jonathan and nancy have been going downhill since s3 when they couldnβt resolve their classism vs sexism issues at the newspaper. their bond came from their time together in s1 (even though what jonathan did was objectively creepy and super weird) but itβs becoming clear that beyond that they donβt have much in common. meanwhile steve is growing and learning to acknowledge the upside down and the lasting impacts it has on people which was the main reason they broke up in s2, so that issue is being resolved rather than exacerbated?
PLUS literally every season has made a thing out of steve still being in love with nancy. gazing at her through the door in the dance in s2. telling robin he was in love w her in s3. and people want to say stancy came out of nowhere? like you donβt have to like it but itβs hardly βforcedβ it makes sense given whatβs been building since steve came to apologize to jonathan in s1. had we left steve after the alley fight then yes ofc it wouldnβt make sense. but everything steve has done since the final ep of s1 has been about GROWTH
also. people want to say that bc steve said he didnt have a future w a girl going out of state for college that means he canβt be w nancy? but on the flip side why couldnβt that also be foreshadowing? another growth moment for steve? he said it early in the season, so it would track that he might go out of state with nancy for college? meanwhile jonathan is saying he doesnβt want to go to college w nancy but heβs lying to nancy about it, imo the obvious resolution here is that steve goes with nancy to college out of state instead of jonathan who said he doesnβt want to. growth for BOTH of them β steve taking a risk to be with someone he loves and jonathan being honest with himself and nancy about what he really wants.