Stranger Things star wants fans to explain why Max’s mother didn’t appear in Season 5

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Jennifer Marshall, who played Max Mayfield’s mother on Stranger Things, wasn’t in Season 5. She’s now asking fans to speculate about why her character wasn’t included in the show’s final season.

After nearly a decade, the popular show concluded with its fifth season, which first premiered on Netflix in 2016. It became one of Netflix’s most defining and consistently watched series. The final episode aired on New Year’s Eve and received a varied response from viewers, with some even speculating it was a decoy and the true finale would arrive a week later.

The ‘Conformity Gate’ idea proposed that Vecna, played by Jamie Campbell Bower, fabricated a false sense of hope – a happy ending – to deceive both the characters in Hawkins and the viewers. However, fans hoping for a special ‘secret’ episode were let down when it never happened.

Many viewers weren’t the only ones let down by the latest season of Stranger Things. Actress Jennifer Marshall publicly shared her disappointment on Instagram, revealing she was surprised not to reprise her role as Max’s mother.

Jennifer Marshall thinks its weird Max’s mother wasn’t there for her in Stranger Things Season 5

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A post shared by Jennifer Marshall (@jenn13jenn13)

Right after the final episode of Stranger Things Season 5 became available on Netflix, Marshall playfully questioned the absence of Susan Hargrove, Max’s mother, during Max’s hospitalization and coma. In an Instagram post on January 1st, she wrote, “Okay everyone, it’s done… but where was she? What mother wouldn’t be at her child’s bedside in the hospital? I want to hear all your ideas!”

Viewers reacted negatively online, questioning why Susan wasn’t in the final season of the show. Some noted that she had been portrayed as struggling with alcohol in earlier seasons, which may explain her lack of appearance.

They said she struggled with alcoholism and was aware her daughter was in a coma. Based on their experience, people battling alcohol addiction often avoid difficult situations like hospital visits or dealing with tough emotions. And if they do attempt these things, they frequently arrive while intoxicated – not because of a lack of care, but due to the way alcohol affects the brain’s regulation.

Some fans theorized Vecna killed Susan before the events of the show to leave Max vulnerable, fitting into his larger scheme. Another idea was that the government intervened to silence her.

Jennifer Marshall wanted to be in the final season to get health insurance after having cancer

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A post shared by Jennifer Marshall (@jenn13jenn13)

Marshall shared the deeply personal reason she hoped to appear in the fifth season of Stranger Things: she was a cancer survivor in remission, and being on the show would have provided her with much-needed health insurance through the actors’ union.

She explained on Instagram on January 7th that while she had been diagnosed with cancer, she was in remission while filming Season 5. She added that working on the show would have provided her with health insurance through the union, and jokingly commented that the writers may have had too many characters, but that her character, Susan Hargrove, was definitely ‘the worst mother ever.’

The actress later told People that working with Susan was an incredible opportunity, and she admitted she’s unsure why she wasn’t part of the most recent season.

Receiving the role would have been a significant boost, both financially and emotionally, after a nearly two-year fight with cancer. However, she acknowledged that no one is ever guaranteed a position, regardless of their circumstances. She remains thankful and chooses to believe those who made the decision had good reasons.

To find out more about Stranger Things Season 5, check out the Duffer Brothers’ comments on a potential spin-off series, discover how the finale resolved a major issue for Netflix, and see how the game Baldur’s Gate 3 influenced the ending.

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2026-01-08 14:50