How MAX Became the BEST CHARACTER in Stranger Things | (Season 2-4 Character Analysis)
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- Опубліковано 9 чер 2024
- #Netflix #KateBush
Max used to be a bad character, now she's the best character in Stranger Things -- what happened?! Season 2 Max suffered from a messy characterization, lack of function, and no integration into the rest of the story. In Stranger Things' third season, her relationship with Billy suddenly became relevant and was explored with the nuance it deserved. Now in season 4, Vecna's curse has brought out her unique brand of courage and resilience. She deepens considerably, posing new and challenges questions to the audience, not just about her character, but about morality, abuse, and redemption. Her "Running Up That Hill" seals her as this season's masterpiece, so far from the unintegrated jumble of a character we got in season 2.
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0:00 - Max leveled up
0:17 - Messy Introduction
2:53 - Does S2 Max even matter?
4:21 - What about Max's relationships?
5:21 - 1st Max Fix
6:19 - S3 Max DOES Matter
7:20 - Season 4 Max
8:42 - RUNNING Scene
15:11 - Final Max beat - Фільми й анімація
I love that max is annoyed and flicks away her tears when reading her letter to Billy, like she's annoyed at her sadness as she doesn't believe she even deserves the comfort of sadness. Triste
Love that too. Three other characters I've been considering making videos about are Dustin, Erica, and Mr Wheeler, and I've noticed with all three just how much of the character IS the actor and their performance, even more so than other shows/movies. The actors bring soo much to this show it's crazy.
@@schnee1 I'd actually love to hear your thoughts on Nancy. She has in many was become the defecto leader of the Hawkins crew (while the adults are way). Venca even had her, there in the palm of his hands, a potential 4th victim, but instead of killing her and opening up the gate he imbues her with knowledge instead. Vecna is tied to its seeming prophecy, a fatal character flaw (at least we think it is), and Nancy is released to send his message. A fascinating part of the show that confused me for a while.
@@oooSKYLIGHTooo dang. Time travel to the upside down might be a key plot element. Nice catch about him being caught in time still
What's up with that sudden Italian at the end?
What does triste mean?
Something worth noting about Billy’s sudden changes in behaviour is that it’s a common tactic that abusers use to confuse and make afraid the people they want to control. It could also be seen as his racism overcoming his ‘too cool to care’ attitude as he only considers it important to ‘protect’ his sister when his racial bias becomes involved
Yeah Billy's comment always read as racially motivated. Maybe he also had another recent argument with his dad abt needing to "protect" Max
That's that I was thinking too. Not to sound like I'm throwing around words here but there is the love bombing thing abusive people (characters, in this case) will do after/between moments of being awful. It's deliberate to make them feel like they can't make it without the abusive person, or make them doubt that it could "really be that bad" if they were nice sometimes. Make them reliant or even defend the abuser because of the way they give them just enough to not realize its not worth it to stick around with them. Or malicious protectiveness in that is really exerting control.
Note lol, not every act of intense kindness is love-bombing. It's specific to people who are acting with the deliberate sneaky intention to harm/trap the other person or use it against them. Not just someone who is really nice really quickly in a relationship, as some ppl use that word in a way that catches genuinely highly-affectionate neurodivergent people in the snares.
Yeah, there is this kind of "circle of abuse". Abusive persons are not doing horrible things 24/7. Or it would be easy for people (fictional and nonfictional) to leave them. The problem is that they have their soft phase, and those people, that phase you will miss if you leave them. So most victims think "oh, I was probably over-reacting", to what really happened, or "its gonna change". But it isn't. Its gonna reapeat itself, on and on.
@@ollie2111 I remember once saying something that without full context makes it sound like I was love bombing. I still feel bad about it but I meant it that people wouldn’t leave me by betrayal or just leave without saying anything. I’m glad to know that I wasn’t being a bad person aha. But yeah- that’s a good explanation, have a nice day
@@ollie2111 yeah luckily the friend I had said it to is very good at interpretation and knows me well. And I’m sorry about your phone and ankle, I hope you can fix your phone and that your ankle feels better
I think you’re selling Max’s introduction kinda short saying it’s messy. Her behavior in episode 2 (the episode that features the scenes you used) makes sense when you take into context of what transpired in episode 1. I mean from Max’s perspective: she’s just moved across the country against her will and now has this group of boys stalking her for no apparent reason (she doesn’t know that they are trying to figure out if she’s the one that broken their arcade high scores). Her coming off a stand-offish makes sense cause she’s trying to figure out what they want with her. Part of Max’s whole arc is that she’s distrusting towards others due to issues with her brother/family but she desperately craves friendship/to be included in the group. So once she figures out that there’s a group of people who want to include her, of course she jumps at the chance and has a much more positive attitude. She thinks their interest align. And her character stays pretty consistent throughout the second season: she desperately wants to be included with the party and desperately tries to win them over but when she felt that the were excluding/taking advantage of her, her walls came back up and cold stand-offishness returned. Episode 6 with her conversation with Lucas basically explains her outlook and behavior.
I haven’t finished all of the video, I’m only a few minutes in (I will) but Max has been my favorite character since S2 and I just wanted to give some credit to my girl.
Edit: holy shit that’s a lot of likes lol. Happy to know others feel the same.
i agree
I like this take- I think it could have been handled better but I also don’t think it’s as messy as it’s portrayed in the video. Also as someone who moved around a lot as a kid, I totally understand her attitude.
@@pikameer8325 sorry for the reply, but same
This is my only issue with the vid tbh, the first instance that is used when she shows aloofness is followed up with some amusement. She hasn't given her full trust or even part of it, but there is a flash of reciprocated intrigue that these random boys who were stalking her in the end wanna be her friend. And I don't like that Billy targeting them in the car was dismissed- it may have been a quick turn around, but considering she was cautiously curious the scene before to realize that these aren't kids that mean her harm and her abuser is now threatening them, she suddenly gets protective, which is something she really hasn't been for herself until the final episode (even for her standoffish and aggressive behavior, there are still no boundaries between her and Billy until this moment).
Max wasn't my favorite in season 2 but I didn't think she was without development, and I think the season in general struggled with the new characters and making them matter to the plot itself, but I also think the groundwork was great in setting up what season 3 and 4 became. It was more about introducing a new dynamic that later becomes relevant to the characters and their relationship with the plot, and then shaping her as a character beyond just a support.
100% agree, max has always been my fav too
It’s not mentioned in the video, but another line that will always stick with me was something Max said right after escaping Vecna. After narrowly escaping the end of her own life, she whispers to her friends who cradle her in her arms three powerful words:
*”I’m still here.”*
The suicidal undertones of Max’s character this past season were chilling and genuinely moving, which is why lines like at 11:15 rocked me to my core when I first watched this season. When you’re struggling with severe mental health issues, there will always be a part of you, deep down, that wants the pain to just… end. To be over it, to just be *done.* But in the end, you decide to live not for yourself, but for the people you love and who love you. Because you know the pain it will cause them should you be brutally wrenched away from the world.
