In the finale of Stranger Things 4, Max Mayfield is killed by the psychopathic Vecna via a devastating telekinetic attack. Her limbs are broken, she’s blind in both eyes, and her heart stops beating. Lucas holds her as she slips away, while a heartbroken Eleven watches from the psychic plane known as the Void.
But what follows next is one of the show’s most mind boggling moments. Eleven uses her powers to bring Max back. Sort of. Her attempt at resurrection raises a lot of questions about El’s powers and how death functions in the Stranger Things universe.
How Did Eleven Bring Max Back to Life?
There’s been no indication or even a hint that Eleven is capable of bringing people back from the dead, though her powers have grown over the years.
What probably happened is that Max experienced a clinical death (her heart and breathing stopped). Even though the body has stopped circulating oxygen, clinical death can be reversed with techniques like CPR and defibrillation. But the individual needs to be revived within 5 to 10 minutes before biological death (death of cells and tissues) or brain death occurs.
Since Max was only dead for over a minute, Eleven was able to restart Max’s heart with her telekinesis and restored vital functions.
Why Max Isn’t Really “Back”
However, Max is in a coma with no word on when, or if she will wake up. When Eleven searches for Max’s consciousness in the Void, she finds nothing but emptiness.
In the season 4 episode “Papa” Dr. Brenner states that Vecna “consumes” everything about his victims. They’re memories, any abilities they have and everything they are. It’s possible that while Max’s physical body has been revived, her consciousness seems to be trapped inside of Vecna’s mind.
It’s been confirmed that Max will appear in the fifth and final season of Stranger Things. She’s expected to play a major role in season 5, though details regarding her involvement have been kept under wraps. As the Party prepares for a final showdown with Vecna, all eyes will be on Max and how she’ll recover from her injuries.
