The debut of It: Welcome to Derry this weekend takes audiences once again to 1962, where a fresh band of kids confronts an age-old, fear-consuming clown. Considering the first It story centered heavily around adolescents in danger, it's no shock that this show follows a similar path. But, Welcome to Derry escalates the horror even more than the latest movies, establishing its harsh tone quicker than anyone might expect.
An Icy Start in a Cursed Town
This show starts on a wintry January evening in the haunted community of Derry, Maine, taking place in the year 1962. After being ejected of a cinema for slipping in and refusing to go back to his house to his abusive parents, a 12-year-old youth (Miles Ekhardt) holds onto his soother for comfort while thumbing a ride out of the city. After he is eventually given a lift, the chilled child agrees. Very soon, though, for him to realize the scale of his error.
We'll pause here to prevent spoiling any elements from the episode. It is enough to state that Welcome to Derry acts quickly in showing just how graphic and frightening the program is set to be, especially regarding the brutality experienced by children in the locale.
Throughout, the series' first chapter proves its creators have no fear to "go there," to the point that it likely should include a content warning for those uncomfortable to violence against children; it's really that disturbing.
An New Take to Terror
Showrunner the series' lead has previously likened Pennywise to the shark from Jaws, a creature shown in brief looks that builds toward a grand payoff. In Welcome to Derry, however, the emphasis shifts toward more shapeshifting horrors evocative of Stephen King's initial novel. With the extended runtime and prestige of an HBO production, the show takes its time exploring these fears instead of hurrying to highlight Pennywise, resulting in a more unsettling, heightened horror than the 2017 and 2019 films.
Is It Suitable?
Any viewer with even a passing knowledge of It ought to understand what they're getting into when it comes to brutality toward kids, but Welcome to Derry turns the intensity to the maximum when contrasted to the miniseries and even the movies. Considering this, it deserves a PSA if those versions are where one sets their limit. Yet still, It: Welcome to Derry remains an excellent show with a first installment that's a perfect viewing for the Halloween season.
- Graphic content involving minors
- Extended runtime for deeper fear building
- More shapeshifting horrors from the original novel
- Sets a more grim tone than previous adaptations