Max chose life because regardless of how she thought of herself, she would never want to hurt the people who cared so deeply about her. In other words - in recognizing the significance of her death, she realized her life had worth. And so she made a deal with God to keep living. Not just for her, but for them.
(As a small addendum to this train of thought - this notion of Max’s life having inherent value is ironically twisted when Max proffers herself as bait. In Vecna’s eyes, Max’s life has meaning, but for completely different reasons. She’s just a piece on the chessboard to capture, a final prize to snag. And as rightly point out in the video, Max uses this to her advantage, but does so with confidence and purpose. Freaking beautiful.)
That was actually very moving for me as well. Everyone made a big deal about the running scene and I get it. It was beautifully done. But that quite moment of relief and self reassurance and the loyalty, and dedication of her loved ones really spoke to me.
I commend you on your writing.
i absolutely agree. ive alwasy been big on mental health and i finally feel like ive found a character tht shows all the complexity of going through ur inner demons. its so easy for others to say "tell me, talk to me" but am i even deserving of such comfort? The common theme of "being there" i realised happen throughout each groups this season and it the most beautiful thing. sometimes, we dont need to tell others the things thts alr hard to say but just knowing theyre present is all we need.
@@rynne1104 I feel they ruined the running scene with what they did to Max in the final episode, though. They did her3 so dirty. She opened up about hewer mental health, and aought the help of her friends to overcome it, only to suffer a fate worse than death for it.
@@anakinlowground5515 i do agree, this one is covered in the video, towards the end. tho it contradicts but at the same time Max finally felt like she has a purpose and volunteered, a honorific sacrifised so tht others like her wouldnt hv to go thru smth so horrible, smth she has gone thru first hand. its a tragedy, ended bittersweet.
Part of the reason I loved her change is because it showed all those moments you weren’t sure how she felt about the other characters, because she acted indifferent, THOSE MEMORIES KEPT HER ALIVE. These humans kept her alive. She acted indifferent because she felt she had to, but these memories SAVED HER.
I hate what they did in the final episode though. They threw the message of her escaping Vecna in the trash. She overcame her depression, for what? To get punished for it by suffering a fate worse than death?
@@feargayrats Well, dude, all her bones got brutally broken, and she was blinded. She was terrified out of her mind. Blind, all her bones broken, and terrified. After that, she went brain dead, probably never to wake up ever again. It was a fate far worse than simply dying. If Vecna killed her, she wouldn't have suffered nearly as much. It honestly would've been way less brutal if Vecna simply killed her. I thought Vecna killing people was brutal, but then I saw Max terrified out of her mind, begging to not die. God, that was pretty hard to watch because of how brutal it was... They did her so dirty. Even if she survives, and comes back, she's probably gonna have a whole new level of trauma, or probably not even be the same person ever again.
@@feargayrats it's not that she'll be disabled? at least not for me - she's literally brain dead in a coma, which is horrible to think about, and she will probably be severely different (likely very similar to eleven's mum) if she ever wakes up unless they somehow get whatever parts of her mind vecna has back.
@@leilanyx they will get her back, this season was modeled after Empire Strikes Backs... at least I noticed many connections, Max is frozen in Carbonite but she will be rescued. I am certain of it
@@feargayrats In a world like that with monsters and shit yes it is
The Running Up That Hill scene always gives me chills. Near the end that little growl Vecna gives once he realizes Max got away is great.
i remember watching that scene for the first time. i genuinely thought she wasn't gonna make it during it. probably one of the most memorable scenes.
if only we got more of the main characters actually feeling like they're in danger-
I don’t think that feeling a little relief when an abuser dies makes someone a bad person. In this case it’s not like she’d wish death upon him, or would kill him herself. But it’s natural to be a little bit happy that you won’t have to endure constant emotional abuse anymore.
Yeah
Absolutely agree.
She did wish death upon him. Did you forget in the finale she said that. Not saying it’s bad but she absolutely wished death on him and that explains her guilt
@@Mateocabrera2389 she did that because she was baiting vecna. she didn’t actually mean the things she said there
@@celetial3287 yes she did. Vecna made a psychic connection with her mind and knows all her dark thoughts she even admits it. She had to indulge on her darkest thoughts to bait him but they were very real.
You clearly didn’t catch that Billy was only over-protective of Max when Lucas came around because he’s a racist. It’s got nothing to do with her, it’s Billy’s own racist biases/actions that cause him to do that. Also we’re meant to not like max off the bat, she is a kid who’s parents are super abusive, comes from a broken home, older racist brother who’s also abusive, and then she’s thrust into a new town/school. She was meant to be an in likeable character, she was never ‘broken’ you just didn’t catch the nuances before. Coming from max’s exact life but IRL it’s very easy for me to see that it’s not to black and white. Max has PTSD for sure from abuse since before she got to Hawkins, that’s also why she reacts with different shit like the trick or treat scene, she was just excited to finally be invited to something with friends/other kids and be herself without fear of her abuser. Yes Billy is an abuser.
He pretty much ignored not only Billy's racist actions but also the primary target of Billy: Lucas. Just one more person who goes out of their way to act as if Lucas has not been the primary character Max has interacted with and grown with over the course of her run.
It's so obvious idk how anyone could not get that.
@@Hibbs4Prez Exactly, it’s literally so on the nose without having to explicitly call it out because those of us who get it, get it I guess lol
@@jay2thaudy I really don’t know, it’s as obvious as Will being gay and Eddie being at least Bi, it’s so glaringly obvious but a lot of people just don’t get it or don’t wanna get it idk
@@CassieVioletTV2 Eddie is not Bi, just because someone makes eye contact, touches, and says “i love you” to same sex, does not mean they are gay or bi. Those are common traits for low level drug dealers
Max was never broken. It's called a character arch.
She was cold in the beginning because she's closed off and abused. She decides to join them (and scare them) because she wants to be friends with them but doesn't want to look weak. This is why she acts like she's too cool for them. She had walls up. Not really rocket science.
Billy is racist and controlling and he hates seeing people happy. That is why he "suddenly cares".
So many people want to be handheld through things.
Seriously. I thought these were pretty obvious
I thought all of these seasons were pretty great as their own season. They do perfectly convey the last season's outcomes and many people think like it should we rated so differently. Stranger things always is rated so far divided on the spectrum that it makes me mad and makes me want them to analyze the entire series as a whole.
Yep, it is funny watching people try to make analysis videos on the internet when they can't even grasp the basic concepts they're attempting to analyze. It's like saying that Steve was a broken/bad character in season 1. People want characters arcs and development, but they whine when characters aren't "perfect" from the get-go.
