‘Stranger Things’: Why Lucas & Max Are the Show’s Best Couple
In between fighting off demogorgons and getting trapped in the Upside Down, the characters of Stranger Things have still made time for romance. From Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) to Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) and Nancy (Natalia Dyer), fans have had plenty of love stories to root for — or against — over the past four seasons.
By “against,” I mean that while there are plenty of Mileven shippers out there, for instance, there’s likely an equal number of people who think Mike and Will (Noah Schnapp) are a better match. Instead of Jonathan, some viewers would rather Nancy end up with Steve (Joe Keery) or even Robin (Maya Hawke). It’s simply the nature of a long-running, ensemble show like this: Most characters don’t have a one-and-done love interest. And even if they do, fans might still dream up an alternative ship if they find it lacking.
However, there is one Stranger Things romance that may be the exception. I’m not sure that I’ve ever seen any complaints about Max (Sadie Sink) and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) being together since their romance began back in Season 2. Off the top of my head, I can’t think of any popular alternative ships for either of their characters. In my mind, that’s even more proof that Lumax has quietly become the show’s best couple going into Season 5.
When Max rolls into Hawkins Middle School at the start of Season 2, Lucas is instantly smitten. He hardly knows her, but he wants the tomboyish, standoffish new girl to join their Party, much to Mike’s dismay. She’s cold at first, but Lucas is nothing if not persistent, and he wears down her walls. (The junkyard conversation? A peak Lumax moment.) Over the course of Season 2, they establish a strong bond, even if Max loves to make fun of him. Lucas doesn’t really seem to mind it, and it makes their relationship more lighthearted and fun.
That’s part of what makes Lumax so great at the start. With couples like Mike and Eleven, who are dramatically and constantly being pulled apart, Lucas and Max aren’t (at least until Season 4). Theirs isn’t really an epic or loud romance, especially in Seasons 2 and 3, and it’s exactly what the show needs.
Their relationship is realistic for two teenagers, despite their unrealistic, otherworldly circumstances. Even though Max has broken up with Lucas five times when Season 3 rolls around, they still aren’t pulled apart too much. Was their relationship conveyed a little too casually in Season 3? Maybe. But they’re kids! They’re still figuring out how to communicate, so we’ll give them a pass.
Their shift in the more mature Season 4 is what makes up for it. That’s when Lumax really clicked, despite being broken up. (For a serious reason, unlike Season 3.) Part of it is that the characters finally get more time together, which allows Sink and McLaughlin’s natural chemistry to be showcased, but Lucas’ unwillingness to give up on Max is what really makes their connection shine. That, and the fact that they each have tremendous independent character development.
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In Season 4, we get more insight into Max’s broken family life after her stepbrother Billy’s (Dacre Montgomery) death, which sheds light on why she struggles to maintain a healthy relationship. In Lucas’ case, he gets some distance from the Party, so we get to know him not only as part of a unit. As he tries to find his identity and the crowd he belongs with, the suddenly-popular Lucas still doesn’t budge from the closed-off Max’s side while Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) targets her.
Their separate, more extensive arcs make the payoff when they start opening up to each other again that much sweeter. Is there anything more romantic than Lucas telling Max that he should have been there for her more, despite her insistence on pushing everyone away? “I just didn’t look hard enough,” he counters when Max says that it wasn’t his fault. “I see you now.”
While Season 4 pulls apart nearly all of its couples and brings them back together at the end, Max and Lucas are pretty much the only ones that I was still rooting for to get back together. Mileven, on the other hand? Their arcs last season made me think maybe they were better off apart, as did Jancy’s. All of that considered, Lumax is number one on my Stranger Things couples ranking at this stage in the game. Will that still be the case once Season 5 drops? It all depends on when (or if) Max wakes up from the coma that Vecna put her in, and Lumax gets the screen time they deserve.
Are Max and Lucas the best Stranger Things couple? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Stranger Things, Season 5 Volume 1, Premiere, November 26, 2025, Netflix
Stranger Things, Season 5 Volume 2, Premiere, December 25, 2025, Netflix
Stranger Things, Season 5 Finale, Premiere, December 31, 2025, Netflix
