Not even Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" can save Max (Sadie Sink) now.
In just two hours, Stranger Things season 4 volume 2 toyed with our emotions and left viewers on a bleak note as the Upside Down crept into Hawkins. A two-day flash forward revealed the town up in smoke with townspeople evacuating as the kids returned. Now, if you're still wondering who dies in Stranger Things, the answer isn't exactly black and white.
Though Max met her brutal end at the hands of Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) miraculously resurrected her while in the void ... kind of. One hospital scene at the end of the finale shows Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) reading to a comatose Max — neck brace, casts, et al. When Eleven mind walks, Max's consciousness is nowhere in sight.
It's led fans to predict what this means for Stranger Things season 5. According to Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine) in season 4, when Vecna kills somebody, he "consumes" everything about them, including their mind. One TikTok points out this earlier mention, linking it to Max.
"Max, right now, is an empty vessel, and Eleven is going to have to travel into the mind of Vecna to get her out," a user said. "I think this is also how the show is going to give us a lot more backstory on Vecna and what he's been doing the years we didn't see him."
After hearing this theory, fans immediately started sounding off in the comments with a majority seemingly on board. "WAITTTT, THAT'S SO GOOD," one person wrote. "Max doesn’t have a mind. Vecna has no body but has a mind. Hmm," another added. "I feel like [Eight] might get involved," a different fan said.
In breaking down all the Stranger Things deaths on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the Duffer Brothers confirmed Max's fate at the end of the season, assuring she is alive but has "seen better days." Her consciousness could be lingering around Vecna's creep red underworld.
What's more, Sadie told Deadline she's still unsure about what her arc looks like in season 5. "Max’s storyline is very up in the air, ’cause obviously she’s in a coma, and Eleven can’t find her in the void," she spilled to the outlet. "So who knows where she is and what state she’s in."
Sadie continued: "I know the Duffers are always very careful and calculated with who they’re killing off. They’re never gonna kill a character for the sake of just killing someone off."
Though it's unlikely the showrunners wrote Max into a coma without some sort of greater plan ahead, we're no stranger to plot twists. Perhaps Vecna and Will (Noah Schnapp) reunite instead? All we can hope for is either Max's return or a proper sendoff next season.
Jacqueline (she/her) was a commerce editor for Good Housekeeping from 2021 to 2024. Prior to joining GH, she was a style and beauty reviews fellow at Insider, testing viral trends, reviewing sustainable brands and more. She's a graduate of the University of Florida's School of Journalism, with a specialty in magazines and mass communication.
