What Happened to Max in Stranger Things? How the Events in Season 4 Lead Up to Her ‘Heartbreaking’ Role in the Final Episodes
After nearly three years of waiting, Stranger Things Season 5 is finally here. For some fans who need a refresher, you might need to know what happened to Max (Sadie Sink) and why she’s not active in the newest release.
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During season 4, we see Max deal with the aftermath of her brother Billy’s death, and she becomes a perfect target for Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). The monster from the Upside Down lures her in as she’s in a vulnerable state and nearly kills her in his signature style when Dustin (Gaten Mazaratto) and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) frantically play her comfort song “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” by Kate Bush, and that wards him off. Throughout the season, Max is tuned in to the song, but after several revelations about his deadly plans, the Hawkins crew develops a master plan to stop him once and for all.
What Happened to Max in Stranger Things?
Max was almost killed by Vecna in the events leading up to the Season 4 finale. After realizing that she was Vecna’s next victim after she experienced the same things Chrissy did before she died, the teenager plants herself as bait so that her friends could kill Vecna once and for all.
After feeling the overwhelming guilt over her brother Billy’s death, Vecna grabs her and brutally injures her to the point where she’s blind, is left with several broken bones, and her heart beat stops temporarily. She’s saved by Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), who revives her telepathically from a sensory deprivation tank and lets her remember all the good memories. She brings her friend back to Hawkins, and Max is left in a comatose state. Max’s future looks bleak during the finale, but fans are reassured that she’s alive.
However, while she’s on the mend with healing, her consciousness is still in a comatose state. Will she be the same Max when she wakes up? Eleven tries to find Max’s consciousness in The Void, but all she sees is emptiness.
Max is practically in a coma for the first half of Season 5, but don’t worry, her role is about to bring the tears out when she comes out of that state. “We did film a scene the other day with her that was just absolutely heartbreaking,” director Matt Duffer told Variety. “I don’t know how she hits those notes.” Will she live? Will she save the day? We’ll find out on New Year’s Eve!
