From the world of Stephen King’s Pennywise the clown, Mary O’Leary reviews and analyses the latest installment of the IT franchise, set in the American town of Derry.
It: Welcome to Derry marks a welcome return to the world of Stephen King’s It, set twenty-seven years before the Losers Club alongside a whole cast of new characters. Though giving nods to these past It stories, It: Welcome to Derry can absolutely be viewed as a stand-alone story in its own right.
Both narratively and thematically, the show goes to great lengths to distance itself from previous It source materials. Throughout the first episode, we follow a cast and story almost identical to that of the It films. Our expectations are completely shattered by the end of the first episode, however, automatically signalling not only a shift in stakes, but also a change in the cast of characters and the type of story being told.
Both narratively and thematically, the show goes to great lengths to distance itself from previous It source materials.
In the original movie, the creature ‘IT’ takes the form of Pennywise the clown. It: Welcome to Derry’s most noticeable change is its exploration of the many different forms the creature can take. In fact, the clown itself is not shown until later in the season. Where general audiences have previously assumed Pennywise as the creature’s only form, It: Welcome to Derry goes to great lengths to correct this preconceived notion. Beyond that, the show explores fear on a social level, particularly as it relates to racism and prejudice.
The first episode intentionally utilizes a cast of almost entirely of white characters, mirroring the original It story, before flipping this expectation on its head and focusing on an ensemble of people of colour. As such, racism within the Civil Rights era, Native American land rights, and mental health stigma become central points within the story, as they showcase how societal bigotry influences widespread fear. It: Welcome to Derry explores how fear can be used and manipulated on a societal level both for the benefit of Pennywise and other human characters within the series.
As such, racism within the Civil Rights era, Native American land rights, and mental health stigma become central points within the story, as they showcase how societal bigotry influences widespread fear.
In this respect, the series succeeds in foregrounding people of colour in a story that previously sidelined or excluded these discussions in their earlier source materials. Though not perfect in its representation, It: Welcome to Derry takes huge strides in reorienting how the town of Derry is seen and narrated.
The show’s final episode is the only point of the series in which the story seemingly falls short. Unlike the rest of the show, its finale focuses far more on explaining specific details about the creature and the other characters, as well as how they are connected to the original It story. I feel as though it would have been better for the story and the audiences’ enjoyment if such details were shown more subtly or explored more in-depth in future seasons.
This episode’s unwillingness to sacrifice characters was also quite noticeable, especially when paired against character deaths earlier on in the show. In comparison, it felt as if the show had lowered its stakes for this specific set of characters, taking away from the previously established danger at the beginning of the series.
In comparison, it felt as if the show had lowered its stakes for this specific set of characters, taking away from the previously established danger at the beginning of the series.
Fans of supernatural horror and previous Stephen King works will absolutely adore It: Welcome to Derry. Not only for its exploration of the genre, but also for its continuation of other Stephen King projects. Two more seasons have been greenlit by the production company, each built around a fresh Derry tragedy. This proves that the show isn’t just continuing, it’s reinventing itself.