Nancy/Robin in The Epilogue - scene analysis of why I believe Nancy and Robin are ambiguously endgame
Scene is on the roof of WSQK, it’s 18 months since everything happened, they’re all living somewhere else now. Steve talks about buying a house and being able to afford it soon, how he teaches sex ed aswell as little league. Nancy jokes about how he goes easy on their grades, giving As and Bs, Jonathan jokes he should come teach at his college, NYU. They poke fun at Jonathan’s anti capitalist movie. Then this happens.
Robin: What about you Nance? How are the babes at Emerson?
The implication here is obvious, the babes? It also feels like teasing, as if Robin knows fine well there are no “babes” because Nancy and her have a secret thing going on right now. Look at Nancys reaction when Robin says this:
Also interesting to note Jonathan’s reaction when Robin asks this.
Nancy: I wouldn’t know…I dropped out
Now look at Steve and Jonathan’s reaction:
Now look at Robins:
Robin: I knew it, you became a Navy Seal
This is very intentional, it feels like Robin already knew this and was teasing Nancy into revealing it to the guys. She doesn’t act surprised at all like Steve and Jonathan
Nancy: I took a job at The Herald…which…it sounds fancier like that…it’s a trainee position
Robin looks so proud of her girlfriend.
Tell me that isn’t the look of love right there Robin is giving Nancy. This is giving us small hints that Nancy and Robin have more going on we don’t know about. I also believe Nancys hair and wardrobe were a purposeful choice.
I believe Nancy and Robin are secretly dating and Nancy discovered herself (bisexual). They visit each other every weekend (Robin goes to her, Nancy goes to her the next etc). And talk on the phone for hours (Robin goes on and on but Nancy loves it).
Robin what is your hand doing here btw? 👀
So, in conclusion since the Duffer Brothers enjoy so much happening off screen, I’m guessing Nancy and Robin happened off screen! 🥰
Sorry these aren’t really high quality gifs, you may need to turn up brightness, they were in the background so camera wasn’t focused on them a ton so they’re kinda blurry
Robin hugging/protecting max :)
Robin plugging her ears because of all the screaming (sensory overload/autistic Robin) Nancy looks like a protective gf/mother here
Nancy holding her arm out signaling Robin and Max to come closer, to which they do :)
Ronance adopted Max and I will take no further questions.
I’m going to start this off by saying this is for fun and if you don’t want to read character analysis or about Nancy/Robin then click off. This should be obvious but just a little disclaimer. I decided to do this because I see scene analysis all over this fandom but rarely do I see it for Nancy/Robin and personally I think there’s a lot in canon to support Robin liking Nancy, and Nancy having feelings in return. I personally believe Nancy is bisexual (this I will make its own post!)..
Nancy is very frustrated in this scene at the Library because Robin is being very snarky about being there on a “shot in the dark”. Robin (and some people in the fandom) have misinterpreted this (imo) as Nancy being annoyed at Robin because Robin is with Steve all the time/is jealous, this isn’t what’s happening here, Nancy is annoyed at Robin because she doesn’t believe her theory will go anywhere, Nancy shows this same frustration at Jonathan in season 3 with the rat storyline, Jonathan wouldn’t listen to her, her bosses wouldn’t listen, but she knew something was going on. It’s the same here although this time she’s being more lowkey about it, she only has Robin with her so she isn’t alone with Vecna out there, and only because Robin couldn’t drive Steve’s car was it Robin that was with Nancy (I’m actually so glad the writers made this choice here). They’ve been thrown together really without having had much previous interaction and no solo interaction.
They arrive at the Library. Robin is being her usual inquisitive self and asking Nancy what they’re looking into. When Nancy explains about Victor Creel Robin doesn’t look convinced.
Robin: I just thought by shot in the dark you were being modest or hiding something super solid up your sleeve that you were gonna wow us with later but this is truly a shot. in. the. dark...
Interesting Robin thinks so highly of Nancy.
Then Robin has this look:
This is important because we hardly ever see Robin think about what she’s just said, she often says out of pocket things but rarely (if ever?) does she feel the need to explain herself to people, so why Nancy? Then this exchange happens:
Robin: Did I come off mean or condescending or something?
Nancy: No
Robin: Right sorry… it's just.. you seem annoyed. You don't know me very well, I don't really have a filter or a strong grasp of social cues
Nancy: Okay
Robin: So just know that if I say something that upsets you just know that I know that it’s a flaw, believe me my mother reminds me daily
Nancy: (polite but firm) Got it
Librarian: (with keys to the archives) Here you go ladies, have fun
Nancy: We’ll try
The librarian and Robin then share a look of “eh yikes I pissed off the Mrs” if I ever saw lol
Next Scene
Nancy is frustrated at the lack of anything, they’re coming up with nothing, she’s starting to believe this might all just be stupid.
Robin: What is it we’re looking for exactly?
*Nancy ignores her*
Robin: Nance?….Nance?… *knocks on the side*
Nancy: I don’t know, okay? It’s starting to feel like this is just a big waste of time and you’re obviously bored so why don’t you just call Steve, I’m sure he’ll come pick you up and I’m not really in danger here so…
Robin is shocked, thinking Nancy is jealous. I don’t see this as jealousy towards her, I believe Nancy is genuinely frustrated about not finding anything on the demon Victor spoke of. In the next scene she is very surprised.
Robin: You know that me and Steve are like totally not a thing, right?
Nancy: What?
