Welcome to Derry Breaks a Problematic Prequel Trend After 2 Near-Perfect It Movies

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For over fifty years, Stephen King has consistently produced popular works, and his stories are being adapted into films and TV shows at a rapid pace—sometimes even multiple adaptations of the same book. While his novel IT had been adapted before, Andy Muschietti’s 2017 version felt like the definitive take on the story of the terrifying clown. He continued with IT: Chapter Two in 2019, though it wasn’t quite as successful. So, when another adaptation appeared as an HBO series, it felt like there were already too many versions.

Decades before the terrifying events of 1989 in Derry, a new group of children began to suspect their town was haunted by a deadly clown. Because adults couldn’t see the creature, the children were left to face the danger alone. A prequel could have easily retread familiar ground and felt bleak, knowing Pennywise always returns. However, the new series, Welcome to Derry, immediately surprised viewers with its first episode, avoiding those pitfalls.

IT: Welcome to Derry Had the Potential to Be More of the Same

Legend says a terrifying clown awakens every 27 years to prey on the fears of children in Derry. While it sounds like a story, the town’s children know this threat is all too real. Just like the pattern of Pennywise’s attacks, the history detailed in It: Welcome to Derry suggests this horror repeats in cycles.

It was heartbreaking to see another group of children fall prey to a terrifying clown. The pilot really leaned into the legacy of the original IT, reminding me so much of Georgie’s tragic fate. Poor Matty experienced something similar. He ran away, hoping for a better life, and ended up trusting a seemingly normal family who promised to take him to Portland. But their kindness was a cruel illusion – they drove him right back to Derry, and he became one of Pennywise’s earliest victims that decade. It was a truly awful way to start the story.

When he vanished, the people closest to him reacted in a way that strongly resembled the group from Stephen King’s IT. Each of his friends seemed to mirror one of the original Losers Club members. For example, Lilly was very similar to Bev, as both were vulnerable to the cruelty of popular girls and were the only female members of their respective groups. One of Matt’s friends, Phil, played the same role as Richie Tozier – the group’s energetic and funny friend. Although Phil was more focused on things like UFOs, he shared Richie’s enthusiastic and quick-witted personality that made him so well-liked.

Teddy Uris, like Stan, had experienced religious trauma and was dealing with it in this episode. The three of them teamed up to investigate what happened to Matty, sharing their individual experiences with Pennywise. Their search led them to a local theater, where a girl named Ronnie had last seen Matty.

The episode ended with the group watching The Music Man, a film Matty had enjoyed before his death. This scene mirrored a moment from the first movie, using a projector. Just like in the original, they watched the film distort, witnessing their friend transform into something terrifying. Everything seemed to be unfolding as a standard encounter with Pennywise when the story took an unexpected twist. While IT: Welcome to Derry started out feeling familiar, it quickly shifted gears and concluded with a shocking cliffhanger.

Welcome to Derry’s Subverted Expectations

Friendship wasn’t enough to save the new group of kids in Derry. This town was far more brutal than it had been in 1989. Living with the constant worry of a nuclear attack, these children were already terrified. Unlike the original Losers Club, they weren’t united, which made it easy for Pennywise to pick them off one by one.

The movie took a dark and unexpected turn, with nearly all the children being brutally killed inside the theater. Even Phil’s young sister, Susie, was among those killed, despite not being supposed to be there. Ronnie was lucky to be in the projection booth and avoided being killed, but everyone who survived suffered terrible injuries. Lilly was the only one left alive, and she returned with a severely damaged arm.

The episode ended with a suspenseful scream from Lilly, but it’s unlikely Pennywise created that vision. He’s focused on actually taking children, and he already got what he wanted during the chaos at the theater. This twist came as a real surprise to viewers who thought they knew how the story would go.

The show intentionally misled viewers into thinking the characters were developing in predictable ways. Matty’s friend, Phil, seemed poised to uncover the truth, as he was already convinced they were dealing with an alien presence – a theory everyone else dismissed. If the story had gone a different route, it would have been satisfying to see Phil proven right when the real nature of Pennywise – as an alien – was revealed.

Teddy Uris was presented in a way that led viewers to expect his survival, likely due to his family connection. The show made it seem almost certain he would live on to continue the Uris family line, which created a strong expectation that he wouldn’t be killed off. However, it’s now revealed that Stanley’s true ancestor is actually Teddy’s older brother, not Teddy himself.

Despite Lilly’s past experience with mental health treatment, it’s possible what she’s experiencing is still a hallucination. However, focusing on that explanation would be a misstep, undermining the risks the show has taken. Unlike other HBO prequels, this series isn’t afraid to be bold.

The characters in It: Welcome to Derry are entirely new creations and aren’t based on Stephen King’s existing stories. Viewers found House of the Dragon disappointing because it didn’t take any chances, even with its more controversial moments. The series initially seemed to focus on the children of Derry, but that turned out to be a misdirection. This has left audiences curious and eager to see what happens next. It: Welcome to Derry successfully updates King’s original work, despite being set in the past.

It: Welcome to Derry is More Female Friendly Than the Films

Look, IT is a classic, and rightfully so – it’s arguably one of Stephen King’s strongest works. But revisiting it now, you can’t help but notice some elements haven’t held up as well as you’d hope, even with efforts to update it. The story’s become particularly known for a certain problematic aspect, and while Andy Muschietti smartly avoided a truly disturbing climax with the sewer scene, the issues surrounding Beverly Marsh still feel uncomfortable when you watch it today. It’s a testament to the story’s power, but also a reminder that even beloved works can be flawed.

As a fan, I always felt Bev was unfairly put in the role of the love interest when the story focused on the whole group. The book was pretty explicit about her relationships, and the movie hinted at a love triangle with Bill and Ben. Considering the book came out in the ’90s, before we really saw a push for strong female characters, I’m really happy to see IT: Welcome to Derry giving Bev and the other women in the story the depth and attention they deserve. It feels like a much more modern and respectful approach.

The show is set in the 1960s, but its creators aren’t necessarily reflecting the attitudes of that era. They’re highlighting perspectives that weren’t common in the original story, and they’re doing so very directly. For example, a character named Lilly went into a theater with two boys, but she was the only one who left.

Now that Ronnie was safe inside the projection booth, she could bring Lilly out of the theater. With Phil and Teddy out of the picture, the story will now focus on Ronnie and Lilly. The series IT: Welcome to Derry also explores the racial issues of the time more deeply than the original IT, featuring more Black characters and going beyond Mike Hanlon’s story to include his relative, Leroy Hanlon, a Korean War veteran.

Leroy faced racism but didn’t allow it to define him. He believed his rank as a Major deserved respect from everyone. Meanwhile, Ronnie shared that her family was repeatedly questioned about Matty’s disappearance. Her father, who worked at the theater where Matty was last seen, became an immediate suspect due to the prejudice of the era.

The series Welcome to Derry successfully sets itself up as a prequel. Because it takes place decades before the original IT, it has the freedom to develop its own unique story, and wisely avoids simply retelling what we’ve already seen. The HBO series cleverly uses established elements of the IT universe to create a fresh narrative that honors Stephen King’s source material.

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2025-10-31 01:08