Stranger Things peaked in just one four-minute scene, which made Season 5 look even worse by comparison. Stranger Things became a cultural sensation upon Season 1’s 2016 debut, and it easily could have stopped there. The first chapter of the Netflix series told a complete story, but it was so popular, it was no surprise that it returned for more. And the show kept finding ways to reinvent itself season after season. However, its attempt to bring everything together in Stranger Things Season 5 proved somewhat divisive. Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Stranger Things Season 5, Volumes 1-3.
It’s never easy to end a widely loved story, but there were plenty of valid criticisms plaguing the final outing — from the lack of stakes to Stranger Things‘ plot holes and retcons. Such details made Season 5 one of the weakest outings of Stranger Things overall, which wasn’t a great note for the series to go out on. It didn’t help that the show had peaked just one chapter earlier. Season 4 was a high point, and a single scene from it was the best of the entire series. Unfortunately, what should have been an epic conclusion failed to top it. Season 5 also didn’t pay off this moment nearly as well as it should have.
Stranger Things Peaked With Season 4’s “Running Up That Hill” Scene
The entirety of Stranger Things Season 4 set a high bar for the final chapter, with the outing delivering some of the best installments of the Netflix series. However, the show peaked with Max’s “Running Up That Hill” scene in “Dear Billy.” Weighing the strongest episode of Season 4, “Dear Billy” and “The Piggyback” were both strong contenders. But the final scene of the former pushed it above anything the series had ever done before. Watching as Max nearly succumbed to Vecna — and just barely made it back to her friends, thanks to her favorite song — the stakes felt higher than ever. The possibility of Max dying seemed all too real, and that made her triumph and reunion with her friends much more satisfying.
The four-minute scene masterfully juggled nail-biting tension with emotional pay-off when Max escaped, making it an experience that stuck with viewers. Unfortunately, this was a balancing act that Season 5 didn’t quite pull off. And this scene handling it so well made the final episodes look worse by comparison. Max’s story also fell off after her Season 4 arc, and this moment highlights the wasted potential.
Stranger Things Season 5 Wasted Max After Her Compelling Season 4 Story
Topping Max’s “Running Up That Hill” scene was always going to be a challenge for Stranger Things Season 5, but it was impossible to predict just how poorly it would reflect on what came after. This moment showcased the heights Stranger Things could reach, and it finally gave one of the series’ best characters her due: Max. Season 4 gave Max a great deal of depth as it grappled with her complicated feelings over Billy’s death. Her confrontation with Vecna in “Dear Billy” paid that storyline off while giving her a pivotal role in bringing down the villain. Without Max’s big moment, the group wouldn’t know how to resist him. And while Max didn’t escape Vecna for good, this scene built to her Season 4 ending nicely, making it even more gutting.
Unfortunately, Max’s Season 5 narrative was underwhelming by comparison. It felt as though the series wasted her character after giving her such a strong story arc in the prior chapter. Yes, Max still got plenty of screentime in the last batch of episodes. However, she didn’t contribute much to bringing down Vecna, which was a shame after everything that happened in Season 4. Max’s time with Holly felt somewhat pointless after the youngest Wheeler sibling failed to escape the Abyss on her own or sway her peers to her side. And while Max provided crucial information to the Hawkins gang upon her return, she barely got to be involved in the final fight, even from Eleven or Henry’s minds. With Max getting such an epic moment in Season 4, it was a shame she didn’t get another one in Season 5.
Nothing In Stranger Things Season 5 Reached the Heights of This “Dear Billy” Scene
Stranger Things‘ best scene made Max’s Season 5 story more disappointing, but it also made the ending feel like a step down on the whole. Season 4 was incredibly successful at raising the stakes for the Hawkins gang, and this moment revealed why. By the time Vecna targeted anyone in the main group, it was completely believable that one of them could die. As such, Max’s flight was intense and anxiety-inducing — exactly as it should have been.
It’s hard to think of a comparable moment in Season 5, as it never felt like any of the series’ leads were genuinely in danger. This made their happy endings less satisfying, too. They brought far less relief than Max’s group hug with Dustin, Lucas, and Steve after outrunning Vecna. Even in terms of imagery and sound, there was nothing quite as iconic as Max running to her favorite Kate Bush tune. Season 5 fell short of this moment on every level.
Do you think any moments from Stranger Things’ final season came close to Max’s “Running Up That Hill” scene? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!