No. Her character was annoying in season 3 and it got fixed in season 4. Season 4 was the character arc. Seasons 1 & 2 were just a modern day character thrown in the 1980’s setting
@@Linklex7 Lol she wasn't even in season 1
I've got to disagree with the first observations about Max' character from season 2. I found the opposing sides of her personality to be pretty understandable and relatable from the very start. But the rest is spot on, without a doubt
She felt like a eleven replacement because the girl in the group was missing. After eleven returned, I felt like she is pretty pointless, but I did love that she became friends with El and by the time she is facing Vecna and Eleven appears in her dream, it feels kinda nice that she doubts that Eleven is actually there and instead thinks maybr she imagined her, because she would probably imagine Eleven to be with her for that fight.
Naaah he's pretty spot on, I really didn't like her, on one hand she acts like she's better than everyone and arrogant then the next she's desperate to join the group with no transition between the twp
I agree with your statement. Her hit and cold personality was very familiar to me and seemed realistic. Especially seeing that she’s in a very abusive environment.
@@saranaila5905 Her behaviour still made sense though. She acted like she was better than them because she had clear issues with trust and had no idea what the group even wanted with her, especially given her issues with Billy, it makes sense for her character to be quite closed off at the beginning. It's a defense mechanism. The moments of desperation to join the group came from a need to be included once she realised they wanted to be her friend and she opened up to the idea. She moved across cities. Her being closed off to new people doesn't mean she didn't want any friends at all. Once she "joined" their group, obviously she'd want to be included rather than left-out, especially given she had lowered her walls for them. Hopefully that makes sense, it's really hard putting what I was thinking into words LMAO but that's just my take on her behaviour in season 2. The bottom line is, I definitely think how she acted made sense given her situation and although there was no clear transition between the two different attitudes, that's more realistic to real life anyways. How she acted didn't come across unusual to real-life scenarios.
@@saranaila5905 the reason max repeatedly switches between those two is pretty obvious imo. imagine a random group of boys staring at u at school, youd prolly act the same way if you didnt understand their motivations. then later that day as theyre walking home, her abuser billy threatens to kill the only ppl in her new town who want to be her friend and she suddenly becomes extremely protective of them despite not knowing them, its also the only time she stands up to billy to his face besides her character arc at the end of the season wheres she knocks him out and steals his car. the next time in the season where she becomes standoffish and mean is after mike calls a group meeting and says she cant join, making her the only person in the group to be left out. again, look at it from her perspective: these guys who just begged you to be apart of their group suddenly wanna talk about things and purposefully exclude you, you dont understand what their motivations are, all you know is your new 'friends' dont seem to trust you so why should u trust them? then when lucas explains why they excluded her, she understandably disbelieves him because his story sounds so crazy. when he begs her to let him prove it, she accepts, showing that what she actually wants is a real friend, once theyre together for long enough and she feels more comfortable around him, she doesnt even wait for the demodogs to attack before she opens up to him about her insecurity and how she feels bad for coming across as mean or rude at times even tho most people in her situation would react the same way. then once she realizes that lucas is actually telling the truth, her appreciation for him skyrockets, plus it also makes her more understanding of mike as well as will's situation.
I disagree with Max's introduction. Max has this mindset that she's going to be a loner during her time at school so when Lucas and Dustin invite her to join the group she doesn't know how to react. After thinking it through she gets excited to spend time with the group she got invited to. You can tell Max was happy even tho she was annoyed.
That wasn’t really shown
@_ykarcaneedits_ I've experienced it so I understand it
I hate how people say Max was only a good character in S4 like this is something new. Max has always been an amazing character ever since the beginning. She is really misunderstood and the other half of the time there is bias going on.
I wouldn’t say amazing. It felt kind of forced to introduce a new girl character right after El’s disappearance. I didn’t know why she was suddenly in the group at first but she became my favorite character after watching season 4.
No she was fucking annoying in season 3
@@DanielK1213th if max had been male would it have been forced?
@@DanielK1213th so eleven could be the only girl in the group? Please
@@adrianhebreros Yeah tbh
And it seems to me like the Duffer Brothers are using this momentum they built with Max to heighten the personal stakes of season 5, where defeating Vecna becomes about bringing Max back from oblivion (as they repeatedly allude to Vecna absorbing a person in a way when he kills them and Eleven sees in Max’s mind that no one is there even though she’s physically alive). And this works in perfect tandem with her arc, as we can see in her death scene that offering herself up to Vecna was never about a death wish, in fact she dies clawing on to life, begging not to go, because that’s what her last experience with Vecna made her want so badly and so we as the audience just don’t have the comfort of knowing she’s okay with what’s happened to her and we’re deeply invested in this newfound will not just to survive, but to live.
Sadie about to get that fat check for just laying in an hospital half of next season, she deserves itt
She needs to be a vessel for Vecna. She should be the “villain” for 5.
I don’t think they necessarily fixed her. They just gave the character more depth
She was never broken. Every character in this series has changed.
True though.
Exactly
No she was annoying in season 3. She’s a huge reason why people hated season 3. She got fixed in season 4
@@Linklex7 And why was she annoying in Season 3? I didn't feel that way though.
I don't think Max's behavior in the second season was that weird. As someone else commented, it's normal behavior for someone who moves around a lot. I had a friend in elementary who acted the same way. Her dad was in the military so they moved around a bit. She was standoffish at first, then one day we had to sit next to each other on the bus. Something made us both laugh and we quickly became friends, she would initiate conversations and invite me to hang out at her house to play video games.
DONT FORGET THE ALMOST-DEATH.
The pleading, the hyperventilating, the "I don't want to die, I'm not ready" SHATTERED my heart into a million pieces. What you said about tragedy hits home here. The pain of losing this character who's been thrown so much at by life, been through so many trials and tests of her worth, that we so badly wanted to make it through the battle? Astronomical.
Just...Sadie Sink, respect for the phenomenal acting.
What I love most about Max:
1) Her and Lucas' puppy love relationship. He's a suburban, middle-class boy living in a two-parent household with friends he's known forever. Before living in a trailer, she moved constantly with her single mom, doesn't know her dad, and prior to that had an abusive stepbrother. Lucas' rose-colored glasses and Max's realism are so fun to watch if you can catch the two together.
2) Sadie Sink. She's on her way to becoming the next Emma Stone as far as loveable, talented redheads go.
3) Her hair. I wore it the same way when I was that age. Washed, air dried, not styled, and long. Classic tomboy look.
Lucas is a Black kid in a racist white suburban community, he’s also the most cynical of his friend group as shown in season 1, nothing “rose colored” about him. Make sure you understand all the characters before you try to compare…
@@witchplease9695 Make sure you understand the meaning of 'rose-coloured glasses' before you try to correct someone. Lucas DEFINITELY saw Max through rose-coloured glasses.
@@witchplease9695 So I'm not allowed to have an opinion unless I understand EVERYTHING about a character? That doesn't seem fair.
@@witchplease9695 I don't remember any character other then Billy being overtly racist towards him. While I am sure he's likely experienced it in the past it seems off to act like the whole community hates him.
