Max Mayfield from Stranger Things is in a coma for about 18 months to nearly two years in the story’s timeline, depending on which source you follow.

Quick scoop

  • Season 5 is set roughly 18 months after the events of the Season 4 finale where Max falls into the coma.
  • Several breakdowns and recaps describe Max as having been comatose for “a year and a half” or “nearly two years” before she finally wakes up in Season 5, Volume 2.
  • In-universe, this long period is used to explain why Max is extremely weak, struggling with vision and movement, and needs a wheelchair after waking.

In-universe timeline

  • End of Season 4: Max is attacked by Vecna, briefly dies, and is brought back but ends up in a coma.
  • Time jump: Season 5 jumps ahead about 18 months, during which Max remains unresponsive in the hospital.
  • Waking up: In Volume 2, Max finally opens her eyes, with Lucas at her side, after this extended coma period.

Why fans say “nearly two years”

  • Some official coverage phrases it as “18 months,” while others round it up to “nearly two years,” since the story spans a long off-screen recovery period.
  • Forum and article discussions commonly use both figures, but all agree that Max is out of action for well over a year, which is unusually long for a main character in a TV series.

TL;DR: Max is in a coma for about a year and a half to almost two years in Stranger Things before she finally wakes up.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.