The following contains spoilers for Welcome to Derry Season 1, Episode 3, which premieres on November 9 on HBO.
Since Stephen King’s 1986 novel IT can’t be fully adapted to the screen due to its scope, much about the cosmic entity remains omitted from the films. However, just three episodes into Season 1, Welcome to Derry covers one major topic missing from the franchise by exploring why Pennywise hunts in the Maine town of Derry.
This is the first season of the IT prequel series, and the show creators have at least two more seasons planned. Season 1 is set in 1962, while Season 2 is expected to take place in 1935, and Season 3 in 1908. Each will follow one of Pennywise’s hunting cycles, which occur roughly every 27 years. While this means there will be plenty more to explore about It’s origins, Season 1 will still cover quite a bit of the being’s location and lore.
How Does the Government Know About Pennywise?
The beginning of Welcome to Derry Episode 3, “Now You See It,” takes place in 1908, as a 12-year-old boy named Francis Shaw and his father attend the town’s carnival. Separated from his dad, the boy wanders into a sideshow tent, where he’s confronted by a terrifying elderly man who chases him out. When Francis leaves, his father finds him and gives him a slingshot he won as a prize.
On the way home, their car overheats, leading Francis to meet a 12-year-old Native American girl named Rose at a roadside stand. The two become friends that summer, playing in the fields near the Derry woods. But when Francis runs into the trees despite Rose’s protests, he discovers something sinister lurking inside. They only escape thanks to Rose injuring It with the slingshot, just as Beverly Marsh does decades later.
Once they leave the woods, the boy is terrified that the creature is coming after him. However, Rose explains that the thing can’t leave the woods, and they’re safe. When Francis asks why it is unable to reach them, Rose replies, “Can you keep a secret?” The scene fades to reveal the adult Rose (Kimberly Norris Guerrero), owner of the Second Hand Rose furniture store. It is also revealed that the young boy grew up to be General Shaw (James Remar), who is overseeing the military operation to locate Pennywise.
Fifty years after their first meeting, General Shaw and Rose reunite, and he admits that he doesn’t remember many details about his summer in Derry, including their time together. This kind of forgetfulness has also happened to other characters in the IT universe after they leave town. He confirms that he’s overseeing the dig sites, which he claims are soil surveys for water pipes. However, we now know that the government is searching for Pennywise in hopes of using It as a weapon to end the Cold War.
General Shaw was only reminded of Rose after she sent a cease and desist order to protect sacred land from the government’s interference. Although General Shaw says he doesn’t remember much about the town, it’s clear that some memories still linger. In a cruel twist against Rose, her revealing Derry’s dark secret as a child likely caused the military to search for Pennywise in the area.
Why Does Pennywise Only Hunt in Derry?
Pennywise’s exact origin story hasn’t been revealed in Welcome to Derry. However, Stephen King’s novel explains that the entity arrived in an asteroid crash millions of years before the town came into existence. Once humans began inhabiting the area, It awoke from hibernation and started its hunting cycles. Although It isn’t necessarily confined to Derry, the town remains the preferred hunting ground. This is where the cosmic being landed and anchored itself, spreading dark energy and influence throughout the area.
Pennywise incites violence during active cycles, feeding on the fear caused by disastrous and horrific events. This includes the deadly fire at The Black Spot, which is connected to The Shining’s Dick Hallorann and will be featured this season. The townspeople have become accustomed to or even numb to Pennywise’s presence. However, an attempt has been made to destroy or weaken the entity using the Ritual of Chüd. We can expect this ritual to be explored in Season 1 of the prequel, even if only superficially, since more seasons are planned.
The details of this ritual, as well as its level of success, differ between the book and the films, as seen in IT Chapter 2. Rose’s revelation that It is confined to the woods and cannot cross the treeline suggests that the tribe’s Ritual of Chüd might be effective in the show. Of course, another explanation could be involved, but either way, it will be exciting to see how it unfolds.
It: Welcome to Derry airs every Sunday on HBO, leading up to the season finale on December 14.