As a fan of the horror genre, I’ve been anticipating IT: Welcome to Derry for a while. Inspired by It, a 1986 novel by Stephen King, this HBO Max prequel series is the newest addition to an iconic sequence of adaptations. I’m pleased to share that this show is off to a fine start. However, I still feel like I wanted more from the first episode.
IT: Welcome to Derry follows a family of three as they arrive in a simple town from Maine. Well, it seems simple enough for people who don’t know about the evil force hiding in Derry. Set in 1962, this origin story offers another perspective of “It”: the kid-stealing, shapeshifting being that is typically represented as Pennywise the Clown.
The pilot episode (directed by Andy Muschietti) begins when a young boy, Matty Clements (Miles Ekhardt), hitchhikes into an eerie family’s car. I’m sure the stranger danger rule was around in 1962, but it doesn’t seem like Clements cares. The driver’s wife soon reveals that she is carrying a baby, but the fetus is not ordinary. After a disturbed, Alien-like birthing scene, Clements is attacked by the newborn monster with wings. This scene offers the first glimpse at the “It” entity, which is out for more than just Clements.
The episode then skips forward four months as the secrets of Clements’s disappearance remain. When a group of peers believes that Clements can talk to them supernaturally, they investigate his situation. The pilot episode culminates in a gory sequence where the winged creature introduces itself to the children.
Insane, right? Overall, the IT: Welcome to Derry premiere is engaging. The franchise’s action sequences carry a tense tone. Throughout them, abnormal forces terrorize the children as they attempt to make sense of their extreme circumstances.
That being said, IT: Welcome to Derry doesn’t feel different from prior adaptations of this universe. The young characters in this series are too similar to the ones in other versions of It.
Additionally, while a couple of child actors in this episode are noteworthy (specifically, Clara Stack as “Lilly” and Amanda Christine as “Veronica”), the others come across as underwhelming. These are kids, so it’s alright if they’re not giving absolutely mind-blowing performances. However, the former child actors of It offered a special quality to their roles that I didn’t see in this show.
I also wish this episode had properly introduced the Hanlon family, which is the trio that recently moved into Derry. The family is supposed to play a key role in the series, but only the patriarch, Leroy (Jovan Adepo), appears in this episode. This makes me feel like the show is off to a slower start.
On the bright side, I can take the glass-half-full outlook. There are seven episodes left in the series. While I wasn’t as entertained as I’d wanted to be, the explosive ending scene gives me hope for the next episode. I’m sure that IT: Welcome to Derry will improve when Bill SkarsgĂĄrd makes his chilling arrival as Pennywise. There will also be more to judge on when the other main characters are introduced.
I’d still recommend IT: Welcome to Derry to anyone who follows the Stephen King franchise or who wants to check it out for the first time. After all, a shapeshifting creature is the perfect addition to this year’s fall season!