Do Jonathan and Nancy die in Stranger Things 5 part 2?

Stranger Things 5 is finally back with its second batch of episodes on Netflix, and fans are more than ready to be reunited with all their favorite characters. The fifth and final season's first half ended off on a jaw-dropping cliffhanger that left hearts racing and theories running wild, and now the anticipation is finally over.

Episodes 5 through 7 are now available to watch and enjoy, and the story picks up right where the fourth episode left off. Episode 4 ended with Will saving his friends from the Demogorgons after channeling Vecna's powers, and Eleven and Hopper discovering that Dr. Kay has been secretly keeping Kali/Eight captive behind the massive metal door in the military lab in the Upside Down.

While there weren't any major character deaths in part 1, there were a few close calls that had fans on the edge of their seats. Now that Stranger Things 5 part 2 is out, the tension reaches a whole new level as the Hawkins gang continues their search for Vecna, Holly, and the other kids. The danger escalates in these new episodes as well, with Jonathan and Nancy finding themselves in a very precarious position. Do they make it out alive, or does Stranger Things finally claim one or both of its longest-running characters? Find out down below!

Major spoilers are ahead from Stranger Things 5 part 2!

No, Jonathan and Nancy do not die in Stranger Things 5 part 2

Fortunately, neither Jonathan nor Nancy is killed off in Stranger Things 5 part 2. However, they do face two near-death moments together that made it painfully easy to believe the show might finally pull the trigger. While Eleven and Hopper are off rescuing Kali from the military lab, Steve, Dustin, Jonathan, and Nancy make their way to the Hawkins Lab in the Upside Down.

They hope to find something in the lab that will tell them how to bring down the wall in the Upside Down. Dustin compares their situation to Return of the Jedi and theorizes that Vecna has created some sort of powerful dark-magic “shield” that’s blocking the group from reaching him and Holly on the other side of the wall. He theorizes that this magical barrier is being powered by something, essentially a generator. Dustin believes that if they can find and destroy that power source, the shield will drop, allowing them to get to Vecna and rescue Holly.

They then split up into two teams: Steve with Dustin and Nancy with Jonathan. However, both groups are having a hard time getting along. Nancy and Jonathan have been having relationship troubles with both keeping secrets from each other. They constantly argue while looking for the generator. It even gets to a point where Nancy wanders off by herself. During this time, Jonathan finds a door with a melted handle. He pulls at the handle, and it breaks off. He then throws his body at the door over and over until it bursts open. Nancy returns at this point and follows him in.

What they find is a melted staircase that leads them to more melted areas in the lab and then to the lab's roof. But this is when everything goes left. They head up to the roof, and Nancy realizes her flashlight is reflecting off something invisible in the sky, hinting that there’s an unseen object or barrier. Jonathan then throws a broken-off pipe into the area, and it reveals a floating, electrified sphere. They believe this is the “shield generator” they were looking for.

Meanwhile, Dustin is downstairs researching and suddenly realizes something is very wrong with his earlier theory. That thing Nancy and Jonathan just messed with is not a shield generator nor dark magic, but something far more dangerous. Dustin panics and runs toward Jonathan and Nancy, shouting for them not to touch it through his walkie-talkie. He believes that destroying it will cause everyone to die. He yells this in his walkie-talkie, but Nancy and Jonathan can't hear him.

Nancy cocks her shotgun and fires at the sphere. Nothing happens at first, but suddenly the sphere reacts violently, bursting open with a flash of red and black energy. The explosion sends a massive ripple through the Upside Down, crashing against the wall. Its impact even sends Nancy and Jonathan flying across the roof before landing on the ground. Now, they're lying on the ground with their eyes closed. This was the first time in the second batch of episodes where it seemed like Nancy and Jonathan could be goners, but then they eventually got up. They were just unconscious.

However, that sigh of relief is short-lived because then the room they're in starts quickly filling up with the white gooey stuff and they find themselves trapped. It gets to a point where they have to get on top of a table to avoid being submerged in the thick, white goo that’s rapidly spreading across the floor. After yelling for help and no one coming to their rescue, Nancy and Jonathan realize that their chances of surviving are slim to none.

This is when they start opening up to each other like never before, confronting the unspoken tensions and secrets in their relationship. Jonathan even fake not-proposes to Nancy with the ring he had been keeping in a cassette tape. At this point, it really seemed like Stranger Things might finally take them both out. But then Jonathan tosses the ring aside, and instead of sinking into the goo, it bounces harmlessly on the hardened surface. The entire room somehow stabilizes as the white goo solidifies. Nancy and Jonathan are then eventually rescued by Steve and Dustin.

Although this beloved couple does not die in Stranger Things 5 part 2, we still have the series finale to worry about. There will likely be a final showdown with Vecna, and there's no telling who will survive. Fingers crossed, Jonathan and Nancy make it through unscathed!

The Stranger Things series finale will be released on Netflix on Dec. 31.