Season 4 of Netflix's Stranger Things is packed with action and great characters, and Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) has one of the most engaging storylines. From grieving a big loss to wondering why Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) is suddenly a huge threat to her and her friends, Max is going through a lot. While she has always been a compelling and undeniably intelligent character, she becomes central to the story in season 4. And watching her interact with her good friend Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) has never been so moving and fun.
While of course Stranger Things has always been popular, the supersized fourth season allows the characters to really shine as they work together to save Hawkins, Indiana and Jim Hopper (David Harbour). What happens to Max in season 4 of Stranger Things and how does Eleven save her life?
What Happened To Max In Season 4?
From the start of season 4 of Stranger Things, Max is in a rough spot. She's having a hard time coping with the death of her brother Billy Hargrove (Dacre Montgomery) and feeling sad and uncomfortable because he was never nice to her. As Max listens to the Kate Bush song "Running Up That Hill," which explores her grief, she wonders how to move forward.
The biggest villain of season 4 is Vecna, inspired by the Dungeons and Dragons character, who looks for people who are in bad places in their lives. Vecna sees a lost soul in Max and wants to claim her and trap her in the Upside Down forever. Vecna attacks Max the same way that he goes after all of his potential victims: by getting inside her head, making her hear a ticking clock, and trying to trap her with The Vines.
In episode 4 of season 4 of Stranger Things, "Dear Billy," Vecna tries to kill Max. Her friends use the beautiful power of music, specifically "Running Up That Hill," to bring her back. That works, but not for long. Vecna attacks Max for the second time at the end of season 4. Eleven saves Max, but Max is in a coma in the season 4 finale. Fans want season 5 of Stranger Things to give Max a full recovery and a happy ending.
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There are many questions about Eleven, like whether Eleven created The Upside Down, and in the season 4 finale, she brings Max back to life. Eleven uses her telekinetic powers to get into Vecna's mind and battle him herself. It seems that because Eleven has a dark and special connection to Vecna, since they have known each other for such a long time, she is the only one who would be able to do something like this.
Eleven seems to be able to accomplish great things when she concentrates and focuses really hard, and that seems to be how she brings Max back to life. It's an incredibly powerful storyline and makes it even harder to wait for season 5. Some of the scariest Stranger Things scenes are when Vecna tries to kill Max twice, and the show does a great job of upping the stakes. Even though it's clear that Eleven will do her best to help Max, it's not always clear that she will succeed, which makes season 4 fairly terrifying.
Eleven and Max have always had a special friendship on Stranger Things, and this is why it's smart to have Eleven bring Max back to life. While it's moving to watch the other characters team up to save Max from Vecna the first time, it's special seeing Eleven help her the second time.
While Sadie Sink doesn't know Max's fate, it seems likely that the character survives to the end of the series. And that will be thanks to Eleven, who taps into her powers and uses the strength of her love for Max to save her.
Has Eleven Always Had The Power To Revive People?
One of the most confusing parts of season 4 of Stranger Things is Eleven being able to revive Max. As far as fans know, Eleven hasn't been able to do this before. It's not clear how she gained the power to revive someone or if she would be able to do it again in the future. This could definitely have been explained more. Or at the very least, hopefully, it will be mentioned in season 5.
There are many mysterious parts of Stranger Things that are eventually explained, like why The Upside Down is trapped in 1983. And while it's frustrating to not know why Eleven can revive Max, it does work for the story. After all, no one wants Max to die, and everyone hopes that when the show returns for its fifth and final season, she will be just fine.