Sadie Sink has addressed the online backlash around a late-season moment that some viewers criticized as oddly unhurried, even though the characters were trying to escape Vecna’s mind prison.
The scene in question happens during Stranger Things 5 when Max finally reaches a way out, but pauses for an emotional exchange with Holly Wheeler before attempting to escape. Netflix’s own coverage frames that pause as intentional, a character-driven beat designed to underline what Max has learned from protecting Holly through Vecna’s maze.
What happens in the scene where people are arguing about
In the final season, Max spends much of the story trapped inside Vecna’s mind prison, paired with Holly Wheeler, a younger character she ends up guiding through an extended survival run.
As they push toward an exit, Max finds a portal that could free her, but it requires leaving Holly behind. The show stops for a heartfelt conversation where Max encourages Holly and reframes “Holly the Heroic” as something bigger than a toy, essentially telling her that she has the strength to be her own hero.
That is the beat some fans clipped and posted as “why are you talking right now,” because it sits inside a high-stakes escape attempt.
What Sadie Sink said, and why the pacing critique is not random
Sink’s broader point about filming these kinds of sequences is simple: Stranger Things often asks actors to deliver emotional monologues at the exact moment the world is ending. In a recent interview, she even jokes about how hard that is to square with life-or-death momentum.
That lines up with the actual construction of the scene. Netflix’s behind-the-scenes explanation emphasizes that the pause is meant to show Max actively choosing to give Holly what she needs emotionally before separating, not just racing for the exit.
So the internet’s complaint is about pacing, but the show’s intent is about payoff for the Max and Holly relationship.
Why was the scene built this way
Two things are clearly driving the creative choice:
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Max’s arc in the final season is emotional survival, not just physical survival.
She is stuck in a grim mental landscape for a long time, and the story leans into how that changes her energy and priorities. -
Holly is not just a passenger; she is part of Max’s way out.
Both Netflix and other reputable interviews highlight Holly’s role in pushing Max forward and in shaping the most emotional moments of Max’s storyline.
That context matters, because without it the viral clip looks like a character ignoring danger for no reason.
What comes immediately after, and why it reframes the moment
Not long after the escape thread resolves, the show returns to one of its most anticipated emotional payoffs: Max waking and reuniting with Lucas. Entertainment Weekly’s breakdown of that reunion describes it as a scene that left cast and crew visibly emotional, including director Shawn Levy.
That placement is not accidental. The show uses the Max and Holly exchange to highlight what Max has become in Vecna’s prison, then uses the Lucas reunion to cash out what she means to the people waiting for her in Hawkins.