@@Valpo2004 The bullies in season one called him “midnight” and made fun of him for being African-American
You know who else has been tortured the entire time and bad stuff wont stop happening to him? Will. He keeps getting pushed aside. His life was tortured enough already and as soon as he leaves Hawkins Eleven has no powers and Vecna starts to curse everyone else. Will is gonna get a huge season. The cruelty of fate. It wont be random.
and Eleven. but is she utterly grating? no.
I'm praying for them to finally use Will's character at his full potential, he was so looked over in the pasts seasons that ppl forgot that he WAS the reason everyone got involved in the first season and that there is so much to tell about him
Having an abusive family while being poor vs being the weird one in the group with a loving brother and mom are different.
@@AC-ri2ph Of course it is different, but that does not matter.
Idk I don’t think her introduction is confusing I think that’s just you. Her being nice is because she secretly DOES like the boys and doesn’t want them to think that she hates them to the point of running them over which was the scene prior. She’s compensating. I always thought it was kind of obvious.
The whole Max running from Vecna and back to her friends scene gives me serious One Piece Enies Lobby "I want to live" vibes. I love it.
totally! i had the exact same thought
I just don’t understand how she was a “bad” character in season 2 but a amazing character in season 4. Isn’t that just character development and growth?
I mean I don't agree with it but he explains his argument in this video. Did you watch it?
I thought she was a bad character in season 3. Not so much season 2.
@@Linklex7 agreed she was one dimensional in three and just a plot device to split Mike and eleven up whereas in season 2 she was her own character
@@lanawyatt7667 she was being a good friend to El. She was teaching her about self-worth. Granted, Mike didn’t deserve to be made into a bad guy by them but they didn’t know what was really going on. I’d say Max definitely had some growth in season 3 because she opened herself up to being a friend rather than just being a loner.
@@sarahkeane8634 she tell to El to not listen to the rules
I can't even describe the sheer avalanche of emotions I felt watching that scene. For one, I was absolutely terrified because I fully believed that, if the writers wanted to, they could kill Max here. They had spent a lot of effort I exploring her emotional state and wrapping up most (not all, but most) of her character threads, and I genuinely had no idea which way it would go.
And SOMEHOW they managed to get nearly the same intensity of emotional response out of me AGAIN in the final confrontation. Max's limbs snapping, Lucas being unable to help, and then Lucas's pure horror and panic as he's cradling her body and trying to comfort her... just... oh man.
I liked Max in S2 even if I absolutely agreed that she was underused and irrelevant, but WOW. This season was utterly incredible.
What a beautiful character Max became this season. You mention in the comments that many of the characters in ST are a product of flawless casting. I think Sadie Sink is one of them. She IS Max, in the same way Gaten is Dustin. It doesn’t feel like they’re acting at all. They are 100% authentic.
Please do more Stranger Things analyses!
I'm so glad you weren't one of the masses that just went "max should have died" after episode 9 and I agree, max had the most impactful and emotional character development in the entire series that was very much grounded on so many factors in the previous seasons. The duffer Brothers did say it was essential that they revived her for season 5, which is why im glad you saw too just how much potential there is to them leaving her in that state at the end of the season. Overall great analysis, and max is currently my favorite character in stranger things, coupled together too with Sadie's tremendous acting skills.
Agreed! I was relieved he didn't see it that way. Imo, them killing off Max would've been the worst conclusion to such a great character arc they've built up. Not to mention it would have been such a terrible message to send after that pivotal moment in "Dear Billy" where she actively chose to live. I hope we get a satisfying conclusion to her character arc in Season 5 and that they don't sideline Sadie too much.
they also shouldn't have killed eddie, it should be others victims smh
I’m confused by all the people saying she should have died. So the Duffer Brothers don’t tend to kill off main characters. Okay. And? I don’t get the problem. It’s not the walking dead and I’m glad. To this day, I’m still pissed about Glen.
@@ascent8487 There's a point where it feels like there should be stakes at play. Otherwise, many suspenseful moments become less tense if you're accustomed to characters constantly making it through alive. Side characters are continuously dying in their own seasons. Barbara in 1, Bob in 2, Alexei in 3, Eddie/Chrissy/Fred in 4. The primary protagonist cast has remained intact. I love Max and who knows what's going to happen in season 5, but, it felt a little plot armor-y.
I hate that the duffer bros don’t kill any main characters. I don’t care about the excuse they come up with
i agree max's s4 arc has been amazing but i disagree with your takes about her in s2-
personally i saw her as complex and understood exactly why she acts the way she acts after her scenes with billy in episode 2, and honestly, being abused can make you act in a way that might seem a bit unclear and unpredictable to others. her change of behavior towards the boys after the car scene with billy in which he is obviously being abusive, is one of those times
*though if you're looking for a "mixed" behavior, i definitely think the car scene represents that, and i'm not talking about billy trying to run over the party. even BEFORE that, billy talks about how much he hates this new place and max quietly says that "it's not that bad" but IMMEDIATELY BACKTRACKS when billy gets angry at her for saying that. i think this represents max's "sides" pretty well- how she wants to be and act, what she really feels and how she actually seeks friendship with the boys and WASN'T TRULY ANNOYED by dustin and lucas VS how she acts all tough because of how scared she is of letting people in, how scared she is of billy and why she has all those walls up, living in an abusive and emotionally manipulative household.*
(not exactly relevant to the way she was introduced in the series, but worth mentioning, there is a book called "runway max" that tells us a bit about her backstory. back in california, billy scared away all of her friends and isolated her completely, and she blamed herself for it, the climax being billy breaking max's best friend's arm after he stood up for her against billy, and even taunted max while doing so. i think this explains even better max's conflict in s2.)
+ billy never seemed "PROTECTIVE" over max to me but rather POSSESSIVE and CONTROLLING. in s2 i didn't see it as him caring about /her/ but more like him caring about reputation & his dad's reaction (as she's part of his family now and billy is racist).
was he really protective over max or just liked having control over someone and feel "stronger" than her, liked making her feel small and helpless because this is how his father made him feel? i think the answer is pretty obvious.
Exactly. Its all pretty understandable why Max is acting that way. I think its just blind loyalty to fans of Mike and El who saw Max as a threat in S2 and were really hateful towards her back then so the fans hated her because Mike and El hated her. This happens a lot with shows. Max was treated really unfairly when she first joined their group not only by the characters, but by the fans. I really liked Max ever since the beginning and I never understood the hate towards her. Even now, its like people are saying Max was only good in S4, not the seasons before even though she was a loveable, sympathetic character since the beginning.
I've always loved Max and her character, I never had an issue with her complexity or whatever. My main issue with her in S2 and S3 is a lack of integration in the plot. She just. Doesn't contribute anything. She doesn't do much at all. She's just there to bring conflict to the other characters.
I wish someone with your perspective would make videos like this. Seems more often than not you get the real deal in the comments and not the video itself, and a huge percentage of viewers come away from the video mostly misinformed.
