Warning: contains SPOILERS for Stranger Things season 4, volume 2.

A peek into Max's past in Stranger Things season 4, volume 2 shows Max as a young child in California, whose likeness isn't a CGI iteration of a younger Sadie Sink but rather a separate actor entirely. Stranger Things season 4's villain was revealed in volume 1 to be Dr. Brenner's (Matthew Modine) former test subject 001/Henry Creel, known more colloquially as Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), who preys on victims with a traumatic past. Unfortunately, due to having witnessed her brother get brutally murdered by the Mind Flayer in season 3's Battle of Starcourt, Max suffers from a heavy-enough level of trauma to become one of Vecna's targets.

While the power of Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" in Stranger Things became enough of an emotional tool for Max to be freed from Vecna's grasp in volume 1, Max still struggles against Vecna in volume 2. Vecna, who never loosened his grasp on Max in the first place, begins to use more aggressive tactics towards infiltrating her mind. Meanwhile, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), who regained her powers, mentally transports her way into Vecna and Max's space. It is during this "mind fight" that Eleven finds herself in a flashback to a considerably younger Max amongst a group of skateboarders in Los Angeles, where she's shown standing up for herself for her interests.

Related: Everyone Who Dies In Stranger Things 4 Volume 2 (Including The Finale)

With Stranger Things season 4 essentially mimicking a season 3 moment by having Eleven explore Max's California memories after visiting Billy's memories the season prior, the parallels between Max and her brother become that much more profound. With that said, the season 3 California memories differ from Max's season 4 memories in one key way. The young Max in Stranger Things season 4 is played by Belle Henry, whose only other projects include the independent film Bleecker and the 2019 film Gabrielle. This is a casting change from Stranger Things season 3, which had Sadie Sink's sister Jacey Sink play young Max. Belle Henry portrays a slightly younger version of Max than the now 11-year-old Jacey Sink, which perhaps contributed to the casting decision.

Eleven in Max's California memory, Stranger Things season 4, volume 2

While in the flashback, Eleven was able to eventually access Max's memory from the Stranger Things season 2 Snow Ball, which Max used as an added Vecna escape method due to how powerfully happy the memory was. The young Max California flashback served as more of a vessel for Eleven to enter Max's current mental state of being as opposed to a way of providing any significant character information about Max's past. Of course, this isn't to say that Max's California memory was insignificant. Vecna preys on trauma and personal weaknesses in his victims, yet Max works to actively combat these factors in Stranger Things season 4, volume 2. The California memory shows Max standing up to herself against a group of boys picking on her for wanting to skateboard, which shows her history of facing adversity and building up her walls of defense.

Sadly, Max's fate in Stranger Things season 4 finale is grim, despite her and Eleven's efforts in stopping Vecna. While Max isn't technically dead, she's currently in a comatose state with a future of likely being blind, if she returns to consciousness at all. Nonetheless, Stranger Things season 4 gives Max a standout character arc, which is further supported by the California memory that Eleven explores.

Next: Stranger Things Season 4 Ending Explained (In Detail)

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