The name of Stranger Things season 2, chapter 1 is “MADMAX.” It is styled in uppercase in the episode title and introduces one of the season’s important new characters.
The chapter premiered on October 27, 2017, when Netflix released the second season. Its title refers to Max Mayfield, a talented arcade player who has recently moved to Hawkins. Her high-score name, MADMAX, appears on the arcade leaderboard and quickly attracts Dustin, Lucas, and the other boys’ attention.
The title also connects the episode to the Mad Max films, a pop-culture influence that fits the series’ 1980s setting. Max’s arrival changes the group’s social dynamics, while the story continues following the aftermath of Will Byers’s disappearance and the events involving the Upside Down.
Stranger Things uses “chapters” rather than ordinary episode titles, giving the season a storybook or serialized-horror feel. Season 2 contains nine chapters. The next episode is titled “Trick or Treat, Freak,” so “MADMAX” specifically identifies the opening chapter, not the name of the entire season.