By Melissa Fleur AfsharShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberA dog’s dramatic reaction to their name being called during a pivotal scene in Stranger Things has left millions of viewers on TikTok in stitches.
The viral video, shared on November 29 by the dog's owner under @mah.bordercollie0, shows the border collie named Maxine transfixed by a season 4 scene from the hit Netflix series. The clip, viewed more than 4.4 million times and liked by almost 1 million users, struck a chord with viewers on the platform, thanks to the dog’s rapid response to their nickname, Max, being called in the show.
Viewers were able to see Max sitting calmly on a couch beside her owner, casually watching the television and observing her surroundings. But everything changed when the character Eleven, played by Millie Bobby Brown, called out, “Max!”—prompting the dog to immediately perk up and lock eyes with the screen. As Eleven repeated the name in distress, the pup continued to react, each time more alert, creating the impression that she believed she is being urgently summoned by the main character on screen.
The scene is from a critical emotional arc in season 4 of Stranger Things, when Eleven is seen trying to reach Max Mayfield, another main character played by Sadie Sink. The tension and urgency in the dialogue appeared to have struck a nerve with the real-life canine Max, whose attentive reactions give the moment a new comedic layer.
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An overlaid text on the video provided viewers with more context: “When your dog’s name is Max and she thinks Eleven is calling her.”
...To the amusement of Max's owner and viewers online, each time her name was called by the character on-screen, the canine reacted by whipping her head toward the TV or tilting it inquisitively.
The post quickly gained traction, with TikTok users flooding the comments in delight. Several shared how their own pets react to the hit Netflix series.
"She is like: [oh my God] the TV knows my name," one viewer said, while another added: "And dogs can feel/sense energy, so she was [probably] concerned.
"My dog’s name is also Max and he thought Eleven was calling him," a third shared.
"My cat's name is Will," a different viewer commented. "Season 1 is fun when he’s in the room."
The viewer was referencing a particular scene in season 1 of the show, where Will, played by Noah Schnapp, goes missing, and his name is called out repeatedly in the field search for him by his family and police officers.
Newsweek reached out to @mah.bordercollie0 for more information via TikTok.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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