@@Dousch thank you, honestly everything he said about s4 max and her journey in it is incredibly well said. i didn't know exactly how to articulate some of my thoughts about her amazing arc this season and this person did a really great job talking about it.
but, wish he'd consider rewatching s2 from this new perspective and maybe notice what i and others in the comments did about s2 max. and maybe even make a video on it if he changed his mind about her s2 character.
Season 4 is obviously Max's peak but damn I feel like we gotta give some credit to what they did to her character in season 3. Sometimes I feel like season 3 is overhated just because it's the most "happy blockbuster" season of the bunch, but it has a lot of upsides too. If we didn't have those fun montages of max doing stuff at the mall with 11 and her friends, we wouldn't have had the rollercoaster of emotions that the dear billy episode gave us on the first watch
Max was a huge reason why season 3 was so hated
Those flashbacks play far better if you ignore the context in season 3, which is hardly an endorsement.
@@Linklex7 Why?
@@alishamertelus1340 the break up of mileven were her fault and hopper's but everyone hating on Mike
@@UriosEditz Yeah because she was right to tell Eleven to dump his ass at that moment, Mike was acting like an idiot.
I would LOVE to see you make more video's on stranger things, I really like your arcane video's, but now that i see you're into stranger things too, I would just love to see more video's of you analysing and explaining the show's scenes and characters, just want you to know I'm all here for it. Great video!
I was a fan of Max from the start. I always thought that she'd become more involved in the heart of the story, and there is something very charismatic about Sadie herself.
Okay but to talk about Max's reason for how she behaved towards the boys when she first met them is because she is clearly trying to guard herself from new people, she seems to have moved around alot, her step brother is mean, his father is meaner, I see why she would be untrusting of new people and would guard herself off. She later starts letting that guard down and tries to connect with them instead of resisting their offering of friendship. And maybe she feels that by becoming friends with them that she can better guard them from Billy's aggression. I've loved max and to say that her character sucked in the beginning shows how little people considered what she was going through. Billy's dad was abusive to him and in turn Billy was abusive to max and mean to everyone else. Max also had to live with Billy's father, though story wise the focus was on Billy's back story of why he is a dick, it has to be assumed that that enegery was shared through the whole house.
I'm gonna regret this because I haven't finished the video yet, but you mentioned Billy not combining his two modes as a part of your clumsiness portion, but the two examples you gave are prime and perfect examples of how narcissistic abusers operate. He both does not care about Max at all, but also doesn't want her to have a social life because he needs to control her like their dad controlled him. It's actually very good cyclical generational trauma writing in that sense and not the best support for the argument to include.
When you look at Max as well through that lens, you realize what the mode switching is about. She has also been being taught to live life in that way as a means of survival. The goofy Max example is her messing with the guys by having the best joke and totally shocking them and winning. In contrast, the disinterested max is responding to the guys doing something goofy which she might interpret as them "winning" because of the narcissistic abuse she's been trained to accept as normal behavior and adopted into herself.
In the lens of her introduction, while I don't imagine the Duffer's 100% planned it out, they definitely knew from her introduction that she was dealing with abuse. From the storytelling perspective, we have been with the boys for all of season one so it is better for the audience to maintain a point of view that is seated with their perspective of interactions with her. You see the same with Billy as every interaction we see in season two is people of Hawkins encountering him, not him encountering people of Hawkins. They're outsiders to the story this season being introduced and it's something that the Duffer's have routinely done with all of their characters. Just like I expect Argyle will no longer be reacted to in season 5 and be more part of the team and dove into, Max and Billy became part of the main group of characters allowing internal looks as opposed to the introductory external looks.
I also think the Nancy example isn't the best choice for comparison because Nancy is struggling with a different kind of psychological pressure than Max. She is struggling with the confliction of identity between being the goody two shoes ideal and being the bad girl ideal. She has spent the series balancing those two people and coming into her own as an adult. She's a teenager growing into an adult.
Meanwhile, Max is a child growing into a teenager while facing severe emotional abuse. They're very different character stories and fit with the overall themes of relationships and mental health that flow throughout Stranger Things because they're distinct experiences. Eleven has parental trauma and trust issues. Mike is an empath who lets every one else cry on his shoulder but doesn't give himself time to cry making him angry when he has his feelings. Will is discovering his identity, whatever it is (Prolly gay) and is extremely stressed about it. Lucas is a black kid in a mostly white town who naturally ends up with the outcasts and nerds because that how it worked from the 80s-00s that wishes he could be popular and accepted. Dustin is the child of a single mother who is so supportive of him that he feels self-assured in his identity and is confident with speaking up even though people bully and are mean to him. Steve is a kid with a supposed jerk of a dad who, at his core, knows right from wrong because of that relationship and transitions away from that path when given the right opportunities to be selfless and good. Eddie is a social outcast who always feels outnumbered and scared that puts on a major mask of who he wants to be to survive, ultimately making that mask who he actually is when he sacrifices himself to give the others just a few more rounds of combat uninterrupted. And Mr Wheeler is a dick who doesn't care.
There's so many, but that's the theming and why comparing the characters with the same analytical techniques may be misguided. Anyway, this was long. I like your video and it was super awesome that it got me so engaged with the content of Stranger Things as to write all this!
I think im in the minority i liked max the whole way through... I thought she was a rly good character in season 2 and I found her being somewhat aloof and then super sociable to be easy to grasp because I feel like its relatable to a lot of ppl... (maybe just me who switches up their personality depending on their mood in like two seconds but idk)
I cried during that scene, because it was (for me, at least) the absolute perfect visualization of what it's like to fight BPD. It feels exactly like that. It's really, really rare that media or art gets that, especially "high brow"-media, especially, when they didn't intend to.
Her character change is amazing
I already know the answer: Sadie Sink. She was given more to work with for the character of Max and showcased how incredible of an actress she is. Same with Natalia.
Max’s behavior at the beginning of Season 2 actually makes sense to me, even when she seems to contradict herself. Aloof Max is not a different character than Cheerful Max, she simply is a protective shell. Max IS cheerful, she is kind, she is friendly. But her nightmarish situation at home has pushed those core characteristics of her deep down. It has had on her the worst possible effect abuse can have on someone: it’s made her think she’s not worth to be cared for. The inner contradictions of Season 2 Max are simply the foundation for Season 4 Max struggle with full blown depression and her subsequent ordeal with Vecna.
its also awesome that music saves her.. considering how massively relatable that is for most people. music saves people from darkness in our real lives all the time. so that just stacks more emotion and relatability on top of it all
Yes yes YES!
And yes!
Max had a great evolution.
About more content on Stranger Things? Would be awesome, hope the algorythm likes it too because it's a pretty good show, and would be fun to see you analyse the writing.
Love the easter egg at the "bad stuff vs tragedy" part with Powder, Milo, Claggor and Vander
I get your main critique of max in season 2, and her entrance might seem confusing to an average viewer... but to me it made sense immediately. The sarcastic scene is setting up her emotional wall, but being new to school she is clearly lonely. The halloween seen is her nervously letting them beyond the wall. She begins with a prank to surprise them, then talks awkwardly/nervously and runs off ahead of them before anyone can question it. It basically allows for her to gain entry to the group without having to explain her earlier rude interaction. That seemed perfectly natural and cohesive the first time I watched it. Though I get some viewers might need hand holding to explain it.
