SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers from Season 5, Volume 1 of “Stranger Things.”
The good news for “Stranger Things” fans upon the release of Season 5’s first batch of episodes: Sadie Sink‘s comatose Max Mayfield is still able to talk, run and even interact with other characters. The bad news: She’s doing all that from inside Vecna’s mind, where she’s been trapped in a 1950s version of Hawkins for more than a year while her physical body is still in a coma in the hospital.
Max properly re-enters the fight for Hawkins in Episode 4, when she reveals to Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher) what she’s been up to while her mind has been stuck in the dream world of Vecna/Henry Creel (Jamie Campbell Bower). Holly’s there now, too, and Max is going to do her best to get them out of this place, which Holly refers to as the fictional land of Camazotz from “A Wrinkle in Time.” But that’s easier said than done, based on Max’s previous attempts, which so far have been thwarted.
Here, Sink breaks down Max’s storyline in “Stranger Things 5” Volume 1, where things are going when the remaining episodes drop next month — and why Vecna is so freaked out by those rocks.
Sadie Sink and Caleb McLaughlin
Courtesy of Netflix
What was it like filming Max’s current Season 5 storyline, which is taking place in Vecna/Henry Creel’s mind? Were you at first concerned you wouldn’t have much to do this season, since Max was in a coma?
Not nervous, but just curious what they were going to do with Max, given how we left things off with her in Season 4. But I knew that if they were keeping her around, it was for a reason. They would have just killed her off if she was useless. So I knew something was in store for her. I really liked seeing her in that environment, which is just so foreign from everything we’ve seen her in before. And it was definitely like, I missed my friends, but it was still really fun to get to work with Nell and Jamie.
So far, you spend a good deal of time with Nell Fisher, the new actress who plays Holly Wheeler, this season, while Holly and Max are both trapped in Vecna’s dream world. Where is that relationship headed in the remaining episodes, with one even titled “Escape From Camazotz”?
It’s a really interesting dynamic that we get to explore a lot this season, and I’m excited for everyone to see it. Nell Fisher is an amazing young actress, as you’ve seen so far, so I definitely learned a lot from her. And I think her and Max’s dynamic throughout the rest of the episodes just evolves, and they learn from each other. And you’ll see where that [Camazotz storyline] goes. But it was a really heartwarming storyline to be a part of this year.
What was it like filming the scene where Max almost escapes out of her coma while Lucas is playing “Running Up That Hill” for her, but then the tape runs out, and she’s stuck in Vecna’s mind still?
In Episode 4, that whole sequence of the flashbacks and everything, that took the longest to film. We were constantly picking it up throughout the year that Season 5 took. So that sequence wasn’t even finished until our last month of filming, and it was also the first thing that I shot of that season, too. So it was disorienting, is what it was.
Are you sick of “Running Up That Hill” at this point?
I’m honestly not. I think that just speaks to the song — that it’s really timeless, and I haven’t gotten sick of it. It still brings up all the emotions, even after listening to it for the millionth time.
You were on Broadway in “John Proctor Is the Villain” while “Stranger Things” prequel play “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” was playing at the theater right across the street. Did you get a chance to go see the play and notice how the Vecna/Henry Creel details will tie into Season 5?
I did. I got to see it in London, and then I also got to see it in New York, when I was neighbors with them. But it was cool to get to see it in London before filming Season 5 because, as you’ve seen, there’s a few little Easter eggs. So it was cool to have that knowledge, and then also, just very crazy that we were across the street from each other.
What was it like playing Max in this 1950s version of Hawkins? She’s currently stuck inside of the version of Hawkins in Vecna’s mind while trapped in her coma dream-walking and been adapting to that time period.
It was really, really cool. I mean, “Stranger Things” is just so good at the art direction, costuming, hair and makeup. They’ve nailed the ’80s. I mean, I didn’t live in the ’80s, but from what I’ve heard, it’s very accurate. And it was cool to see them take on the ’50s, and I thought they did a really amazing job with that as well. I just couldn’t stop thinking about the ties to the play. I thought that was genius. And that was also the final week of filming that we did that [1950s Hawkins High School] hallway stuff.
What can you say about why Max is suddenly safe from Vecna when she goes into the crevice in those rocks? There seems to be something that freaks him out about the location, and so she’s been able to go in and build her base camp and survive this whole time.
Well, I guess we’ll find out! That becomes a big question — but, yes, a very important, key note this season. Who knows why.
Did you ever fall asleep while shooting Max’s coma scenes?
Yes, yes, I did, because we shot all the coma stuff over the span of one day. So everybody was moving around me as they do all of the hospital scenes. And different actors would come in and out and talk to me or just in front of me. And I didn’t really have to move. So I did nod off a couple of times.
Max’s eyes appear to be healed, at least on the outside, at this point — did you get clarification before filming on if she’s still blind or has regained her sight while in her coma?
I did get some clarification on that, yes.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
• The Duffer Brothers Answer Volume 1 Burning Questions
• Noah Schnapp on Will’s Game-Changing Discovery
• Nell Fisher on Playing Holly Wheeler and Working With Sadie Sink
• Cara Buono on Karen Wheeler Finally Joining the Action
• David Harbour on How ‘Stranger Things’ Has Changed Him
• The Cast of ‘Stranger Things’ on the Show’s Final Days
