Mad Max lives. In Stranger Things 5’s seventh episode, the Hawkins teen, played by Sadie Sink, escapes Camazotz and wakes up in her hospital bed face-to-face with Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), who has been by her side for almost two years. 

“When a scene is so beautifully written and a moment is as touching as that is, it makes my job easier to connect with Max,” Sink shared. “And when Caleb is giving such an incredible performance as well, I just felt very lucky to be in that room.”

The emotional impact was felt by everyone on set. Once director Shawn Levy called action, the “energy switched” for McLaughlin as he looked into Sink’s eyes. After filming, he recalls, “everyone was quiet. Then Maya [Hawke] and Amybeth [McNulty] started crying. Then Sadie started crying. Then I started crying. Everyone just felt the presence of what we brought to the table.”

For Hawke, a “spell was cast” while filming on the hospital set. “I went home feeling so inspired,” she says.

It was a long journey to reach that euphoric moment. Max, who has been trapped in Vecna’s mental prison, keeps running through the villain’s mind, knowing Lucas is on the other side. “I think that’s saving her, ultimately, knowing that he’s not giving up on me,” Sink tells Tudum. “He knows I’m still in there.”

To finally break free of Vecna’s grip, Max must get to the red void with Holly (Nell Fisher). Upon arriving, she discovers a portal that will help her escape — but she must leave Holly behind. The pair share an emotional exchange before bidding farewell, with Max reminding her young friend that Holly the Heroic isn’t just a figurine — she is Holly.

“That moment between them is so special because they’ve obviously had such an intense journey together,” Sink said. “To pause at such a climactic point and have Max express to Holly everything that she’s picked up about her and give her that little pep talk, it meant a lot.” 

Working with the 14-year-old actress took Sink back to her first season of Stranger Things, when she was the same age as her co-star. “I was so excited, but I was nervous [because] this fan base is so huge, and Stranger Things Season 1 was such a success. It was a nerve-wracking transition, being thrust into this platform and attention at such a young age,” she says. “I found it really nice to be able to give her some advice if she wanted [it].” 

Sink, who first entered the world of Hawkins almost a decade ago, adds that it doesn’t “feel like it was that long ago” that the Duffer Brothers called to say she’d be joining the show. 

“One thing I kept trying to tell myself this season was just to slow down and take in every single moment, because it’s something I’m really going to want to remember one day,” she shared. “I’ll look back on this whole experience and remember it so fondly as the thing that really started it all for me and introduced me to some of my best friends.”

The first seven episodes of Stranger Things 5 are streaming now on Netflix, followed by The Finale
on New Year’s Eve. Each volume is released at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET. Find out when new episodes arrive in your part of the world here. And test your knowledge of Stranger Things with our superfan quiz.