Stranger Things Season 4: Do Nancy and Steve get back together in Volume 2?

Lucy-Jo Finnighan
Nancy and Steve in Stranger Things

While Steve and Nancy broke up earlier in Stranger Things, Season 4 hints that a spark may be growing between the pair. SPOILERS FOR STRANGER THINGS…

The popular Netflix show Stranger Things – along with its recent fourth season – has taken the world by storm, as we see the large cast of characters being split across three different locations.

Nancy Wheeler has been dating boyfriend Johnathan Byers since Season 2, but due to them living states away from one another in Season 4, it’s clear that a rift is growing between the pair. This rift only grows bigger at the end of Volume 2, as while the pair reunite physically, Johnathan is still refusing to tell Nancy about where he is planning to go to college.

On the flip side (or rather, on the Upside Down) Nancy has been spending a lot of time with ex-boyfriend Steve Harrington as they battle the newest danger that has come to Hawkins.

This – along with certain interactions they’ve had with one another – has led to speculation that the old flames may rekindle their romance once again.

What is Steve and Nancy’s history in Stranger Things?

Steve and Nancy had been romantically involved since Season 1, but their relationship has changed throughout the years.

The pair ended up splitting in Season 2 due to Nancy’s trauma from her best friend Barb’s death. After this, they didn’t really interact unless they needed to. Nancy began dating Johnathan, and Steve became closer to Robin and Dustin.

Steve and Nancy hold a bat between them in Stranger Things
Nancy and Steve were together in Season 1, but split is Season 2

But in Season 4, which sees Nancy growing apart from Johnathan and Steve on the lookout for a new relationship, Vecna’s new deadly schemes have brought the two together.

Are Nancy and Steve flirting in Season 4?

Season 4 saw multiple interactions between the pair, which ranged from glances to full on embraces, that could easily be interpreted as the beginnings of a new romance.

Steve becomes increasingly protective of Nancy, including a moment where he insists that he go with her to meet a supposed serial killer in a psychiatric facility. His need to accompany her is so apparent that other characters tease him about it.

When Robin goes with Nancy instead, it seems like she offers to go simply to mess with Steve, and then later makes it clear to Nancy that she and Steve are just friends.

Why would she need to make it clear? Well, it’s arguably because Nancy initially treats her in a way that could suggest jealousy, as she immediately becomes warmer to Robin once it’s clear that the latter isn’t romantically interested in Steve.

the stranger things teens in the upside down
The older teens have spent a lot of time together in the Upside Down this season

Further on in the show – when the danger starts heating up – Steve strips in order to swim towards “Watergate.” It’s played as a joke that all the girls find his bare chest hot, but Nancy definitely seems to enjoy it. And when Steve gets pulled into the gate, Nancy immediately dives in to save him.

Clearly the pair care deeply for one another, and there is some lingering sexual tension from their previous relationship. But is this enough for them to get back together?

Do Nancy and Steve get back together in Season 4 Volume 2?

While it seems possible that something could happen between them in the next season, Nancy and Steve do not get back together in Season 4.

There are a lot more moments that the potential couple share in Volume 2, such as Steve cradling Nancy after she snaps out of Vecna’s trance, them battling Vecna together, and of course, the RV scene.

While traveling to the Creel House in order to start their plan against Vecna, Steve reveals to Nancy that he had always planned to have six kids, that he would drive around in an RV of his own. He then states that in those fantasies, he always pictured Nancy being there with him. Nancy doesn’t really respond, but she doesn’t reject his proposal either.

Nancy and Steve in Stranger things 4
Nancy and Steve think about their relationship in Season 4

However, they turn their attention to the fight against Vecna, and the pair don’t discuss this again. And when Johnathan arrives back in Hawkins, he and Nancy continue their relationship, as rocky as it may be. We even get a glimpse of Robin comforting Steve after he watches Nancy and Johnathan hug.

But Nancy quickly defends Steve when Johnathan makes a snarky comment about him, making it clear that her feelings for him have definitely changed since they first broke up.

So no, they don’t get together in Season 4, but they still could in Season 5. Though since Nancy is technically still in a relationship with Johnathan, a potential romance between her and Steve could be messy. But maybe that’s the dramatic path that showrunners the Duffer Brothers wish to take.

Who does Natalia Dyer think Nancy should end up with?

Love triangles can cause a lot of speculation between fans, but often the cast has their own opinion.

Natalia Dyer – who plays Nancy – stated in an interview with Variety that “I think it’s really nice for Nancy and Steve to come back to each other after a few years of kind of growing from where they were. They’re two characters that really care about each other, so it’s really nice to see that again.”

As for their potential romance, Natalia added: “I want something for Nancy that makes sense. I don’t want her to just end up with somebody because it feels like that’s what she needs to do.”

Ultimately, while it might be great to see her get back together with Steve, Nancy definitely has bigger things to worry about at the moment. You know, what with Vecna ripping a gate through the whole of Hawkins and everything.

Stranger Things Season 4 is currently available to stream on Netflix.

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About The Author

Lucy-Jo is a Movies and TV Writer at Dexerto, and has previously written for Screen Rant and Girls on Tops. After earning a Master's Degree in Film and Literature, Lucy-Jo now loves covering films, TV shows, and anime, especially if it's something by Mike Flanagan, or anything drenched in camp. You can contact her at lucyjo.finnighan@dexerto.com