Stranger Things 5 set up a major proposal (but not with the couple we expected)

Warning: Spoilers ahead from Stranger Things 5 part 1.

Stranger Things season 5 has only just begun on Netflix, but the final season has already delivered some big surprises that we weren't expecting. The series brought back all of our favorite Hawkins heroes for the final battle against Vecna, and their latest attempts to bring down the supervillain has led to a trip to the Upside Down, a reunion with an unexpected character, and a huge reveal.

However, tucked between all of the big moments that have happened in the final season so far are the quieter character moments that we have grown to love. Whether that's Robin helping Will realize his strength or Steve and Dustin butting heads, season 5 has included some amazing character development. But the first volume also teased a potential engagement.

Before you get too excited, manage your expectations for who might be about to drop to one knee and propose. A long-time couple could be headed for an engagement, but it's not the one you probably expected. Of course, it's not Eleven and Will. It's not Steve and Nancy (they aren't even together!), and it's not Joyce and Hopper. It's... Jonathan and Nancy!

Jonathan seemingly plans to propose to Nancy in Stranger Things 5

When the gang leans on Murray to bring them some supplies, he's in good spirits when he gives a cassette tape to Jonathan and mentions that it's "engaging." Jonathan acts awkwardly at the mention of that word, and that's our first clue that there's definitely something more going on with Murray handing him that tape. Later on, our suspicions were confirmed.

In episode 3, while Nancy practices shooting her shotgun and tests a theory about a tracker, Murray prods Jonathan about not doing something yet. He tells Jonathan to get it over with, but it's not the right time since Holly's missing and Nancy's parents are in the hospital. When Jonathan opens the cassette tape, there's an engagement ring inside. Clearly, he wants to propose.

It's unclear, thogh, when exactly he thinks will be the right time to ask Nancy to marry him in the midst of everything that's going on. By the end of episode 4, Nancy and Jonathan are part of the group that are in the Upside Down, along with Dustin and Steve (and Hopper and Eleven, though they haven't met up with the larger group yet). Maybe he proposes in the Upside Down? How romantic.

Honestly, without the stress of her family's current situation, Nancy doesn't seem to be in the headspace to consider marriage. If Jonathan does go through with his intention to propose, he could risk pushing her away even more than the arguments with Steve already have. On the bright side, if he does propose, that should give us our answer on the Nancy-Jonathan-Steve love triangle.

Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton are still dating after almost 10 years

Since Jonathan's thinking about marriage with Nancy, fans will wonder about the status of stars' real-life romance. Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton have taken their on-screen romance off-screen since they first met working together on Stranger Things. The couple has been happily dating since 2016, and aside from the rare public appearance, they have kept their relationship private.

In a recent interview with Wonderland magazine, Heaton gave insight into their dynamic as a couple and shared how they have enjoyed working together on Stranger Things for nearly a decade. While they have worked on separate projects over the years, the overlap in their work with the Netflix original has "been a gift," according to Heaton. Here's what he told the magazine:

"It’s been a gift to work with my best friend. To be able to have a shared experience with your partner about the anxiety when you don’t get a job — I know what that feels like, she knows what that feels like. You can be there to talk about it, or when you have a sh-- day at work, or come away from a scene and you didn’t think it worked. To be able to both understand each other on that level is great."

Like Nancy and Jonathan (at least in the first volume of season 5), Dyer and Heaton are still happily together, though there's no news to share about their own engagement right now. Make sure to tune into to the final episodes of Stranger Things 5 on Netflix in December to find out if the teased engagement storyline comes to fruition or if a different. couple will be destined for marriage.