Stephen King’s 10/10 Sci-Fi Masterpiece Experimented With Time Long Before Welcome To Derry

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One of the biggest surprises in the first season of Welcome to Derry was the confirmation that Pennywise the Dancing Clown (Bill Skarsgård) doesn’t experience time like we do. His appearances in different time periods suddenly made more sense – they weren’t just symbolic, but actually happened. Pennywise isn’t tied to a specific point in history; he can move freely through time as he pleases.

A particularly unsettling moment in episode 8 of Welcome to Derry occurs when Pennywise reveals to Marge (Matilda Lawler) that she will eventually have Richie Tozier (Finn Wolfhard). Even more disturbingly, Pennywise claims he remembers meeting Richie years later, during the events of IT and IT: Chapter Two.

Pennywise’s connection to the past suggests a predetermined fate. This twist expanded the story of Welcome to Derry, but Stephen King has used time manipulation to create suspense in television before.

Hulu’s 2016 miniseries, 11.22.63, offered a fascinating take on time travel, seen through the distinctive style of horror master Stephen King. If you enjoyed Welcome to Derry, this series is a must-watch, showcasing King’s talent for cleverly subverting expectations when dealing with time.

What 11.22.63 Is About

A Grounded Time-Travel Story Driven By Character And Consequence

The series 11.22.63, based on the Stephen King novel, follows Jake Epping (James Franco), a high school English teacher who finds a time portal in a local diner. This portal consistently takes him back to October 21, 1960. Jake soon realizes he has a crucial mission: to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Al Templeton, who owns the diner and tasks Jake with the mission, believes stopping the assassination could improve American history. Jake travels back in time again and again, spending years in the early 1960s as he waits for November 22, 1963. However, every time he fails, he’s sent back to the present and has to begin his efforts all over again, as any changes he made are undone.

Jake’s life gets more challenging when he meets Sadie Dunhill (Sarah Gadon) in the 1960s. Sadie, a kind and smart librarian, provides him with much-needed stability. Their connection develops gradually and realistically, shifting the focus of the show to a love story alongside the time-traveling adventure. The personal and historical elements become deeply intertwined.

Beyond its interesting starting point, 11.22.63 is a compelling show because it powerfully illustrates the downsides of trying to change the past. The series demonstrates that even attempts to correct small wrongs can have unforeseen and negative results, highlighting how difficult it is to alter history. As the main character, Jake, tries to make things better, his confidence falters as he realizes even well-meaning actions can have harmful consequences.

The TV show 11.22.63 beautifully brings the early 1960s to life, with authentic details in everything from local diners to charged political events – viewers who enjoyed Welcome to Derry will recognize the feel. The show’s design really makes you believe Jake has stepped into a different world. As the date of the assassination nears, the story creates a powerful sense of pressure and the heavy burden of time.

Stephen King Puts His Own Spin On Time Travel In 11.22.63

Time Becomes Strange, Hostile, And Impossible To Fully Control

The time travel in 11.22.63 feels distinct from what you usually see in science fiction. The show presents the idea as strangely straightforward, with a touch of Stephen King’s signature style. For instance, the portal to the past—called The Rabbit Hole—appears in the back of a diner without any logical explanation. It’s not rooted in science, technology, or even symbolism; it just is, and the show doesn’t try to justify it.

As a film buff, what really struck me about this movie is the way the main character, Jake, keeps getting stuck reliving the same day – 1960, to be exact. The film never bothers to explain why, which is interesting enough, but what’s even more compelling is that no matter what he does, or how long he’s stuck, he always starts back at the same point. It’s a really neat narrative trick, and it kind of hammers home the idea that time doesn’t really care about what we want or what makes sense to us.

What really struck me about the time travel in 11.22.63, and what feels so uniquely Stephen King, is how the past fights back. It’s not just simple cause and effect; it’s like the past is alive and doesn’t want to be changed. Whenever I saw Jake getting close to altering something big, all sorts of coincidences, accidents, and roadblocks would just pile up. It genuinely felt like the past was aware of what he was trying to do and was actively pushing back, almost like a living thing defending itself.

Instead of just being a backdrop, time itself acts like a force opposing Jake. The more he tries to change things, the stronger that opposition becomes. It’s not about creating paradoxes or alternate realities, but about the past actively fighting back. This creates suspense without getting bogged down in complicated explanations.

Stephen King’s signature unsettling style is on full display in this show. It avoids explaining the rules of time travel, opting instead to portray it as a frightening and unpredictable force, leaning into horror rather than scientific accuracy.

This straightforward embrace of the bizarre is typical of King’s writing. Things happen in ‘The Rabbit Hole’ simply because they do, and the past resists change as you’d expect. This direct, no-nonsense style gives ‘11.22.63’ a uniquely disturbing quality that sets it apart from most time travel novels.

Without complicated scientific explanations, 11.22.63 really focuses on how choices feel. Because the rules of time travel are straightforward, strict, and can’t be changed, every decision Jake makes carries a lot of weight. Time doesn’t just resist change—it actively fights back, which makes the show feel like a classic Stephen King story.

Why 11.22.63 Is The Perfect Follow Up To Welcome To Derry

Two Very Different Stories United By Stephen King’s Warped View Of Time

Despite being different types of stories, 11.22.63 and Welcome to Derry share a similar unsettling feeling. Both shows portray time as something unpredictable and dangerous, not as a straightforward progression. In Welcome to Derry, the villain Pennywise can foresee what’s coming, while in 11.22.63, the main character Jake is fighting against a past that won’t stay fixed.

Viewers who enjoyed how Welcome to Derry built upon the world of IT will likely find similar ideas in 11.22.63. Both stories explore the concept that time isn’t just something that passes by – it actively responds to our actions and can even punish those who don’t respect its force.

Both shows effectively use the atmosphere of small-town America to create a sense of unease. Welcome to Derry builds suspense not only with its monster, Pennywise, but also by hinting at hidden secrets and Cold War anxieties. 11.22.63 offers a seemingly cozy, yet subtly disturbing, look at America in the early 1960s. Both settings appear inviting at first, but feel deeply unsettling beneath the surface.

A shared sense of atmosphere is key. Stephen King often sets his stories in small towns that feel tense and unsettling, places where normal life is disrupted by strange events. Fans of the creeping dread in Derry will find a similar feeling when Jake travels down the Rabbit Hole.

Now that the first season of Welcome to Derry has finished, 11.22.63 is a great choice for what to watch next. It’s a complete story in itself, with a clear ending, so you won’t be left hanging while you wait for season two. Like Welcome to Derry, it’s based on a Stephen King story and explores the unsettling nature of time, but in a unique and captivating way, especially for those fascinated by the complex history of Pennywise.

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2026-01-06 02:00