stranger Things’ season 4 California trailer suggests the two have parted ways. In the trailer, Mike Wheeler, Nancy’s younger brother, is shown going to California for Spring Break to visit his girlfriend Eleven and best friend Will. Since Stranger Things season 4 has Jonathan and Nancy still being high school seniors, it’s odd that neither would have traveled to see one another for Spring Break like their younger siblings. Mike is traveling all the way to California for Spring Break to see Eleven and Will, with Jonathan being shown in the chaos alongside the young teens. Since Mike traveled out to California, why didn’t his older sister Nancy, who was last seen still dating Jonathan, go too? Nancy’s absence in California for season 4 hints that she and Jonathan likely broke up during the gap between seasons.

Instead, Nancy is only shown in the season 4 Creel House trailer back in Hawkins, which is likely set during Spring Break since Mike is missing from the action. Stranger Things‘ Creel House trailer is also one of the first times Nancy and Steve have been seen investigating alongside one another since the beginning of season 2, which could also hint the two are back together. Nancy and Jonathan’s season 3 newspaper storyline was a weak point of the series, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Stranger Things changed up their storylines by splitting them up and placing her back with Steve. However, it would make more sense if Nancy and Steve moved on to other romantic interests after her break-up with Jonathan, especially since Stranger Things season 4’s new characters include male and female teens around their age.

The California trailer also supports a Nancy and Jonathan break-up in Stranger Things season 4 via Jonathan’s new look. The season 4 trailer gives quick looks at Jonathan as a stoner, looking out of his window with a smoke-filled room and much longer hair. While this fits in with adjusting to a more laid-back coastal California ‘80s lifestyle and his stoner best friend Argyle, this Jonathan is very different from how he was with Nancy. It’s possible he and Nancy broke up fairly quickly after Stranger Things’ season 3 ending, leading him to spend more time with Argyle and adopt a new stoner lifestyle.

Killing Eve Season 4 Ending Explained (In Detail)

About The Author


Jordan Williams
(809 Articles Published)

See also  Smallville: 10 Hidden Details You Missed About Cyborg

Jordan Williams is a Movie/TV Feature Senior Staff Writer for Screen Rant. She graduated from the University of Oregon in 2020 with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Media Studies.

Jordan is based in Seattle, Washington and enjoys exploring the natural beauty the PNW has to offer. She runs on coffee and classic movies, taking pride in having watched every film on AFI’s 100 Greatest Films list and every Best Picture Oscar winner.

More From Jordan Williams