In Season 4 of Stranger Things, Sadie Sink debates whether her character Max ought to have perished. The popular sci-fi series’ favorite child gang, which comprises Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Will (Noah Schnapp), and typically Eleven, was introduced when Sink’s character Max Mayfield first appeared in season 2. Max was featured in season 4 as having mental health issues following the passing of her brother Billy (Dacre Montgomery) in season 3, which rendered her susceptible to Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). Max was left in a startling state at the end of season 4, blinded, with the majority of her limbs damaged, and in a coma, despite having survived her encounters with the antagonist.
Sink discusses whether she concurs with a criticism of the show made by Maya Hawke and Brown, two of the show’s stars, during an appearance on the Variety Awards Circuit podcast. They claim that the show is too precious with its characters and is afraid to kill anyone in the constantly expanding core ensemble cast. Many viewers felt that Max’s comatose condition was another cop-out by the show’s writers, Matt and Ross Duffer and that the season would have been better if the youngster had truly perished. This was especially true after the season 4 finale aired. Even while Sink acknowledged that Max’s passing would have a profound effect, she argues that the Duffer brothers had special motives for keeping her alive.
“I didn’t know this until I read it in an interview, but I think Matt and Ross [Duffer] were planning to kill me off, like completely kill me off, and that was in the original plan for the season, but then they did change it. What I do know is that the Duffers are very smart, they’re very calculated, and they’d only choose to kill a character off if it was good for the plot, or would come in handy later, and they’d only keep a character if it was going to serve the plot later as well. So everything is very calculated, they know what they’re doing, but I understand, I think, if Max did completely die, then it would’ve had a bigger impact for sure, but I’m personally happy she’s still around.”
How Season 5 of Stranger Things Can Prevent That Serious Criticism
Although the majority of Stranger Things fans do not want Max to die, her tense final confrontation with Vecna first gave the impression that she had passed away before it was discovered that she was only unconscious. Despite Eddie’s (Joseph Quinn) passing, which was less shocking because new gang members frequently pass away in Stranger Things, many viewers expressed their dissatisfaction with the conclusion and believed it was cheesy. In fact, after three seasons, some fans have grown tired of the routine, which involves introducing a likable new character like Bob (Sean Astin), Alexei (Alec Utgoff), or Eddie, only for them to be murdered in a dramatic moment.
While Sink’s remarks and several series creator hints suggest that the final season may depart from that pattern, those criticisms of Stranger Things are justified. Stranger Things season 5 will reportedly avoid introducing new characters to the core cast in favor of concentrating on the ensemble’s growth, which will probably be spread out as a time leap is also anticipated. After her near-death experience in season 4, Max could be safe from being killed off in season 5. However, for fans to feel satisfied, the final episode of Stranger Things has to have at least one significant character death.