*** Be warned: There will be spoilers ahead for Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1 ***
A beloved series that has been nearly ten years in the making is coming to an end. After a long wait, Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1 is finally here, and it takes audiences on a haunting journey back to Hawkins and the dark dimension beneath it. Fan-favorite characters such as Eleven, Nancy Wheeler, Steve Harrington, Hopper, Robin, and Will Byers are finally back… but some are in a very different place than others. While most are getting ready for the final confrontation against the Mind Flayer and its forces, one beloved character is yet to awaken.
Since the finale of Stranger Things Season 4, we’ve all wondered what Max Mayfield’s fate would be. After all, she was unfortunately killed by Vecna as part of the monster’s plan to open four portals all across Hawkins to the Upside Down. Eleven managed to use her powers to bring Max back to life, though it wasn’t without its complications. Max has been in a deep coma ever since, and fans patiently awaited to discover if there would be more to her character. Fortunately, we finally have an answer… and it’s even more complicated than anyone would’ve imagined.
Max’s consciousness is trapped in Vecna’s memories
Before we begin, we must address the elephant in the room: Max Mayfield is still in a coma, and her body is still in Hawkins’ hospital. People like Lucas and Will visit her, put her up to date in all the events that have been unfolding in Hawkins, and play Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) by Kate Bush in an attempt to wake her. Still, everything has been in vain, as Max’s consciousness lies somewhere far away from the real world.
STRANGER THINGS. (L to R) Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield and Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair in STRANGER THINGS. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025
Stranger Things Season 5 Episode 3 ends on a big cliffhanger, as audiences finally see Max standing on her feet and talking to Holly Wheeler. Fortunately, some answers came our way in Episode 4, where it was revealed that Max and Holly’s consciousnesses are really trapped in Vecna’s mind. That means every place we see in this oneiric reality comes from Henry Creel’s memories. That’s why we see a restored version of the Creel house that seems to be pulled straight from the late 1950s. This would also mean that the cave Max has been hiding in is a real place from Henry’s past.
Now, the first big question we need to answer is: Why are Max and Holly suddenly trapped in Vecna’s memories? Where is this really taking place? Well, it’s important to remember that every living being in the Upside Down forms part of one collective hive mind, and that includes Vecna. And since Max inhabits the monster’s memories, it can be assumed that her mind lives in the hive mind, too.
It’s important to remember that Vecna hunted Max all throughout the events of Season 4—an arc that culminated in her death. At that very moment, the psychic connection between the two could’ve been so strong that Max was able to join the villain’s hive mind, and that’s why she’s now seeing the memories of her killer. Furthermore, Henry took Holly to the Upside Down, and Will saw a vision of her connected to a spire. Chances are that Holly’s body physically lies in the nightmarish dimension, and that her mind was wired into the hive mind, too.
For some unknown reason, Vecna plans to kidnap 12 more children and will likely make them part of the hive mind as well. But while the oneiric place will get a little more crowded, some people will escape it, too. Holly mentions that this dream-like reality is similar to Camazotz, from A Wrinkle in Time. Wouldn’t you know it, but Stranger Things Season 5 Episode 6 is titled “Escape from Camazotz”. That means we could finally see Max escape this prison just in time for the final confrontation against the Mind Flayer and its army of monsters.
Fortunately, it won’t be long before we get some concrete answers, as Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2 will be released on Dec. 25.
