"Pretty please. I just cannot": Natalia Dyer opens up on how she influenced Nancy Wheeler's character arc on Stranger Things finale

Stranger Things star Natalia Dyer's character, Nancy Wheeler, had a satisfying ending as the show came to an end with her chasing her dream of being a journalist. As fans soak it in, the actress reveals how she influenced her character arc and how the Duffer Brothers made sure to incorporate her choices in the finale.

Dyer spoke to Deadline about where and how Nancy ends up in the finale, as she said:

"The end, I would say Nancy not being in school is something I was very adamant about. The Duffers, they’d go around a little bit and be like, ‘Well, what do you think?’ They’re very collaborative. They would ask, like, ‘Where do you see your character? What do you think?’ Just kind of checking in with the actors, which I thought was really nice. My main thing is like, I just do not think Nancy could go back to school. I just cannot see her in school. and that was something that I said, ‘Pretty please. I just cannot.’"

She then added how she was happy with what she later read in the epilogue for Stranger Things, as she continued,

"I remember reading the epilogue like, ‘Yeah, that’s perfect.’ For me. For Nancy. I felt really satisfied. I think after everything she’s been through, I just couldn’t [see her] writing papers and turning it in."

More details about Nancy Wheeler's arc on Stranger Things

Nancy Wheeler’s arc on Stranger Things is one of the show’s quieter triumphs. She starts out as a high-achieving, tightly wound teenager trying to fit into Hawkins High’s social order, dating the popular boy, and playing by the rules she thinks will keep her safe. That illusion shatters the night Barb disappears.

Her best friend's death cracks something open in her as her guilt becomes fuel and her fear turns into focus. While the adults of Hawkins lie, minimize, or look the other way, Nancy starts asking questions, and she never stops. She investigates when she is told not to. She confronts monsters when she is terrified. She chooses truth even when it costs her relationships, safety, and peace of mind.

Over time, Nancy becomes the group’s moral spine. She is the one with the gun, the notebook, and the plan. Her ambition at the Hawkins Post, her fight against the lab, and her stand against Vecna all come from the same place: bravery, something she continues with in the later seasons, and her aspirations of becoming a journalist fit right into that.

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Stranger Things is available to stream on Netflix.

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