**Warning: This article contains major Stranger Things spoilers**
Stranger Things fans have a new theory about the fate of Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) after the explosive season four finale.
Anyone who's kept up with the Netflix show will know that the character has had a tough time of late, having been plagued by the big bad Vecna.
Things came to a head in the final episode as the Hawkins crew plotted to take down the antagonist by baiting him with Max.
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However, things didn't quite go to plan and she was only saved from his clutches right at the last moment, leaving her with broken bones and sight loss, and she's now in a coma.
Although it hasn't been confirmed whether or not she'll return in the fifth and final season of the show, viewers reckon she'll be back after spotting a clue.
You see, as Max lay in hospital, her ex-boyfriend Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) was seen reading Stephen King and Peter Straub’s fantasy novel The Talisman to her.
The book centres on Jack, a 12-year-old boy who attempts to save his mother, who is dying from cancer, by finding a crystal called the Talisman.
As part of his journey, he enters the Territories - a parallel universe not too dissimilar to the Upside Down.
In the story, it's possible for a person to die in one dimension but not the other, and while this only happens in rare cases, some Stranger Things viewers reckon it could be a hint as to Max's fate.
As said by one on Reddit: "The main character’s mother has cancer I believe, so he goes into The Territories to find what he needs to help her.
"He eventually finds it and is able to return and cure her, so I would definitely say it’s promising for Max’s recovery."
"Lucas reading The Talisman by Stephen King is foreshadowing for season 5 mark my words," wrote another on Twitter.
A third chimed in: "Jack goes on a quest into the Territories to seek the magical quest item – the Talisman – to save his mother’s life.
"His quest into the other world brings back the object that saves her life. Could they be setting up an arc for one of the Hawkins Gang to go into the Upside Down to get something to bring Max back?
"I think this could be a fun way to foreshadow S5, especially given that Lucas is literally holding the book (The Talisman itself) as he reads to Max."
The theory certainly sounds promising - but for now all we can do is wait until more details about season five roll in.
Stranger Things season 4 volume II is available to stream on Netflix now.
Topics: Stranger Things, Netflix, TV And Film
Daisy Phillipson