While the bookish fangirl in me loved that A Wrinkle in Time was the focus of Stranger Things Season 5 (because of course more people need to read a book about the power of love defeating the evils of fascism), I did not like how they personified “IT” in Vecna.
IT isn’t one person, IT is a hive mind mentality of forced obedience and conformity, of punishing deviance and disability, of allowing only bland food, clothing, and colors, of permitting no questioning – ever. And it is the little acts of resistance, of loving people (including ourselves) for who we are by allowing them to be fully themselves – quicks, oddities, strangeness and all – that overcomes the controlling power of IT. IT can be overcome and is being overcome all the time – not in one fell boss fight, but in choosing not to comply in advance and by encouraging and celebrating the joys and pleasures of life to the fullest.
