This article contains spoilers for vol. 1 of season 4 of Stranger ThingsMax Mayfield (Sadie Sink) has been an important part of Stranger Things ever since her introduction. Fans love Max's bold personality, her relationship with Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin), and her friendship with Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown). But when fans catch up with Max in season 4, she's having a hard time and is nothing like her old self because she's grieving a huge loss.
Fans see Max listening to her favorite song in these new episodes, and the use of a famous Kate Bush song is absolutely perfect and couldn't be better. This song helps fans see the sad state that Max is in as she works through her feelings.
Max is definitely having a horrible time in volume one of season 4 of this beloved show. Max and Lucas broke up on Stranger Things, and fans are shocked to learn this when the new season begins. One of the biggest moments in season 3 of Stranger Things was Billy Hargrove's (Dacre Montgomery) death. Max is now carrying around this loss and she doesn't know what to think or how to feel. It's clear from the first moment that this character appears onscreen again that Max feels like she has no one.
In the season 4 premiere called "The Hellfire Club," Max walks down her high school hallway listening to a song on headphones. That song is Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill," which was released in 1985. This is the song that music fans most likely associate with the singer, along with "Wuthering Heights" and "This Woman's Work." Max is clearly feeling so much pain, loss, and grief, and that's why she connects so much with this particular song.
The scariest Stranger Things creatures include The Mind Flayer and the Spider Monster. After The Mind Flayer processes Billy, the Spider Monster kills him, an absolutely horrifying season 3 scene. Max definitely has trouble processing her grief because Billy wasn't nice to her and they didn't get along at all. Now, she wonders how she's supposed to feel given how complicated their family situation has been.
The song's lyrics work so well because they explain what Max is going through. When Kate Bush sings in the chorus "If I only could/I'd make a deal with God/And I'd get him to swap our places," it's hard not to think that Max wishes that she had died instead of Billy because she likely feels guilty for being the one who survived.
It's interesting that "Running Up That Hill" is such a beautiful and flawless part of season 4 because Kate Bush wrote it because of the trouble that people have communicating and really getting each other in romantic relationships. According to American Songwriter, Bush said, "And if we could actually swap each other’s roles, if we could actually be in each other’s place for a while, I think we’d both be very surprised! And I think it would be led to a greater understanding. And really the only way I could think it could be done was either … you know, I thought a deal with the devil, you know. And I thought, ‘Well, no, why not a deal with God!’"
The song is also used well when Vecna takes over Max and she is transported to another world in her mind and her friends play the tune so they can get her back. It works and is one of the most powerful season 4 moments. While fans anticipated season 4 of Stranger Things and knew that there would be surprises and big plot points, it's also a welcome surprise to see such a big and popular song be used in such a smart and creative way. The fact that Max's friends know that this the song that she loves the most is also significant and shows that even though she feels isolated, they still know her.
The lyrics about "making a deal" also work for this show because the characters often find themselves in such alarming situations that they are hoping and crossing their fingers that their plans and ideas work. No one ever knows if they will be successful and all they can do is forge ahead and do their best.
"Running Up That Hill" is an excellent choice given the grief that Max is dealing with, as it shows the importance of music and pop culture in people's lives, especially when they're going through a difficult time. Everyone has that one singer or TV show or movie or book that they consumed while coping and trying to get through something terrible, and these pieces of pop culture feel so special and helpful. Art can serve as a distraction and can help someone work through their thoughts and feelings.
Fans can expect a long Stranger Things season 4 finale that is more than two hours, and hopefully by the end of the season, Max will be feeling a bit better. Fans care about these characters so much and hate seeing any of them in pain, but at least Max's friends have been able to save her and show her that they love her.