If you haven't watched the magnificent Netflix Original Series that is "Stranger Things" by now, what are you doing with your life? Just kidding, I know we all have jobs and priorities and whatever, but seriously, what are you doing with your life? Get on it!
If you have seen the show, number one, good for you, and number two, it's time we cleared something up; Nancy Wheeler is definitely the best character on the show.
Don't get me wrong, I love me some eggo-stealing Eleven, Wionna Ryder and her tragic screams for her missing son are Emmy worthy, and Hopper is the best grumpy police chief that I don't even need coffee and contemplation on a Monday morning to think before I say that. However, as I go back and rewatch "Stranger Things" ahead of its second season's premiere, I am reminded of one of the reasons why I loved the show so much in the first place.
Nancy, Mike's older sister and the love interest of Jean Ralphio Steve Harrington and Jonathan Byers, is the heroine of this story. At first glance, it might not look like it at all, but upon further examination, it is completely evident to me that she is a total badass.
Nancy is unsettled with the disappearance of her best friend and does not move on. Nancy knows that WIll is still alive. Nancy goes into the Upside Down for the first time on her own and without hesitation. Nancy Wheeler is, to put it simply, a badass.
Nancy is also criticized for her treatment of her best friend, Barb. I'm sorry, but Barb is not the heroine y'all are searching for. Barb did nothing. Sure, she didn't deserve to get eaten by monsters and transported to the Upside Down, but she is no superhero. Barb doesn't really do much of anything. She gets dragged along to Steve's party because Nancy wants a friend there (tbh, we would all do the same thing) and then gets irritated when Nance wants to spend some time with her boy toy. Uh, what did you expect, Barb? You were totally Nancy's wing woman. When she tells you to "go home" it isn't because she is ditching you, it's because she wants some alone time. Nancy clearly loves her best friend dearly, she just doesn't want her to sit around and wait for her. She doesn't need to be followed around like a puppy dog. And while Steve may want to get in Nancy's pants, whose to say she doesn't want the same? Oh yes, I forgot, girls who are "overly" sexual are considered sluts, my mistake
Of course, Nancy is not perfect. She isn't always nice to Barb or her brother and his friends, but she can admit when she's wrong. Throughout the whole week that Will is missing, Nancy grows as a human. She realizes her mistakes and fights for the future. She befriends Jonathan and helps him find his brother. She toughens up when she needs to. She is the founder of #JusticeForBarb. She is the ring leader of the teenager's group, just as Mike is with his friends.
Nancy doesn't take 'no' for an answer or give up when the going gets tough. She looks for clues, stands by her beliefs, and ultimately comes together with the guy who slut-shamed her and the one who took pictures of her in her underwear to kick some Demogorgon ass. Nancy takes "teamwork makes the dream work" to a whole new level.
I guess I see a lot of myself in Nancy Wheeler, which is why I am so quick to defend her. I like to think that if I were in her situation, I would act exactly how she did. Nancy knew after losing her best friend and her virginity in the same week that there was not much else to lose. Nancy is not a slut. Nancy is not a princess. She is a badass and a great female television heroine.
