She sees how much she has to live for, how much her friends love her, and above all, how she needs and wants to keep living. Right as Max is on the cusp of death, she’s bombarded by flashbacks of her happiest moments: flirting with Lucas, shopping with Eleven, and making her new friends in Hawkins. After she finishes pouring her heart out, the graveyard becomes washed in darkness and shadow, and after a ghostly Billy terrorizes and chides her, he transforms into Vecna. That’s a lot of weight to carry for anyone, much less a fourteen-year-old. She even says a part of her died the day he did. She feels immense guilt for not attempting to try and save him before he died, even though she admits how broken their relationship truly was. The words on the page reveal a lot about how she got to the low mental point she’s at. The episode culminates with a scene at the graveyard, where Max reads a letter she wrote for her dead stepbrother at his grave. Even with how hard her life has become for her to deal with, she isn’t ready to say goodbye to it. Her hard exterior is much flimsier than even she believes. Max’s mental health is at an all-time low, but it’s clear through her tense, anxious body language (largely due to the stellar performance by Sadie Sink), that Max doesn’t want to die or face Vecna. When Lucas tells her that he doesn’t want a letter, but for her to talk to him, she still brushes him off and continues her pattern of pushing those away who care about her most. Max wants all her friends to have something to remember her by, and she insists they can’t read them until she’s actually gone. It’s a clear stand-in for suicide notes, as she’s written her final goodbyes and has seemingly accepted that she won’t live to see tomorrow. They may not stop her from helping the group when the mystery gets underway, but they do dominate her everyday life.Īnother huge indicator of her depression comes when the day Vecna is supposed to claim her, she writes letters to all her friends and her mother. Max’s depression and grief stay with her all throughout the season. She’s clearly exhibiting symptoms of depression, and even talks with her school’s counselor aren’t helping her. The fiery, sarcastic girl from the show’s previous seasons is nearly gone, wrapped in layers of hurt and sadness. She’s withdrawn from her friends, she’s broken up with her boyfriend Lucas, her grades have slipped, and she’s nearly always alone due to her mom working two jobs and sleeping when she is home. Max’s deteriorating mental well-being isn’t brushed over or merely told to the audience. Let’s examine how episode four examines Max’s mental health and delivers one of the strongest scenes in the history of Stranger Things. Her depression doesn’t magically go away. Her character arc in season four lies in her battles with grief and depression, and even after “Dear Billy,” this arc isn’t immediately swept under the rug. Max, not any of her friends, is the one being targeted. Vecna may not be the perfect metaphor for what she’s going through, but it’s important to note that he goes after those specifically struggling with mental health. “Dear Billy” immediately follows, and it sets the stage for an inevitable showdown between Max and the monster. At the end of episode three, it’s clear Max shares physical and mental symptoms with Vecna’s easy victims - and she’s got one day left before he comes for her. Vecna, the creature, haunts his victims for days by giving them nightmares, headaches, and terrifying visions before finally claiming them by breaking their limbs and bursting their eyes right out of their skulls. Throw in an other-dimensional creature who preys upon grieving and sad teens, and it becomes a whole new nightmare for Max. Depression is hard enough to deal with on an everyday basis. Max struggles with both grief and depression throughout Volume 1 of Stranger Things 4 due to the gruesome death of her stepbrother Billy back in Stranger Things 3. Max escaping the Upside Down and Vecna’s clutches is more than an exciting action scene it’s a poignant metaphor for depression and finding the light even in the darkest time. This ongoing battle culminates in her triumphant victory over Vecna in episode four, “Dear Billy,” by running back to reality and out of the Upside Down - but also by facing her own depression and grief head-on. In season four, however, Max finds herself fighting something a lot harder to deal with than a Demogorgen or Mind Flayer - her own mental health. Originally introduced back in season two, Max’s sarcasm, skateboarding skills, and sweet, budding romance with Lucas Sinclair won the hearts of Stranger Things fans everywhere.
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