Max being annoyed with Lucas and Dustin at the begining makes sense imagine you move to a new town new school first day on the playground a group of boys stalk you while your just trying to ease into this new lifestyle.
Also max is from a big city idk where you live but city aren't that friendly cause all sorts of stabbings and horrid crimes happen on a daily there
In season 2 she was aloof at first and rejected going out on halloween with them, but later she basically saves them from being ran over by Billy and felt bad for that so she tried to make it up. I think thats the way to explain your first point on how she changed her approach.
I think Billy being controlling makes sense. Its not necessarily because he cares for max but because he is looking for control where he can find it. His little sister max is just an easy place to find that.
Yes, and for that only Neil scene it's pretty much implied what Max does "wrong" ends hitting back Billy
Also he's a racist and it was against Lucas.
I think that you misunderstood her,
in the beginning obviously she wasn’t interested but after a conversation with Lucas she ended up trying to not be the girl who she was in the beginning who was annoyed, so after that conversation with Lucas she ended up trying be friendly and over the top …. That happens a lot with kids who end up moving to new places , trying to not care about the situation but also having an interest …. So it may seem like she’s jumping from one emotion to another but it’s just how some people are .
The next part with billy , you don’t understand he doesn’t care about her hanging with others but he’s controlling when it comes to Lucas to showcase her inability to have racism within her… billy didn’t want her around Lucas because he was black and billy was racist. Hence the random caring about people she hangs with ….
Max’s point in being there was for eleven to not come back. It allowed for 11 to venture out and she ended up getting stronger because of it …. She allowed for the group dynamic to change, they were a certain way and because of her they had changes. And when you say you could replace her with anyone you don’t realize but they were setting up her life and why she is the way she is … it’s subtle but it shows that her family situation isn’t great …..
Season 3 max was great as well , showing that 11 can build more friendships other than with the boys … in season 2 billy and max were 1 character in a sense and that’s why it seemed so confusing , but season 3 showed the separation of their characters….
There’s so much more I can say and go on about , enough I wanted to create a video comparing what you said but alas I feel this should be enough for now.
Even though one might argue that the Billy/Max character arc didn't impact the plot too much in season 2, I still gotta admit that they were some of my favourite parts of that season. Billy is such a great written character and Max was a needed addition to the group
Max just keeps on getting better. Exactly what happened with steve
I actually appreciate very much that Max didn't have an apparent purpose in season 2 because it is much like how it is in real life. People we meet doesn't automatically affect our lives as soon as we meet them, I feel like when characters are introduced for a specific reason and just to affect the plot, it kind of undermines their integrity as a character, a person. If Max and Billy were straight up used as a plot device or a very integral character in season two then it'd have felt like they were JUST plot devices. You made a great point that the sauna scene and other scenes with Billy and Max could have easily been less powerful if it were random people, hence them being introduced earlier is great.
I LOVE this deep dive into her character. I was actually nervous about how they would handle her character coming off of Season 3 (because this type of grief is so complex) but seeing Season 4, they nailed it (thank God they didn't kill her because what a terrible message that would have been after everything she's been through). Dear Billy has to be my favorite episode of the entire series and I hope we get to still see more of her despite her current state.
I really love the effort you put into this video and I'd love to see more Stranger Things stuff from you! Maybe more character deep dives? Or maybe a look into how Stranger Things masterfully uses music (not just the soundtrack but the score, too)? Idk, I'd be really happy with any Stranger Things content.
This may be hard to believe based on what I'm about to say, but I am not an emotional person (Or at least not when watching things like tv shows). But maxes arc/scenes in season 4 get me so emotional that I cried just watching this video because of the scenes of max that were in it. I honestly didn't really like max in season 2, but I really appreciate her more now and think the creators of the show did a great job with her this season.
lol same, i teared up getting the clips
Great topic! While I agree that Max is the best, I think your view of her season one intro doesn't take the way people in abusive relationships and broken homes behave. I work with kids like this in classrooms a lot and think that there's a kind of mask they wear because of trauma. Of course, that trauma comes around to feed into her entire storyline for facing Billy and Vecna seasons 3 & 4.
Personally feel like even if she was a bit weak in S2 it sort of back-fills a justification when they *do* make her and Billy so essential later. They may be replaceable in S2 but their introduction there makes it more impactful when they become irreplaceable in S3 and S4.
I have a defense for her S1 inconsistency in the Halloween scenes. When she appears annoyed and disinterested, the setting is in the school hallway and she doesn't want to be seen at all, let alone being seen with the two "nerdy" kids (the only ones wearing costumes to school etc.) In this scene, she is extremely visible and exposed, and her wall is at maximum (no pun intended).
But for trick-or-treating, it's dark and she gets to literally conceal herself behind a mask. And she doesn't stand out for wearing a mask because everyone else is doing the same. So she can be herself, and probably a more bubbly and intense version because she keeps so much bottled up.
I still think your overall analysis is spot-on.
Max’s character development throughout this series is just so awesome.
Yo! I love your Stranger Things analysis! I love how you’re branching out with more shows rather than just Arcane, and although I do love a good Arcane analysis, it’s great to see other shows be included! We love the new stuff! Keep up the great work!
Max easily became my favorite character of ST, specially this season. The depth that they gave her made me feel strongly connected to her, all those feelings I knew them, I've been struggling with depression for over a decade, I have lost important people at a young age and I did not get through it till this day. The Duffer brothers really did a amazing job with this season.
Man, I can't even think about Max because if I do I start to cry nonstop (I'm writing this while sobbing). I really love Max and I hope both of us, and everyone struggling, have a happy ending.
The way you structure your videos is so good. Like i didn't find myself fast forwarding once. The pace, the language, the eloquence is just *chefs kiss* loved every minute of it and your opinions are very interesting and well thought out. Great video!
the running scene made me SOB, so accurate to the feeling of trying to live when every voice in your head is saying you're better off dead. such a good message, I really hope max's story helped some people.
"This is a confusing introduction to a character" It's called letting your guard down and having a different mood
Billy acting like he doesn't care about Max one minute and then being super controlling of her the next is not a mistake of writing. That's what an abusive relationship looks like.
Man this is actually one of the best essay videos Ive seen on youtube. Everything you say is so well thought out and so knowledgeable on story and its mechanics
Hello, hi hi, I remember someone telling me the same 0:52 but I'm gonna tell you what I told them: Max started to be hype and nice to the boys after Billy tried to run over them, she was actually too scared because she had to steer the wheel in order to avoid hitting them. She felt such guilt, that she decided to join them trick-or-treating and be their friends. That moment brought them together and in my noggin it does make sense the attitude change. She had something to look forward to in a new place.
