Sadie Sink’s Max Mayfield feared that she would suffer the same fate as Chrissy Cunningham, the head cheerleader at Hawkins High. In preparation for her imminent demise, the Dig-Dug champion wrote out letters to all her friends and her stepbrother Billy. Although we see those letters being handed out, the Duffer Brothers decided to keep everyone in the dark regarding their contents — knowing that Max would survive her encounter with Vecna. Obviously, no one else knew that Max would make it out alive, so everyone began wondering about what exactly Max had written to Mike, Dustin, Steve, Lucas, and the others. In Stranger Things 4, we hear a monologue voiceover from Sadie Sink as Max during “Chapter Four: Dear Billy,” where Max sits at Billy’s grave and reads his letter — hoping that his spirit would hear it.
Sink herself has revealed that she actually isn’t clued in on what the letters contain. The Duffer Brothers clearly had the intention to keep some secrets in Stranger Things 4. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Sink shares her own curiosity about Max’s sentimental side, mentioning that “coming across as yucky and sentiment” is Max’s “worst nightmare.”
When someone finds themselves knocking on death’s door, the truth starts to come out. What opinions has Max formed about her friends that she isn’t confident enough to share without the incentive of a death curse? Sink isn’t the only one that’s likely stayed awake at night wondering what Max might say, but apparently, she has a good indication of what Lucas’ letter might contain. Everyone else? She’s just as stumped as we are.
“I hope we get to read a few of them because, maybe this is just me, but I would love to see what Max has to say about people when she’s not worried about coming across as yucky and sentimental — her worst nightmare. What does she really think about these people? And, what is she dying to tell them that she can’t in person? I’ve definitely thought about it a lot. I have a pretty good idea of what she would say to a few key characters. I pretty much know everything she would say to Lucas. But I don’t know about the others. What does her letter to Steve say? I would love to crack open those letters eventually at some point in the series.”
Delving more into the relationship between Max and Lucas, the 20-year-old elaborates on their feelings towards each other, saying that “they both just really care about each other,” but Max is terrified of commitment and finds compassion for another human being positively overwhelming. Sink touches on the point that Max has such a hard-bitten exterior that she wouldn’t dare to be vulnerable in person, but perhaps through her letters, she doesn’t need to shy away from that vulnerability. However, there’s the other side to that argument that begs to differ, saying that Max could take her personal values to the grave with her and the writing is a mere formality.
“With Max and Lucas, it’s so tricky because they both just really care about each other, but the love and care that Lucas has for Max terrifies her, and the love and care that she has for Lucas terrifies her, so she would never say anything to that extent in person. So, I think throughout this letter, hypothetically, she would probably express some of that care and love that she has for him in a really genuine and vulnerable way. Or maybe she’s not letting go of her values even when she’s dead, and it’s just writing on paper.”
Only the Duffer Brothers have access to all the information on Max’s letters, but hopefully, they won’t be selfish with their secrets. Since we’re just a few days away from Volume Two, maybe the burning questions will be answered.