A subtleStranger Thingsseason 5 detail about Max teases a devastating callback to season 4’s most iconic moment in the show’s final episodes. While all thecharacters inStranger Thingsseason 4 had to contend with Vecna and the threat he posed to Hawkins,Max was directly targeted by the Upside Down’s ruler. He tried to kill her on multiple occasions across the season, feeding off her grief for her brother, Billy, who died at the end of season 3. However, her friends, like Lucas, managed to pull her out of his grasp.
This didn’t last forever, though, asStranger Thingsseason 4 endedwith Max having her limbs broken by Vecna before seemingly dying. However,Eleven was seemingly able to bring her back to life, albeit in a comatose state, where it’s unclear if she’ll fully recover from what happened. In the meantime, Vecna has since opened up a massive rift between Hawkins and the Upside Down, intent on destroying the world through his actions. While this is teased in the latest trailer forStranger Thingsseason 5, the teaser also offers a devastating callback to Max’s most memorable season 4 moment.
Lucas' Boombox By Max’s Bedside Hints He’s Still Been Playing “Running Up That Hill” To Her For Nearly 2 Years
The Song Originally Saved Her From Vecna In Season 4
InStranger Thingsseason 4, episode 4, “Dear Billy,” Max is forced to confront her grief over Billy’s death in an attempt to stop Vecna from killing her. At the end of the episode, she’s possessed and taken to his mind, where he intends to kill her. However, Nancy and Robin, with the help of Lucas, Dustin, and Steve,put headphones on her playing her favorite song, “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush. The song ends up breaking Vecna’s hold over her, causing her to run away from him, saving her life.
TheStranger Thingsseason 5 trailerreferences this moment in a brief shot of Lucas sitting at Max’s bedside in the hospital. In the shot, a boombox can be seen on her bedside table. This indicates thatLucas has been playing music since she became comatose, presumably “Running Up That Hill,” in an attempt to get her to wake up. Since this was the only method the group knew of to get rid of Vecna’s influence over her in season 4, it’s the only one the group is able to use.
Based on thetimeline ofStranger Things,season 5 takes place a year and a half after the events of season 4. This means Lucas has likely been coming to the hospital regularly for that long stretch of time, attempting to use the only method he knows to wake Max up. His dedication indicates the group still hasn’t given up on trying to save her, even after so much time has gone by. But it does offer a deeper glimpse into her current condition, and what it means for her fate in season 5.
Music Not Working To Bring Max Back In Stranger Things Season 5 Makes Her Comatose State More Concerning
Why Isn’t Her Music Waking Her Up?
Lucas might be playing music to try and wake Max up, but based on the small glimpse from season 5’s trailer,it doesn’t seem to be working. This makes the only strategy the group has useless, meaning they’ll need to find some other way of releasing her from her coma. Given the connection she shares with Vecna, it’s possible the only way to save her might be to defeat the primary antagonist. If he is defeated, it means he can never have a hold over her again, making it so she can wake up.
The group could also try andfind some way of forcing Vecna to free her. Defeating the villain is probably going to take until the end ofStranger Thingsseason 5, meaning Max wouldn’t wake up until the series came to a close. Instead, it makes more sense for her to have a core role in later episodes if she does wake up, meaning forcing Vecna to awaken her might be the more likely possibility. With Lucas still trying to wake her up, the final season is promising high, emotional stakes for Max as her story continues.
Stranger Things
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Stranger Things is a Netflix series set in the 1980s, where the mysterious disappearance of a young boy leads a small town to uncover secret experiments and supernatural forces. A significant focus is on a peculiar girl who may hold the key to the unfolding mystery.
