Sadie Sink’s performance as Max Mayfield was one of the standouts of Stranger Things season 4. With Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” serving as a musical motif for Max’s struggle against depression, Sink was able to take the character and plunge her to depths fans had not yet seen. Her performance actually netted her quite a few nominations during awards season, which were well-deserved.
What happened to Max Mayfield in Stranger Things season 4?
Throughout season 4 of Stranger Things, Max serves as a central figure to the narrative. Following the death of her stepbrother Billy (Dacre Montgomery), Max found herself feeling lost and uncertain. Though she hated her stepbrother, his final act was one of self-sacrifice – which complicates her feelings. Max also began to develop survivor’s guilt.
Unfortunately, her psychic suffering attracted Vecna’s (Jamie Campbell Bower) attention, and he used this trauma to manipulate her into being one of his four most important victims. Vecna actually succeeded in killing Max before Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) managed to bring her back. Her brief death, however, still fulfills Vecna’s plan, and a giant portal to the Upside Down appears in Hawkins. Making the situation even more dire, Max was left horribly maimed, and when Eleven tries to contact her consciousness, she finds only an empty void.
What’s Max’s status on Stranger Things right now?
It’s safe to say that Max’s fate is one of the most pressing issues on the minds of Stranger Things fans. After all, she had decided that she wanted to live — not just survive — following one of her interactions with Vecna. And she had bravely offered herself up as bait to stop the monster, which ultimately resulted in her coma. Max’s decision to keep running up that hill was one of the most emotionally impactful moments from season 4. It’s possible that her escape from Vecna’s Mindscape will be remembered as one of the show’s most iconic – it’s definitely fair to say that it’s one of the most striking scenes.
Which leaves the question of her future on the series. The last fans see of Max, she appears to be so seriously injured that it will take her years to physically recover. While it’s possible that the show will make use of Max through psychic projections – seeing Max up-and-about next season seems unlikely.
A time jump is rumored to be on the way for season 5, which could feasibly allow enough time for Max to recover in between seasons. But would missing such a large character moment really be fair to the audience? With Max being a key component of such a large cliffhanger, it’s more likely that her awakening — or lack thereof — will be important to the narrative of season 5.
The possibility of the character’s death is very real, and would simply be devastating. After finally reaching a breakthrough in her mental health — during which time she was experiencing troubling thoughts — killing Max off would be an audacious decision for the Duffer Brothers to make. It’s quite a dark ending for the character: despite everything, her plan failed, her life lost, and her mother (Jennifer Marshall) — who was heavily implied to be developing an issue with alcohol during season 4 — would be alone.
Why Max shouldn’t die in Stranger Things season 5
It might just be too cruel. Yes, it would be impactful in a number of ways, some of which are contrary to Stranger Things’ themes and the messages it wants to send to its audience. Ultimately, the show is a pastiche of ‘80s adventure/horror film, but the emphasis has always been on the adventure rather than the horror aspects.
Though fans have called for characters to die in season 5 in order to raise the stakes — which is a fair criticism — the Duffer Bros. are clearly not interested in telling an entirely bleak story. Max’s death would be a narrative misstep. Her arc was intended to be an inspiring tale of mental health and self-love; ending it with her death sends a message of futility in the face of great hardship.
It also sends unfortunate messaging about suicidal ideation. It’s heavily implied — though not outright stated — that Max is struggling with the issue. Vecna taunts her in “Dear Billy” while in Billy’s form, and he tells her that he knows she sometimes wants to follow Billy into death.
Suicide is a touchy topic. There’s naturally going to be a lot of emotion around the issue, which is one that society tends not to talk about. So for Stranger Things to tackle the issue in depth with the level of care it did? It would send a far stronger, more compassionate message if Max’s situation wasn’t hopeless and things got better for her.
No, media does not have to be a paragon of virtue. But a writer has to stick to their messaging or their work becomes sloppy and unclear. Writers do owe their projects some fidelity and consistency – unless the discrepancy is going to be addressed directly. Despite popular belief, themes aren’t just for eighth grade book reports, they’re vital to the understanding of any great narrative work. With season 5 of Stranger Things being the last, the show probably doesn’t have time to really be going into these intricacies just to keep things consistent.
Ultimately, the Duffers may do whatever they like – it’s their show, and it’s their right to shape their art in whatever way they wish. On the other hand, that doesn’t make them immune to criticism, and it certainly doesn’t prohibit discussions about their work. That’s why it’s okay to say that killing off Max Mayfield would be a serious misstep for the show – one that could compromise its narrative and thematic consistency.
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988; the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (En Español: 1-888-628-9454; Deaf and Hard of Hearing: 1-800-799-4889) or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741. A list of international crisis resources can be found here.