I think the use of Max has been masterfully crafted. I appreciate this analysis but think some of the “holes” can be attributed to character development over several seasons. I didn’t find Max unnatural or under utilized in earlier seasons. The show has given lots of characters their time to shine, and there’s a lot. This was her time and she nailed it! I’m still emotionally shaken by the gravitas of her performance.
I fell in love with Max as soon as I saw her, this is the best character in my life.
Max’s characterization HS in fact remained consistent, imo. Her being aloof and annoyed came first when she moved to town with her demon of a brother Billy. The boys chipped away at her tough exterior and got through to her to the point where she was first humored and entertained by them, but still annoyed. That annoyance became friendly and she was a part of the group, and it continued from there.
I’m so glad you’re going into stranger things now; I just finished bingeing the show and loved your analysis of Arcane. Keep it up!!
Man its awesome that you found new series to make video about!! Will look forward to it
I loved her role in this season and i didn't know exactly why, but everything you said make me appreciate her even more and understanding it more deeply
I guess I always saw Max' brokenness as a result of her abuse. She wants to be included in a group, but she has learned to act like she doesn't care about things or they might be taken away from her. Plus, she doesn't really know how to create the healthy relationships she wants, because all around her she only has bad examples...
dawg i don’t even watch stranger things i’m here from your arcane videos but the way you speak is so compelling. i’m convinced you don’t even have a script just bullet points, but not in a bad way.
she went from my least favourite character to my favourite character in the space of one episode. I actually ended up crying during her scene in the graveyard (s4) i really resonated with her character in that moment 😭😭
thanks for the video :) pls make more of these!
edit: i was actually so obsessed with the writing of a lot of these characters this season :3
so many scenes i was like jaw on the floor it was so cool??? specifically that will and mike scene in the car, so amazing ☺️
Max really stood out to me this season, the amount of depth they added to her charachter is amazing! Also did you say in the end that you're doing a GoT/arcane comparsion? NO WAY UR COMBINING MY FAV SHOWS TOGHETER!
the back and fourth behavior is on point. billy is unstable so that reflects in how he treats Max and it makes sense that she would also have similar tendencies
She is a STAR this season. Love her.
you should lowkey make a video about writing but explaining it at a 5th grade level i think it would be very funny
Yes.👍👍
Is anyone Else suprised when they realized people first liked Max in season 4? When i Saw her i fell inlove with the personality Idk why tho.
Im excited to learn why people hated her so i Can understand and see the improvement
Same , max was my my favourite character since season 2
Oooh, yes! I love that you're analyzing Stranger Things. I pushed myseld to watch part 2 of S4 sooner so I could finally watch this.
It's really cool because your criticism of S2 Max is exactly the criticism my husband brought up yesterday about her, and I do think the effect she has on the story is more uniquely Her than in S2.
I also just adore the points you always bring up about how story ambiguity and complexity can prompt audience engagement, and that's much better than just giving us clear answers. It's a lot more fun, as an audience member, to speculate and ask questions than to just have everything expositioned at us.
Great video!
The running up that hill sence is next to perfect as it sums up what the inter episode is about
Thank you for putting words to something that was bothering me but I didn’t know how to articulate. Love that you are doing Stranger Things now. I think one about Steve’s character arc would be well handled by you. Just saying.
I love max. Yeah, she seems like she wants to make friends in in S1/2, and then goes to this loner chick in S4. But That"s the way introverts are. They see a group (of usually outcasts), they can identify with and open up to, and integrate. But if that group "turns" on them or something traumatic happens, they will revert to their previous introverted state.
I really hope you do an analysis of Nancy.❤She has a pretty great character arc, in my opinion because she starts off-and easily could have remained-your basic Damsel-in-Distress. But I think she has a lot of psychological depth as a person who clearly has an interest in the occult. Like Murray says, "we're wired differently." She becomes someone who really drives her own narrative and actively solves mysteries related to defeating Vecna, whereas in season one she's kind of just there to shed light on Jonathan and Steve's journey's. S4 Nancy gets her own narrative, becomes an emboldened journalist, investigates dangerous situations, and is able to access new levels of bravery (and badassery.) I'm soo, so happy they gave her the guns❤🔥
Really love your analysis of these characters.
And if you take into the running up that hill song meaning and introduction into consideration you'll realise why it's her favourite song. We first see her listening to it before going to a Councillor, q place to share her feelings but we see the wall she has built, and the graveyard scene further empowering this point.
The songs meaning IS to exchange experiences to show what lover have been through to strengthen a bound, but max would love the song because if it were to happen, she wouldn't need words, she wouldn't need to bring down her wall, it would do it for her. The song means so much when actually listened to in regards to max's character in stranger things
While we got a taste of it, I feel like the writers really missed out on going into more depth about season 3 max coping with the fact that her brother is the monster.
She was never a bad character, it was character development. Really sad character tbh, she is so closed off in season 2 and when season 3 comes around, she opens up a bit and has fun with her friends and realises she has friends to rely on and becomes a ton more loyal (the walls come down). But then her brother dies in front of her and the walls go up again :(. She literally has survivor guilt + trauma, gets nightmares + visions and then all her bones break, she goes blind and falls into a coma. This character, out of everyone, deserves a happy ending.
Max's running scene made me cry. "Running up that hill" was my childhood song, along with Flock of Seagulls "I ran". To me "running up that hill" is about hardship, hoping and looking for the strength in overcoming adversity and hardship.
Right after that episode, I received a revelation tied to that song. Something I didn't even realize. I realized "running up that hill" is about the covenant between Man and God, we all want our pain and suffering to ease and all we had to do is make a covenant with God for guidance, something greater than ourselves. He gives us the rules and groundwork and all we have to do it take that path. Easier said than done, something Max's character had such difficulty in achieving, all she had to do is talk to her friends, open herself up but she could never do it, not until she was at rock bottom.
Then, she made a choice and ran.
Youre easily my favorite character analysis youtuber. Amazing breakdown of character and it was all non judgemental very unique.
The aloof attitude came from her tough home life, Her hopping out at them on Halloween was her being her self, not worried about her brother being around. Felt pretty obvious at the time
I've always liked Max. I mean, all the characters are stunning. But she is probably my favorite female character.
YESSSS!1!1! i have legitimately been thinking about how much i’d love for you to do some videos on stranger things. very nice to see my wish fulfilled
This season of ST has been incredible and w so many scenes, themes and plots, that’ve had me riveted and rapt, and i am beyond that you’re delving into it. Your format is fantastic, both in the way you set up these video essays and how you delve into them, and all the complex and layered topics and themes you bring up w such seeming ease - without coming of dense or in-apprehensible - i’m ever enthralled man
Great video! I really didn’t care about Max until this season, and she is by far my favorite character now. This video perfectly describes why! I’m running on the elliptical, watching this video, and getting all emotional seeing the season 4 clips again 😭
Bruh s2 Max was very important what you mean she meant nothing
Only now am I appreciating that Max and Eleven come from abusive “homes.” Both long for absent or distant mothers, and both have had ambivalent relationships with manipulative “older brother” figures.
