Happy Saturday, my fellow strangers! It’s Mrs. Strange once again. On today’s episode
for Stranger Universe, I will go over Max’s fate at the end of Stranger Things 4, and
how it might impact Stranger Things 5!
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And now, let us begin...
By far the most shocking moment in the finale of Stranger Things season 4 was the fate of
Max Mayfield. What happens to Max is very much left up in the air by a final episode
that packs in a number of big reveals, a gutpunching death, and a major setup for Stranger Things
season 5. Although she was not one of the original characters from season 1, Max has
continued to grow in importance since her introduction in season 2, becoming a core
part of the group and forming a relationship with Lucas Sinclair as well as her friendship
with Eleven. In Stranger Things 4, Max was at the center of the storyline. She was the
major focal point of volume 1, especially thanks to her being targeted by Vecna and
surviving courtesy of Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill. That continued in volume 2,
which once again puts Max in Vecna's sights, this time as she attempts to lure him into
the open where he can be killed. Unfortunately, things this time around go in the opposite
direction. Max does die in the finale... for just over a minute. Having been consumed by
Vecna, lifted into the air and her limbs snapped, her heart stopped beating, but she was brought
back thanks to Eleven, who manages to use her powers to revive her from within Max's
mind. It seems like the worst is over, but it's not so easy - Max is left blinded, with
broken limbs, and ultimately in a coma after the attack from Vecna, which she may never
wake up from, and that is where her story concludes in Stranger Things season 4. Still,
despite the bleak outlook, there is reason to be hopeful that Max won't actually die
a second time.
Although Eleven is able to use her powers to resurrect Max, it doesn't all work out
smoothly. Not only is Max in a coma but, towards the very end of the Stranger Things finale,
Eleven is unable to find her in the Void, with only herself there. Eleven attempts to
find Max in the hopes of fully bringing her back, so that she can't find or reach her
is a worrying sign, but one that makes sense with Max's current condition, with the implication
being that Max is brain-dead. Because of that, it would be impossible for Eleven to use her
powers to enter her mind, since it would require something active to connect to, though it
does raise the question of just why that happened when she was nonetheless able to resurrect
her. That's ultimately a question for Stranger Things 5, but it's quite possible that Max's
death, which was used to open a gate, meant she became part of Vecna. Eleven was able
to resurrect Max's body, but her consciousness remains trapped in Vecna's red smoke area.
Max being in a brain-dead coma isn't exactly encouraging, but the circumstances of her
ending in Stranger Things season 4 do give reason for optimism. After all, the show had
the perfect opportunity to kill her off, so if Max were going to die, why not then? There's
little impact to be gained from having her die in between seasons or later on from her
injuries, which suggests there's a greater plan in place. It obviously won't be easy
for Max to recover and there will surely be some significant long term effects from what
happened to her, but it does feel as though Stranger Things has decided not to take the
chance to kill her off. Similarly, having her alive but remain in a coma doesn't appear
to be a viable option either, as it would be a waste of the character (and actor), and
if doing that then, again, having Max die would have made more sense. Perhaps this is
the Duffer bros. buying themselves some time, keeping Max alive in a more non-committal
way, but her link to Vecna would suggest she will return and play a key role in his ultimate
defeat. If her coma is indeed because of Max's mind still being with Vecna, then it at least
gives a path to properly bringing her back, as Vecna and the Upside Down will presumably
be defeated once and for all in Stranger Things season 5, since it's the last, and with that
Max can truly return. Here’s hoping that Max will be resurrected in season 5. Overall,
very exciting times.
And that is all that we have for today. What are your predictions regarding Max in Stranger
Things 5?
Today’s special shout-out is for Your mom!
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Stranger Universe episode again. Help get this video to 1,000 views and likes if you
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Strange Family and find this great Stranger Universe content.
This episode was brought to you by Mrs. Strange, and this is Stranger Universe.