IT: Welcome To Derry Episode 3 Has Lots Of Stephen King Easter Eggs, And I Love That Key Weapon Reveal The Most

Beware! The following contains spoilers for those who haven’t seen episode 3 of HBO’s IT: Welcome to Derry, or if you haven’t watched it on HBO Max.

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Following a special Halloween streaming release, IT: Welcome to Derry returned to its usual Sunday night schedule with Episode 3, “Now You See It.” This episode jumps between different time periods and explores the backstories of Francis Shaw (James Remar) and Rose (Kimberly Norris Guerrero), which will likely impact events in the present day. As expected, the episode included several hidden references to both the show’s world and the broader works of Stephen King.

Just like we’ve been doing recently, we’re collecting all the fun, strange, and noteworthy references to Stephen King’s stories. So, without keeping you waiting any longer, let’s head back to 1908!

1908 Will Theoretically Be When Season 3 Is Set

As a fan, I’m really excited about where Season 3 might take us. Even though the show isn’t exactly following Stephen King’s book, I think we’ll finally see those terrifying events from 1908 at the Kitchener Ironworks – you know, the ones hinted at in the opening animation. It seems like that time period is where the show’s creators plan to go next, continuing their plan to reveal Derry’s history by moving backwards in time.

A Traveling Carnival Of King-Centric Concepts

The episode begins with a traveling show, a type of old-fashioned entertainment that’s rarely seen anymore. It’s the sort of strange and captivating spectacle that reminds you of Stephen King’s stories – particularly novels like Revival, Bag of Bones, Thinner, The Dead Zone, and especially Joyland, which really captures his talent for writing about amusement parks. Beyond that, the episode also features some other common themes and ideas, including:

Twins – Though the Lee Twins depicted here aren’t a specific reference, The Shining’s Grady Twins are among the most famous identical siblings in horror, and King has featured twin characters and references to twins in a slew of his stories and novels. More to this point, Black House features the conjoined Neary twins as two of that universe’s villains.
Bujok The Mystical Wonder – This isn’t a narrative-based nod, but is very likely a reference to IT: Welcome to Derry’s camera tech Matt Bujok, who previously worked with Andy Muschietti & Co. on It: Chapter Two.
Clowns And Turtle Targets – Clowns are quite often the knock-down targets for carnival games, but the addition of turtle targets is right in line with this world.
Clown holding red balloons – Francis sees an initially ominous female clown with white facepaint who looks slightly Pennywise-esque, but doesn’t seem to be a harbinger of evil, even if she’s holding something mysterious.

The Almighty Slingshot

The slingshot is a crucial weapon against the ancient entity in the IT universe, famously used by the Losers’ Club. However, it’s first introduced as a simple carnival prize: Francis Shaw trades it to Rose for water, and she unexpectedly uses it to fend off the monster before it attacks Francis.

Van Helden Rubbing Alcohol

Lilly gets Ronnie some rubbing alcohol from the nurse to remove paint from her hands, and the show briefly focuses on the bottle, which is branded “Van Helden.” Interestingly, Danielle Van Helden is a character in the same series – an eight-year-old girl who went missing in 1961. This feels like more than just a coincidence, especially considering the show’s art director shares the same first name, though with slightly different spacing in their name.

The Bradley Gang’s Cadillac

The military has confirmed the vehicle recently discovered was involved in the infamous 1935 Bradley Gang Massacre that took place on the streets of Derry. As suggested by the show’s opening sequence, the people of Derry weren’t the only ones who fired at the car and the gang members inside. According to Colonel Fuller:

“Eyewitness reports at the time suggest sightings of the entity in one of its forms.”

Honestly, the discovery felt a little underwhelming for General Shaw. It definitely hinted at something much larger and more sinister lurking beneath the surface, but it didn’t quite deliver the punch I was hoping for. It’s clear this is just the tip of the iceberg, and there’s a truly massive evil at play down there.

Dick Hallorann’s Shine Shows Him The Deadlights And Pennywise’s Wagon

As a total film buff, I always get chills thinking about the connections between movies. It’s fascinating to me that Chris Chalk’s version of Dick Hallorann in The Shining—specifically, when his psychic abilities really kick in—takes him on this vision of Derry’s sewers, the same place where all of Pennywise’s victims end up. He actually sees Pennywise’s creepy, traveling wagon, and that’s when we finally hear Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise utter that terrifying line: “Who are you?” It’s a really unsettling moment, and the crossover is just brilliant.

Dick Sees His Grandmother Rose Hallorann (Sorta)

Dick is horrified to see bodies floating in the standpipe, and one descends to deliver a disturbing message. He recognizes her as his grandmother, Rose Hallorann – the same woman he and Danny discussed in Doctor Sleep, and who suffered from a weakened psychic ability.

More Pop Culture Hints About Alien Threats

Like other science fiction movie posters seen in the show, the poster for the 1954 film Killers From Space—displayed on the desk in Secondhand Rose—appears to be a subtle reference to the alien danger in Derry.

Derry’s Preternatural Effect On Memories

Despite Francis Shaw deceiving his childhood friend, Rose, about the military’s interest in Derry, he genuinely seemed to have no memory of the town or her from his years away. This isn’t surprising, considering Derry only stays with people who remain connected to it—those who leave are usually free from its influence. However, that peace doesn’t last if they ever return.

Escaping IT Via Bicycle

The episode’s final scene, set in a cemetery and orchestrated deceptively by Rich, showed the four young characters fleeing from zombie-like figures—seemingly the friends who were attacked earlier in the movie theater. The scene looked strange, clearly filmed using a green screen, and felt unbelievable. However, the important part is that the kids escaping on bikes echoes Bill’s rescue of Richie, when he biked him to safety from the house on Neibolt Street. While none of the bikes are named yet, at least one of them should be established as Bill’s future bike, Silver.

“It’s A Clown”

The ending of this IT: Welcome to Derry installment offers another intriguing hint as we anticipate the full reveal of Bill Skarsgård’s Pennywise. Following the audio clue in Dick’s vision, viewers briefly see the creepy figure in a photo Will took within the crypt.

2025-11-10 06:11