Max was able to mentally transport herself in 1986 to a mental recreation of the 1984 Snow Ball while under Vecna's curse. Both Eleven and Max briefly reunited as El took on Vecna once again.[4]
This section would benefit from being rewritten in the past tense. For more information, please consult the "Point of View" guidelines.
1983[]
On November 12, Mike Wheeler tells Eleven about the Snow Ball. He calls the dance "cheesy", stating that he had never gone but decides to attend for the first time after meeting Eleven. He invites Eleven to be his partner to the ball, and she accepts. However later that night, Eleven vanishes after killing the Demogorgon, so neither Mike nor Eleven were able to attend the 1983 Snow Ball.[3]
1984[]
On December 15, Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Max, and Will attend the Snow Ball. Eleven, who had been invited by Mike the previous year, also attends for the first time. Lucas dances with Max. Dustin desperately tries to find a partner, but is rejected several times. Nancy, who was serving punch, upon seeing Dustin's rejection, invites Dustin to dance with her. Will dances with an unknown girl. Eleven and Mike dance together to the song "Every Breath You Take" by The Police. Lucas and Max kiss, as do Mike and Eleven. Jonathan was present taking pictures, as the ball’s photographer.[1]
1986[]
In March, Max Mayfield was able to transport herself to the 1984 Snow Ball dance using her memories while under Vecna's curse. While sitting and reminiscing, Max was suddenly startled by the popping of blood-filled balloons as the room rapidly began to decay, with "Every Breath You Take" transitioning into "Dream A Little Dream Of Me" by Ella Fitzgerald.
Max barricaded the doors using tables and chairs, only to turn around and find them all gone, with the Creel House door standing there. Vecna began to taunt Max as she attempted to find more happy memories, but was interrupted by visions of her friends failing in their fight against Vecna, allowing Vecna to take control and appear behind Max, throwing her against the wall. Vecna then approached Max, taunting her, but before Vecna could kill her, he was thrown back into the bleachers by Eleven.
El and Max reunited, although Max questioned if El was really real. Their reunion was interrupted when Vecna rose up from the bleachers. El threatened to kill Vecna for good if he touched Max again. The two engaged in conflict; though Eleven was able to buy Max some time, Vecna was ultimately victorious, incapacitating both Eleven and Max while transporting them to his mindscape.[4]
Gallery[]
Videos[]
The Snow Ball Stranger Things Netflix
Behind the scenes[]
According to Tim Ives, the Snow Ball dance would have had snowflakes falling "as a magical moment", but the performances of the kids convinced the crew that they didn't need any snow, noting that it was "so rock solid" .[5]
Trivia[]
The Snow Ball dance at the end of Season 2 was one of the first things the Duffers had already mapped out when they began planning for the season, with the two agreeing they "knew that it was the destination they were going to go."[6]
Mike and Eleven's reunion was originally not until the Snow Ball at the end of the second season, but this was changed in the final version.
For the kiss between Mike and Eleven at the Snow Ball dance, actor Finn Wolfhard tried to warn Millie Bobby Brown by whispering "I'm coming in" to get the exact timing, a moment that can also be seen in the final edit.[7]
↑"The Gate" shows that the 1984 Snow Ball is on December 15, 1984 (per the date on Jonathan's camcorder). This date also features on the Snow Ball leaflet included in Hawkins Memories: Vecna's Curse.
Canon hierarchy[]
