Stranger Things is getting its ducks in a row to pull the curtain once and for all with its fifth and final installment. But before the Hawkins-hungry fans can jump ship to the closure, there are many cliffhangers the creators need to resolve. The third season finale’s most haunting loose end is Max Mayfield’s close call. However, as the fan theories get weirder and darker, one terrifying idea gaining traction is whether Max is gone for good.

ArchAngel1669, a Reddit user recently gave air to a new haunting theory about the pilot of Stranger Things’ fifth season. Panning the lens to his imagination, the user prompted fans to wonder about a what-if situation opening up with the scene where Max Mayfield lies on the bed with the core Upside Down squad surrounding him. A heart-stopping moment shatters the calm when May’s pulse flatlines. As doctors rush to revive her, the unthinkable is revealed, and she is lost.

The screen fades into black, only to erupt into the Stranger Things season 5 intro as the premiere explodes into action, hurling fans forward in time with a scary jump. While Stranger Things fan theories are not new, having confronted a million from its first to the fifth installment’s run, this one surely had fans’ spine chilled despite the confirmation that Max returns in the last dance. Similarly, the fan fiction interpretations surrounding Max have increased since season 4. 

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Consequently, fans believe this theory, by far, is definitely the most “terrible” because it undoes a lot of effort put together by the creators.

Max Mayfield’s life-or-death situation in Stranger Things season 4 has had the fans brainstorming across four seasons for 2 years now. But to imagine such a start to the highly anticipated season after Sadie Sink’s clues on the potential recovery has fans believing “it would be less impactful death” if they carry the storyline in the fifth only to end in her within a minute. A user thought though it would “shock viewers from the very beginning,” they did not want it as a reality.

An Upside Down fan got a little more calculative, citing it is doubtful they will kill Max after “paying her millions.” Even though a confirmed death may be in the cards, a few folks reasoned how inculcating her death in season 4 “would have necessitated a different and longer finale.” However, with fans polarized beyond expectations with one even iterating how they will be compelled to throw their “phone in the garbage” if such a turn point comes, the anticipation rises even more over how Stranger Things will deal with Max Mayfield.

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What do you think of the new fan theory about Max Mayfield's fate in Stranger Things season 5? Let us know in the comments below!