Stranger Things 5: Here’s How A Wrinkle In Time & Camazotz Foreshadows Major Season 5 Plot Spoilers

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Season 5 of Stranger Things seems to be drawing inspiration from Madeleine L’Engle’s novel A Wrinkle in Time, and this could hint at what’s to come in the story. The show has always used classic references – like Dungeons & Dragons – to help explain its complicated sci-fi elements. This season, A Wrinkle in Time is a key reference, as Holly Wheeler, Mike and Nancy’s sister, is shown to be a big fan of the book.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Stranger Things Season 5.

Holly’s connection to Madeleine L’Engle’s work becomes apparent when she refers to her imaginary friend as Mr. Whatsit, a character from A Wrinkle in Time. In the novel, Mrs. Whatsit is a powerful, shapeshifting being who can travel through space and time. This comparison is significant because Holly’s friend is actually Henry Creel, the villain Vecna, who possesses similar supernatural abilities – he can move between dimensions and read minds.

Holly recalls A Wrinkle in Time when she discovers Max in a strange cave. After Max explains they’re inside a memory of Henry’s, Holly describes the place as a terrifying, prison-like world, immediately reminding her of Camazotz from A Wrinkle in Time. She notes that Camazotz, like their current surroundings, is a bleak planet controlled by a powerful, unseen intelligence called IT.

I wasn’t truly present, not in the physical sense. I was just watching, observing everything. That’s when it hit me – I was stuck inside Henry’s mind, reliving his memories. It felt like a terrifying, inescapable world controlled by a truly awful person.

Holly: “Like Camazotz.”

Max: “What?”

Holly: “Camazotz. From ‘A Wrinkle in Time’.”

Max: “Never read it.”

You really should check it out, it’s fantastic! The planet Camazotz is a really dark place ruled by this powerful, evil brain called IT. Basically, Meg—she’s the main character—her dad gets captured there. So, Henry is similar to IT, and you’re a bit like Meg’s dad.

Now that A Wrinkle in Time has played a big role in Season 5 of Stranger Things, the show might continue to take inspiration from the 1962 book as the story goes on.

Past seasons of Stranger Things have used the show’s Dungeons & Dragons games to hint at what’s to come. For example, in Season 1, Will’s poor roll in a D&D game mirrored his later abduction by the Demogorgon. This pattern continues in Season 4, where Eddie and the Hellfire Club’s D&D campaign subtly foreshadows the arrival of Vecna – the name given to Henry Creel/One, who is revealed to be the ruler of the Upside Down.

‘A Wrinkle in Time’ Could Foreshadow Stranger Things 5’s Future

Given that Stranger Things deliberately includes references to other works, it’s a strong possibility that Season 5 will further echo the plot of A Wrinkle in Time.

A key feature of A Wrinkle in Time is its use of time travel. Characters in the novel can use a technique called tessering to instantly move to different places and times, a concept somewhat reminiscent of the way Eleven explores minds and memories in Stranger Things. This connection, along with a direct reference to the Flux Capacitor, hints that time travel might be important in the final season of Stranger Things.

The story in A Wrinkle in Time might give us clues about what will happen with Max. Holly calling Max Meg’s father – the character from A Wrinkle in Time who was trapped and needed rescuing – suggests that another character from Stranger Things might have to take on a similar role as Meg, Charles, or Calvin. They could intentionally enter Vecna’s mind (which is like Camazotz from the book) to save Max.

In the story, Charles intentionally lets himself be hypnotized by the Man with Red Eyes – a representative of the entity IT – in an attempt to find his father. If the show Stranger Things uses a similar approach, it could mean a character will have to willingly let Vecna take control to locate and rescue Max and Holly. Eleven or Lucas seem like the most likely candidates to do this.

Now that we know Will has a mental link to Vecna, he might be the key to figuring out how to save Max and Holly.

Like A Wrinkle in Time, Stranger Things could use the power of love in its finale. In L’Engle’s book, Meg rescues Charles by focusing on her love for him. Stranger Things has already shown love as a strong force – for example, in Season 4, Mike telling Eleven he loved her gave her the strength to defeat Vecna and save Max while she was battling him mentally.

Okay, so after watching the latest episodes, it’s becoming clear that love might be the weapon against Vecna. We’ve seen this trope before – think A Wrinkle in Time, where love is what defeats IT. And it got me thinking: could Lucas’s feelings for Max, or even the bond the Wheelers have with Holly, be what ultimately breaks Vecna’s hold on them and pulls them out of that terrifying mental prison? It feels like the show is heavily hinting at that possibility, and honestly, I’m here for it. It’s a hopeful angle in a pretty dark story.

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2025-11-29 03:39