Note: This article contains detailed spoilers from Episodes 1 and 2 of ‘Welcome to Derry.‘
As ‘IT: Welcome to Derry‘ has already released its first two episodes, we return to the haunting streets of Maine’s most cursed town, first introduced in Stephen King’s IT. This prequel promises to dig deeper into Derry’s long history of evil, expanding the mythology that the IT movies only hinted at. For those of us familiar with both the films and the novel, it feels like a chance to explore the layers that were left untouched on screen.
The show aims to connect the supernatural horror of Pennywise with the human darkness that allows such evil to survive. It brings us closer to the roots of Derry’s curse, the strange events before the Losers Club, and the people who helped shape the nightmare that would later define the town.
A Town Haunted by What It Refuses to See
Episode 1 begins in a crowded theatre showing The Music Man, where a boy named Matty Clements sneaks in without paying. When the usher catches him, he runs off, and we meet Ronnie and Hank Grogan, kind locals who try to cover for him. Matty escapes and hitchhikes out of Derry, but the family that picks him up turns out to be anything but normal. Their cheerful front falls apart when the mother gives birth to a grotesque baby that flies around the car. The scene ends with Matty’s candy dummy falling into the sewers, showing that Derry’s evil is still alive.
Four months later, the town moves on as if nothing happened. Two soldiers, Pauly and Major Leroy Hanlon, arrive at the local airbase. There is talk about Russia, nuclear threats, and a mysterious warehouse labeled “Special Projects.” Hanlon seems brave and observant, but even he can sense that something is wrong in this quiet place.
Matty’s disappearance still is haunting the town people. Teddy Uris, a shy boy, often thinks about him. Along with his outspoken friend Phil and a lonely girl named Lilly, he begins noticing strange things. Lilly’s past already marks her as an outsider. Her father died in a jarring plant accident, and cruel classmates spread rumors that his body parts were found in pickle jars. When Lilly claims to hear Matty’s voice in the pipes, her friends doubt her.
The story builds to a disturbing moment when Ronnie screens The Music Man again. Inside the movie, Matty appears holding the same mutant baby. It attacks everyone in the theatre, leaving only Ronnie and Lilly alive. Their terrified screams close the episode. The horror in this episode works best in quiet, personal moments. When Teddy sees the lampshade turning into human skin, it is far more unsettling than the noisy chaos of the massacre. Derry’s power lies in small details, not in grand scenes.
Episode 2, titled “The Thing in the Dark,” begins with Lilly waking from a nightmare about the theatre. The massacre is now public, and Ronnie’s father, Hank, is the main suspect. Although he was home that night, people still believe he is guilty. In Derry, it is easier to blame someone than to face the truth.
The Soldiers, the Children, and the Circle of Fear
Major Hanlon’s story also grows deeper. After masked intruders attack him, he begins to suspect his superiors. General Shaw later admits he ordered the attack to test Hanlon’s courage. He wants Hanlon to help in a secret mission to locate something underground that can “cause fear.” The military now seems to be searching for the same entity that has long haunted Derry.
Lilly’s troubles worsen. Bullied by classmates and pressured by police, she is forced to deny what she saw in the theatre. Her guilt and fear only grow stronger. In one scene, she walks through a store and hears voices whispering from the shelves. The pickle jars show her father’s face before everything rots away. When the vision ends, she stands alone, surrounded by broken glass. Soon after, she is sent back to Juniper Hills.
Both episodes show that Derry’s evil is not only supernatural. It lives in the silence and cruelty of ordinary people. The adults ignore the horror because they want peace. The soldiers dig for power because they think they can control fear. The children search for answers because they are the only ones who still believe something is wrong.
What makes Welcome to Derry stand out is that it does not explain everything. The strange births, the military digging, and the voices in the pipes all point to the same mystery. The town seems to be giving birth to its own darkness again and again, and no one can stop it.
As we wait for the next episode on November 9, we are left wondering if Derry itself is the real monster. Maybe Pennywise is only its reflection, the laughter that fills the quiet when people stop listening. The soldiers, the children, and the townsfolk are all trapped in the same circle of fear. Like the film within the story, The Music Man, we are only watching another show unfold. The curtain has not fallen yet, and we are still waiting in the dark for what comes next.
