Welcome to Derry' Makes Its Pennywise Absence Worse With Two Stephen King References

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It: Welcome to Derry’s latest Stephen King references serve only to fuel the fire of the show’s most consistent criticism. Welcome to Derry is a project from Andy Muschietti, a filmmaker who’s no stranger to Stephen King adaptations or even Derry, having worked on the 2017 It film and its sequel. In the spirit of Stephen King’s iconic horror novel, the TV series focuses primarily on the various citizens of Derry, set during one of the book’s eventful interludes, a segment of It’s lore King himself has barely touched on. Therein lies the problem for Welcome to Derry.

Like the shark in Jaws or Godzilla in… Godzilla, the primary attraction for an It adaptation is, well, It. We’ve seen different forms of It throughout Welcome to Derry, but it’s the iconic clown appearance, played by Bill Skarsgård in the films, that most viewers will tune in for. In terms of characters and setting, Welcome to Derry does a fine job of establishing charming personalities and interpersonal stories that are compelling on their own. It’s the looming shadow of It that’s ultimately causing the show’s lull.

Warning: This includes SPOILERS for It: Welcome to Derry Season 1, Episode 4!

‘It: Welcome to Derry’ Continues to Hide Pennywise

Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise in It Welcome to Derry

It: Welcome to Derry Episode 4 continues the show’s trend of teasing Pennywise’s eventual arrival, this time with two major reveals: a clear shot of his red balloons and the Well House, two iconic Stephen King visual motifs. The past two episodes have shown Pennywise hiding in the dark, barely revealing more than a silhouette, teasing audiences with the monster while continuing to struggle with plot progression.

The red balloons have long been a piece of iconography for It, serving as an unforgettable component of the 2017 movie and its marketing. The Well House is essentially Pennywise’s lair, and another notable part of the movies. At the end of Welcome to Derry Episode 4, we see the Well House in the same rickety old state as it was in the film, with the HBO series seemingly returning to the same set. The house on Neibolt Street is connected to all the key locations where Pennywise-related incidents occur through the sewer system, making it a centerpiece for the It mystery.

While it’s unclear what Welcome to Derry is going to do with the Well House, its cliffhanger introduction serves as just another Pennywise tease, reminding audiences that he’s going to arrive at some point. Bill Skarsgård is a producer on the show and a member of the cast, so audiences know the appearance is going to happen. It’s just a matter of when, and the longer the TV prequel waits, the more likely it’s going to disappoint. This isn’t the return of Dale Cooper in Twin Peaks or Jon Snow in Game of Thrones Season 6; when everyone already knows it’s going to happen, the teasing quickly grows stale.