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Many Stranger Things fans can likely agree that season 4 was a pivotal time for Max Mayfield. After losing her brother, Billy, in season 3, Max had to come to terms with his death and face her own grief. With these personal developments, she became a crucial player in the fight against Vecna, the Upside Down’s latest big bad. Unfortunately, by the end of season 4, Max’s life is at risk. In a recent interview, Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer confirmed the current state of Max Mayfield’s health — and it’s not very reassuring.

[Spoiler alert: The following story contains spoilers for Stranger Things 4 Volume 2.]

Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield sitting in a graveyard in Stranger Things 4
Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield in ‘Stranger Things 4’ | Netflix

Does Max Mayfield die in ‘Stranger Things 4’?

In Stranger Things 4 Vol. 1, Max (Sadie Sink) has a brush with death as Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) targets her in a series of gruesome murders. He infiltrates her mind and tries to use her grief against her, telling Max he’ll end her suffering by killing her. Thankfully, her friends discover a way to save Max: music. By forcing Max to listen to her favorite song — Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” — they pull Max from Vecna’s clutches inside her mind.

Max survives, but she’s not safe from Vecna yet. In vol. 2, she lures the monster back into her mind as part of a bigger plan for the Hawkins kids to destroy him for good. Max tries to hide in a happy memory, but Vecna finds her and captures her once again. He blinds her and breaks some of her bones before the Hawkins kids fight him off.

Technically, Max dies in Lucas Sinclair’s (Caleb McLaughlin) arms for about a minute. However, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) manages to resurrect her. Two days later, Max is in a coma in the hospital. Eleven tries to enter her mind, but Max’s head is completely blank. At this point, it’s unclear if she’ll ever wake up.

The Duffer Brothers confirmed Max’s frightening health status

Fans have already shared theories about why Max’s head is empty. Perhaps Vecna stole all her memories, or she’s still subconsciously trapped in the Upside Down. The Duffer Brothers haven’t commented on any of these theories, but they did say that Max is in poor shape right now. Matt and Ross sat down with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast to discuss season 4.

“She’s brain dead, but yeah, she’s alive. She’s blind, and all of her bones are broken, but yeah, she’s doing great, Josh,” the brothers said.

Knowing that Max is brain dead doesn’t provide much comfort regarding her health in Stranger Things Season 5. As John Hopkins Medicine notes, brain death is clinically irreversible. So unless Eleven or Vecna can bring Max’s brain functionality back supernaturally, she may never wake up.

Sadie Sink has ‘no idea’ what’s in store for Max in season 5

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Vecna Has It Out for Max Again in ‘Stranger Things 4’ Vol. 2 and We Are Not OK

Even Sadie Sink is in the dark about her character’s future. In a recent interview with Deadline, the actor looked ahead to season 5.

“They’ve been very secretive about season 5 in general,” Sink said. “I have no idea what’s coming in 5 and what that looks like. Max’s storyline is very up in the air, ’cause obviously, she’s in a coma, and Eleven can’t find her in the void. So who knows where she is and what state she’s in.”

Stranger Things Season 4 is now streaming on Netflix.

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