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[This story contains major spoilers from Stranger Things<\/em> season five, episodes one through four.]<\/strong><\/p>\n Heading into the final season of\u00a0Stranger Things<\/em>, fans are well and fully prepped for a certain level of brutality. Just think back on some of the biggest traumatic moments from over the years \u2014 the death of Sean Astin\u2019s Bob, for one, and the fresh tragedy of meeting and losing Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn)<\/a> all in one season. But there was very nearly a worse death in season four: Sadie Sink\u2019s skateboarding hero, Max<\/a>, briefly killed at the whims of Lord Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower)<\/a>, only to return to life thanks to a little help from her friend Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown).<\/p>\n More from The Hollywood Reporter<\/strong><\/p>\n Set months after the season four finale<\/a>, the final season premiere shows just how much has changed since Max fell into a coma \u2014 except for Max, who is still comatose as the story begins. But that\u2019s not where the story ends. The season\u2019s third episode reveals <\/a>Max\u2019s true whereabouts as a spirit of sorts, stalking the Upside Down, hiding out from Vecna and plotting a comeback. All she needs is a little help from\u00a0another\u00a0<\/em>friend. Enter: Holly Wheeler, played this season by Nell Fisher, who shows up at the wrong place at the right time to join forces against the Upside Down\u2019s cruel overlord.<\/p>\n Below,\u00a0The Hollywood Reporter\u00a0<\/em>speaks with Sadie Sink about Max\u2019s epic comeback, spending most of her scenes across from a relative newcomer to the\u00a0Stranger Things\u00a0<\/em>scene, and why she still doesn\u2019t feel closure at the end of the series\u2019 run.<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n The wait between seasons four and five was quite stressful for Max fans. I assume it was less stressful for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n Yes, it was less stressful. I knew she would be coming back when we were finishing season four. I was kind of warned that it would look like I was dying, \u201cbut don\u2019t worry, you\u2019re not.\u201d<\/p>\n Technically, you did!<\/strong><\/p>\n Technically! But they said, \u201cDon\u2019t worry, you\u2019re safe. You will serve a purpose in this plot.\u201d But that was kind of it, so I had no idea what that meant. We got the first four scripts [for season fove], and then there was a ridiculous table read for it, which was so formal, and not what we were used to at all. It seemed like it was so intense, and we were all like, \u201cWhat are we doing?\u201d Table reads are fun and we got to do a lot more this year, but honestly, I\u2019ve never been more nervous at a table read than just to say that line one \u2026<\/p>\n Right, because you\u2019re silent until the very end of episode three, and then bam: Max!<\/strong><\/p>\n Totally. And it was in this huge room where they had blacked it all out, and there was a camera on every single cast member \u2014\u00a0and there\u2019s like 30 of us. With the cameras it was very rigid and stiff. Everyone had been reading through it, and I think I was knitting a scarf or something. (Laughs<\/em>.) Because the first three episodes, I\u2019m obviously in a coma. Then we got to the end of episode three and it came time to say my line, I was sweating. I thought I was losing control of my voice. I was like, \u201cOh, my God, I\u2019m going to fuck it up!\u201d But I didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n Once you found out how you were coming back, how much did the Duffers unpack things for you<\/a>? You\u2019re sort of existing in a dream within a dream \u2014 or a nightmare within a nightmare.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n They had to give me more specifics because I had to do a chemistry read with Nell Fisher who plays Holly this season, and we had a couple of scenes together in episode four that kind revealed more information about Max\u2019s plot line. Then they filled me in on where I was. But before then, I don\u2019t remember what I thought Max was doing. I think I was just trusting the process.<\/p>\n