Nancy looks genuinely confused Robin brought this up, she either thought their was something happening between them and genuinely is shocked to hear Robin say their isn’t or she didn’t realise how what she just said may have sounded. It could be either, or a mix of both, but that doesn’t mean she’s interested in Steve, I believe this is the beginning of Nancy working out Robins sexuality. I also think Nancy didn’t mean for it to sound jealous but she probably thought they had a thing and he frustration could come from a place of general annoyance that her relationship with Jonathan isn’t going well.
You can say I’m wrong but I say this is up to interpretation and this is how I interpreted the scene, people might say but oh it seemed like Nancy had feelings for Steve in season 4, no, I disagree, it showed she will always care for him but that they are two very different people who want different things in life. Anyway…
(Look at this gif, Nancy you’re smiling babe🥰)
Robin: So I figure that you and Jonathan are still going strong cause you guys are going to college together and you’re like one of those unstoppable power couples
Nancys reaction:
We know Nancy and Jonathan are having a hard time, he chose not to visit and she also chose to stay and work. They are not what people seem to think they are, this seems to kind of surprise Nancy, but she doesn’t talk to anyone about their relationship problems! Nancy hasn’t had a close female friendship since Barb! Just saying this here because I have some feelings about it :(
Robin: …but I just wanted to make sure that you knew that Steve and I are just friends…like platonic with a capital P…incase that was adding any tension between us
Nancy: Wasn’t
Nancy seems annoyed Robin even brought this up, but honestly I think she’s more pissed off at the mention of her and Jonathan as she’s confused about their relationship at this point.
This is the start of the two beginning to bond, the next scene is when Nancy actually begins to take Robin more seriously, once she suggests looking in Weekly Watcher.
NEXT UP:
Nancy and Robin in the epilogue!
Robin in Nancys room and the implication Robin dressed as Tom Cruise because of Nancys poster of him
I see a lot of people talk about how they wouldn’t be upset if ronance was endgame but they would prefer Nancy to be on her own, and while that’s totally valid, I just wanna quickly shine a light on something.
Nancy does need sometime of her own, so much crazy stuff has happened that she just wants to keep atleast something the same. In this case, that’s Jonathan. She knows it’s probably best they break up, and so does he, but they’re both scared of what that means and afraid to add any more dread to their crazy lives.
So yes, Nancy needs time to reflect and be independent and truly find herself, however people often forget the exact dynamic Robin and Nancy have.
Robin and Nancy don’t rely on eachother, they are both strong, independent, intelligent women. When they paired up throughout season 4, it was always helping eachother, backing, and empowering one another.
There was never dragging the other down once they knew how the other worked and their strengths. They quickly realized working together allows them to join their strengths to become a power duo.
The comparison between jancy and ronance as detective duos is quite clear. Nancy is constantly having to fill Jonathan in or he’s doubting her ideas or plans. Robin is adding to Nancy’s ideas and sometimes a step ahead.
If Robin and Nancy were to be together, it’s not to be the same as her past relationships. Nancy isn’t going to be trapped in an expectation, she’s still going to be independent, learning, and not have to worry about doing what she desires because she thinks it might affect her partner, she’s not going to be doubted in anyway, they will be stronger together. Not hold eachother down.
Nancy needs to be free. But that doesn’t mean she has to be single. It’s seemed that way because she’s felt trapped in her relationships throughout the show, but ronances dynamic is different. That’s what makes them stand out so much.
Robin sets a side of Nancy free, and that was hard for Nancy because she just try’s to make sure that everything is “perfect” but Robin knows it isn’t, and she’s patient to let Nancy open up and share her thoughts and ideas, she wants Nancy to lead her own life, to do things when and how she wants to.
It’s apart of what she liked about Tammy Thompson, “she has dreams!” Is what she had told Steve when he had mocked Tammy’s career choice.
Nancy has dreams too. She’s determined, focused, and dedicated.
While Steve doesn’t appear to be very aware of this given his ideal for their future to be 6 kids and stereotypical life, Jonathan is aware of this, and it’s exactly why he wants to break up.
He said it himself, Nancy would rather give up her dreams to be with Jonathan, than to live them out and he can’t be what she needs to follow those dreams. Nancy is is dedicated to her dreams but also the ones she loves. She puts them above everything else, constantly risking her life to save others.
Nancy’s relationships have trapped her, but a relationship doesn’t have to be a cage, it can be the key to escape one. To break free. From Hawkins, from their fears, from societal expectations.
Ronance being endgame wouldn’t mean Nancy doesn’t get what she would being single, it just means she’d have someone right there helping push her further, supporting her every step to success and happiness.
I think this is such an important parallel because it’s really a moment that defines nancys character more, defined her beliefs, and what she wants in life. And then if we add in how Robin was standing up for Nancy against misogyny compared to Jonathan last season who invalidtaed her feelings and told her just to give it time. Robin didn’t waste any time, Robin stood up for themselves, and would support Nancy in doing the same.
I think that this “screw that” both applies to a situation that shows that the previous love interest doesn’t understand the current/future one. With Steve he wants completely different things than Nancy, even to this day, and Jonathan doesn’t want something like that either, he understood. Now with Robin, she understood, when Jonathan didn’t, just as Steve didn’t.
I just made another blog it’s called ronanceandanalyze and the name is self explanatory
It’s just a blog for ronance, Nancy, and Robin!!analysis, headcanons, ronance analysis reblogs, fun random pictures, fanfic ideas or mini stories, basically everything Nancy and Robin!!!
