Stranger Things Season 4 sees Max and Lucas in their awkward post-breakup phase, but one sly Easter egg suggest they’ll get their happily ever after.
Warning: this article may contain spoilers for Stranger Things season 4.
A clever Easter egg in Stranger Things season 3 may have told audiences exactly how Max and Lucas’ relationship will end in Netflix’s show and it ties into That ’70s Show. Young love first blossomed between Max and Lucas in Stranger Things season 2, and that season culminated in them dancing with one another at Hawkins High’s Snow Ball. Their relationship has never been plain sailing. In Stranger Things season 3 it’s suggested that the pair temporarily broke up several times in their first summer together, but in season 4 that separation seems permanent.
Max’s grief in the wake of Billy’s sacrifice is one of the main story threads in Stranger Things season 4, and one of the main explanations for why she breaks up with Lucas. Max pushes Lucas away, wanting to process her emotional trauma alone, but the walls between them seem more friable by the end of Stranger Things season 4, part 1. Lucas obviously still cares very deeply for Max, as evidenced by his reaction when she narrowly escapes Vecna’s grasp, and Lucas’ disingenuous pursuit for popularity is swiftly swept aside. As things stand, a reunion between Max and Lucas seems possible, but one clever reference may confirm that theory.
In Stranger Things season 3, episode 8, Max and Lucas wear the same t-shirts as another iconic screen couple: Donna and Eric from That ’70s Show. Due to the near-identical and unusual wardrobes, it’s definitely an intentional choice, and while it could simply be a nod to the era and influences of Stranger Things, it highlights the similarities between the two relationships. Both couples are teenage sweethearts, both consist of central characters in their respective shows, and both have a similar dynamic. Given that the relationships have surface similarities, it’s not unfair to assume that Eric and Donna were a primary reference when the Duffer Brothers wrote the relationship between Max and Lucas. If that is the case, it could also mean that Max and Lucas will have the same happy ending as the That 70s Show couple.
While Eric and Donna met a little earlier in life than Max and Lucas, both couples are each other’s first love (although admitting that is easier said than done). Before both couples officially go out, there’s male competition for Max and Donna, in the form of Dustin and Steven Hyde, respectively. Stranger Things plays on this dynamic, however, as Dustin does not really pursue Max beyond offering his braces-laden grin. As previously mentioned, Max and Lucas aren’t unfamiliar with breakups, and the same applies to Eric and Donna. Their turbulent relationship never steadies too much over the course of That ’70s Show, with Eric dumping Donna twice – once because Donna doesn’t accept his promise ring, and the second time when Eric goes to teach in Africa.
Max and Lucas are in an Upside Down period of their relationship in Stranger Things season 4, but if Eric and That ’70s Show Donna’s relationship promises anything, it’s that Max and Lucas could get their happily ever after. In the final episode of That ’70s Show, Eric returns from Africa and tells Donna how much he regrets breaking up with her. The positive note of their reconciliation suggests that Eric and Donna get back together once That ’70s Show ends. If Donna and Eric are the main source of inspiration for Max and Lucas’ relationship, then hope likely remains for the Stranger Things couple. It likely won’t happen in season 4, however, that may move a little too quick for Max’s liking. Nonetheless, if the pair were to rekindle some optimism for their relationship in Stranger Things‘ final ever episode, it would be a sweet, ambiguous note for the characters to end on.
Stranger Things season 4, volume 2 will release on Netflix on July 1st.
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