The following contains spoilers for Stranger Things Season 4, Volume 2, streaming now on Netflix.
Stranger Things fans were repeatedly warned that Season 4, Volume 2 was going to be filled with carnage. They even knew ahead of time that multiple characters were going to die and had braced themselves for the inevitable. That notwithstanding, what fans saw left many of them devastated. The death and destruction in Volume 2 was unparalleled by any of the series' previous three seasons.
During the super-long finale, Nancy, Steve and the rest of the Hawkins gang tried to kill Vecna before he could execute his plan. Eleven (who was Max's best friend) even joined the fight remotely, but they all failed. Vecna shredded the town of Hawkins, as he opened four massive gates between the Upside Down and the Right Side Up. Eddie Munson was an unfortunate casualty during those events, and many fans were devastated with his death. However, the biggest talking point is what happened to Max. So, here's a breakdown.
From the very beginning of the season, it was obvious that something was wrong with Max. She hadn't recovered from Billy's death in Season 3, but it was deeper than that. Her guilt was supernaturally fueled because Vecna had placed a target on her. Midway through the season, Vecna made his move and tried to make Max his fourth victim. Luckily, Lucas was able to save her by playing Kate Bush's "Running Up that Hill."
Going into Volume 2, Max was alive, but she was still marked by Vecna. So, when the Hawkins gang decided they needed someone to act as bait, Max volunteered. At the agreed-upon time, she removed her headphones and allowed Vecna to enter her mind, where they (and Eleven) waged battle. Lucas was supposed to rescue Max by putting her headphones back on, but he couldn't do that because he was fighting with Jason. So, Max was nearly murdered like Vecna's three previous victims.
Just before Max died, Eleven rallied her strength, defeated Vecna and freed Max -- but the damage had already been done. Even though Max was free from Vecna, she died in Lucas' arms. She was dead for over a minute, until Eleven brought he back to life. However, there was one major ramification behind Eleven saving Max's life.
A lot of fans have been freaking out that Eleven was able to save Max -- as if Eleven used some kind of new power -- but they need to pump the breaks. All Eleven did was restart Max's heart like an AED. For a normal person, that would be impossible, but not for Eleven. Her powers effect the electromagnetic field, and the human body runs on electricity. So, it makes perfect sense that she was able to restart Max's heart. The real problem is that Eleven couldn't find Max. Yes, she was in a coma, but Eleven still should have been able to enter her mind and find her consciousness there. Yet, she couldn’t because there was nothing there.
The reason that Eleven couldn't find Max is actually pretty simple -- Max had already died. That means her soul had already been absorbed into Vecna's consciousness. So, while Eleven restarted Max's heart and brought her body back to life, she was trapped inside of Vecna's hive mind. As terrible as that sounds, it offers the perfect segue into Season 5. Namely, the only way to save Max's soul will be to kill Vecna. By doing that, all the souls Vecna absorbed should be set free. If that's the case, Max will be in a coma for much of Season 5, but saving her would be an added motivation for Eleven to succeed in her fight with Vecna.
To see what happened to Max for yourself, watch Stranger Things Seasons 4, streaming now on Netflix.