Bill Skarsgard in It Welcome to Derry
By
Ben Sherlock
Published 14 minutes ago
Ben Sherlock is a Tomatometer-approved film and TV critic who runs the massively underrated YouTube channel I Got Touched at the Cinema. Before working at Screen Rant, Ben wrote for Game Rant, Taste of Cinema, Comic Book Resources, and BabbleTop. He's also an indie filmmaker, a standup comedian, and an alumnus of the School of Rock.
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Warning! This review contains spoilers for It: Welcome to Derry episode 6.
After last week’s action-packed encounter in the sewer, It: Welcome to Derry’s latest episode takes a breather to focus on the trauma the characters have all suffered. This is what the movies didn’t have time to explore: the aftermath; the psychological toll of being terrorized by a demonic clown. But the TV show has the time to really dig into it and show Leroy coming unhinged, Dick Hallorann reaching his breaking point, and Lilly and Ronnie having a bitter falling-out.
As Lilly goes off and does some investigating on her own, a couple of romances blossom amongst the rest of the Losers’ Club. Rich is smitten with Marge, and she likes him back, but only as a friend (for now). Will and Ronnie like-like each other, but their issues with their parents keep getting in the way of their courtship. Welcome to Derry has focused a lot on the horror in recent episodes, but It is as much a coming-of-age story as it is a ghost story, and first love is a big part of the teenage experience.
The writing credits for this episode include Cord Jefferson, the Oscar-winning writer-director of American Fiction. Jefferson has been a part of the HBO family for years — he previously worked as a consultant on Succession and a writer on Watchmen and Station Eleven — and he’s a perfect addition to the writing team here. Welcome to Derry is exploring the dicey racial politics of the early ‘60s and the inherent prejudices in American society, which is exactly what Jefferson explored in the script that won him an Academy Award. He brings a lot to the show’s social commentary.
The Highlight Of Welcome To Derry Episode 6 Is Pennywise's Origin Story
The Show Tells Us Just Enough Without Lessening The Dancing Clown's Impact
The highlight of this episode — or, at least, the part that’s bound to spark the most discussion — is Pennywise’s origin story. These origin sequences walk a fine line between hinting at where Pennywise came from and keeping the character shrouded in mystery. The general rule of thumb is that the more you explain where a horror villain came from, the less scary they become. But Welcome to Derry does a good job of expanding It’s lore without lessening the impact of Pennywise’s appearance. Bill Skarsgård slips back into the role without missing a beat; he’s as terrifying as ever.
There’s some great cinematography in this episode. The camera swoops up from a gun-toting posse of angry white people jumping in the back of a truck to chase down Henry Grogan and settles on an American flag billowing in the wind, visually reflecting the themes at play. Gorgeous black-and-white flashback sequences show us glimpses of Pennywise’s backstory. The black-and-white is just a filter — it still has a glossy digital sheen — but the filmmakers use high-contrast lighting to bring out the beauty of that monochromatic aesthetic. They pepper in Sin City-style splashes of crimson red with Pennywise’s floating balloon and a disturbing pool of blood.
This episode’s cliffhanger ending is the scariest thing that’s happened in the series so far, and it has nothing to do with Pennywise. The local vigilante squad has learned that Grogan is hiding out at the Black Spot, the local speakeasy catering mostly to Black soldiers from the Air Force base. In the episode’s final moments, they all show up with guns and masks, ready to attack. This has nothing to do with ghosts or demons; it touches on the very real horrors of racism, and that’s much more terrifying than any supernatural clown.
With that final scene, It: Welcome to Derry is starting to build towards one of the most shocking events in the town’s history, originally alluded to in the first movie. After those masked Purge-style killers arrived at the Black Spot, I’m both excited for next week’s episode and dreading it.
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9.1/10
9/10
It: Welcome to Derry
10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-MA Horror Mystery Drama Release Date October 26, 2025 Network HBO Directors Andy Muschietti Writers Jason Fuchs, Stephen King, Austin Guzman Franchise(s) IT
8 Images
Dick Hallorann with his eyes wide looking angry in It Welcome to Derry
Bill Skarsgard's Pennywise in IT Welcome to Derry trailer 2Image courtesy of HBO Max
Kid similing in IT Welcome To Derry
It: Welcome to Derry teens looking surprised at something off screen
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Cast
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Taylour Paige
Charlotte Hanlon
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Jovan Adepo
Leroy Hanlon
- Welcome to Derry takes the time to explore the aftermath of traumatic experiences
- Pennywise's origin story is handled spectacularly
- The episode's cliffhanger ending is the scariest thing that's happened in the show so far
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It: Welcome to Derry
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