Max's Stranger Things 5 Return Might Be Faster Than You Thin

After facing off against Vecna, Max went into a coma in the Stranger Things 4 finale. But the show won’t want to keep Sadie Sink offscreen for long.

Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) may have ended up in a coma in the Stranger Things season 4 finale, but she isn’t likely to stay there long for the show’s fifth and final season. However, things look grim for her now, as she did momentarily die from her fight against Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) may have been able to revive her, but while Max is still alive, she hasn’t been able to regain consciousness, and there’s every possibility that Vecna has something to do with that.

With her powerful storyline grieving her brother Billy and becoming prey to Vecna, Max was the undisputed star of season 4. Sink’s performance was universally praised, particularly for the “Running Up That Hill” sequence in “Chapter Four: Dear Billy” in which Max was able to escape Vecna’s clutches upon hearing the popular Kate Bush song. Outside of Stranger Things, Sink’s star is on the rise, as she co-stars alongside Brendan Fraser in the highly anticipated The Whale. With that, it’s unlikely that Stranger Things’ production team will want to keep Sink on the sidelines for the show’s final season.

Stranger Things 5’s Time Jump Means Max’s Return Won’t Feel Cheap

Show creators the Duffer brothers have revealed that Stranger Things season 5 will have a time jump. This is primarily for logistical reasons, as several of the show’s young characters grew significantly between seasons 3 and 4, which, plot-wise is only supposed to be a few months. Production on Stranger Things season 4 was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but this could work well for Max’s storyline. Audiences can feel cheated if a show’s season finale ends with a major character’s life in peril, only for them to be rescued within minutes of the following season premiere. But a significant time jump could see Max waking up in a number of ways that feel organic to the story. By showing the characters’ responses to Max waking up, Stranger Things can convey how devastating her coma was without cheapening it.

How Max Can Wake Up In Stranger Things Season 5

It is always possible for Max to simply wake from her coma, but because she wasn’t put there by natural causes, that seems unlikely. All signs point to Max being alive inside Vecna, which is preventing her from coming back to the real world. But Vecna uses his victims in unconventional ways, as he did with Nancy. He preyed on Nancy’s (Natalia Dyer) traumas and possessed her, only to send her back with a message about his plans. With Vecna already beginning his invasion of Hawkins, it’s very possible he does the same with Max.

While Vecna may be trying to destroy Max, or at least use her for his own nefarious means, she was also saved by Eleven. Eleven’s resurrection power is new, and the revival scene happened toward the end of the season 4 finale, so the scope of her powers has yet to be explained. All that’s known is that Eleven saved Max with her memories, so she could very well have spent the length of the time jump trying to bring her best friend back and finally succeeding. The first episode of Stranger Things season 5 could end with Max opening her eyes.