That was sooooo well done. Thank you!
This is one of the best videos you’ve ever made. You explained so much so clearly. Love it
I'm sorry but you did a 17 minute video about Max's growth over three seasons without BARELY mentioning arguably the key character that helped her along that journey, the same character who had more vital scenes with her in this standout season four that you are showering with praise: Lucas.
You have to go no further than the actress who plays Max, Sadie Sink, to grasp how vital Lucas is to her. Sink explained that its Lucas whom she puts at a distance because no one has ever cared for her the way Lucas has and she has never cared for anyone as she has for him. And the thought of that frightens her. Sink also pointed out that the situation for Max could have been less tragic if Max had not put up walls between her and Lucas following Billy's death.
We got small glimpses of how she was struggling with these artificial barriers early on in season four. Lucas waives at her from the court during the prep rally but she turns her head away from him. Lucas offers her tickets to the championship game and she acts dismissive of it, coming off as incredulous that Lucas can think its such a big deal. When he pushes back and tells her maybe she should find something that interests her as he has with basketball, it startles her and she responds in anger. Lucas hit a nerve. And despite her breaking things off with him he can still tell, even from a distance, that Max is going through tough times, that something is wrong (contrast that with the senior Jason who has no clue that Chrissy, whom he claims to love, is dealing with major troubles too). But here's the most important result that came out of that hallway discussion between Lucas and Max; : it s revealed that despite all of her outwards acts of indifference for what he was doing, she actually ended up listening to the game on the radio. She DOES care. She is just unwilling or unable to show it. When the announcers on the radio mention that benchwarmer Lucas must be sitting on top of the world, Max immediately turns off the radio because the fact that Lucas could be moving on without her and enjoying his life while she remained in a slump was perhaps too painful to bear.
Curiously I noticed that during Vol. 1 as Max’s popularity was rising, a lot of the commentary by fans tried to suddenly limit the importance of Lucas in her life and during her time in Hawkins. He was reduced to being referenced only as “Max’s friends”, as if he was no more important than Dustin, Steve, Mike, etc. Nonsense. He was her boyfriend, he was her ex, he was the one she had opened up to more than anyone else. But people cold never mention him by name, he was grouped in with the rest of the friends. Your video does exactly this. And your video also give far more lip service to Max’s relationship with Eleven and, of all people, Billy. Granted no one can deny the tight bond between Max and El, but in her flashbacks in the episode “Dear Billy” we got ten moments with Lucas and only five with Eleven. The other “friends” got far less. Later we would learn that Max’s happiest memory that she would use as her mental safe space was her time with Lucas at the Snow Ball. I’ll go as far as to claim that Max never opened up to Eleven about her life throughout season three as she did to Lucas on top of that bus in season two.
Billy was the most negative person in Max’s life and yet so many people like to cling to the notion that Billy was on some redemptive arc and that he and Max were on the verge of some personal turnaround. You overplay the hand that what happened to him was the most crucial component to her development. Billy’s death actually caused Max’s to go into a terrible tailspin. More vital was her fighting her way out of that dive and trying to get to a better place. And the key too much of that was Lucas because even if he was unable to fix all the ills that plagued her thinking, he was at least able to target her heart and reach her on another level. Lucas never gave up on Max despite all she did to push him away. Time after time Lucas went way and beyond to get Max to open up. Virtually every key emotional moment Max shared with a main character in season four was with Lucas. With her other “friends” she would make snarky remarks, or deliver jokes or give exposition to move the story forward. With Lucas the interactions were more heart-to-heart that made her pause and opened up small cracks in the façade she had put up. Everything from the “I don’t want a letter” to the I missed your laugh exchange, to his comment about how he sees her now, to his sly asking of her if he was part of her fondest memory. Look at Max’s face in all those exchanges and you will see an emotion that she does not display at other times. You see something positive trying to break through. You see glimpses of a smile. You see love.
I agree that Max was the MVP of season four but it was not just for the reasons you laid out. You ignored a component of her complexity by not acknowledging the reopening of her heart, the resurfacing of strong emotional feelings towards Lucas. She increasingly becomes comfortable with him again, she looks at ease in her presence. His strong feelings for her is a tonic for the negative emotions that have overwhelmed her and it was key for her well-being that she allowed herself to acknowledge those feelings, even if inwardly. And this leads to the greatest triumph for Max the entire season and that is the moment she drew that image of her and Lucas going on a Friday movie date. Yes, its always bad for characters in dire circumstances to make future plans, but you have to make an exception this time around. By agreeing to Lucas’ date proposal, Max was showing she was ready to live her life again. She was envisioning a future of joyful times. And THAT was a powerful statement considering the state she had been in and none of that may have come about if Lucas hadn’t remained a positive, patient and respectful presence in her life.
How you skip over all that? If season four gave us the greatest development of Max and perhaps the most fully realized character that series has ever produced, I don’t understand what made you skip over the Lucas angle considering it fleshes out Max even more.
Also you spent considerable time laying out how you thought season 2 Max was weakest in large part because the character had little effect on anyone else. Going by that standard then what makes season four Max's story so central is the effect it has on Lucas throughout the majority of the episodes, most especially the finale. How convenient you ignore that. Its as if you were going out of your way to downplay any connection between the two characters.
This is a fantastic comment, very in-depth, maybe moreso than the video. It made me appreciate their relationship even more, so thanks
This is beautiful and made me tear up a bit. Many people don't like to admit what Billy was and sleep on Lucas like it's their job like he's not just as important as the rest of them and it's frustrating. This sums up Lucas and Max perfectly and also my feelings towards Billy. Excellent job.
This is so spot-on. There is something weird in this fandom. The erasure of Lucas and indifference to idk character arc. For some it’s intentional but maybe for many it’s an old habit that is refusing to die. I noticed as well ‘friends’. There is no more compelling inter-personal story in the season 4 than Max and Lucas, I guess to dismay of many.
I really love your character/story telling analysis work. You are so insightful and observant and communicate your ideas very clearly.
This is literally the third time i'm rewatching this video its such a good and enjoyable video
Makes total sense based on how guarded she has to be. Halloween was a night of freedom to where she could open up a little more, be a kid. And every newbie wants to make friends.
i loved the juxtaposed dynamic of her introduction and view it as a staple of why shes my favourite character. i see her actions as very clear and readable and the justification later on in the season only works to enhance that. i feel like you really skim over the points and dont do enough to justify them or at least convice me
I don’t think you can flaw season 2 Max. I feel like season 2 Max and Billy are two halves of a whole telling this story. By the end of season two you see these two people separating into their own characters from one family. They are saying she’s not like her brother, she’s on the right side. It might be minimal but I think it’s great story telling from start to finish.
I love that scene. Thanks for a great video on it.
These are some good writing tips. Helped focus what I'm working on. Thanks!