IT, Welcome to Derry Ep 6
As always, spoilers abound, folks :)
Another episode of It, Welcome to Derry, aka the reason I still have HBO Max. Seriously, just my opinion, but I own The Big Bang Theory, Friends, and Game of Thrones already. House of the Dragon has…struggled. Last of Us had an amazing first season, second really faltered (yes, I knew what was going to happen but it really hurt the show, lol). But Welcome to Derry (just going to call is WTD moving forward) has so far been phenomenal. Very difficult to watch at times with the violence against children and rampant racism, but Stephen King has never hesitated to get your attention by showing the brutality of not only how evil the creature is but how dark the human heart as well. Technically, TV shows and films based on/inspired by his books tone down what he writes. Ever read Salem’s Lot? The death of rural America has a couple of abuse scenes that were difficult to get through, and It is heavy with many of King’s themes.
Episode 6 is a classic last episode before the penultimate and final episode. Two left after all. It moved the story forward, but with a slow burn. We’re about to see the Massacre at Black Spot in the next episode, spoken about in both the novel and films, when a bunch of racists showed up with many ensuing deaths. Sucked to read and will more than likely suck to watch. But again, Stephen King never shied away from depicting the horrors of reality, which are more terrifying than any creature he created.
I do like how the Bob Gray characters plays a bigger part in the TV series, filling in the story of why the creature enjoys using the Pennywise form. The novel mentioned why the creature uses the clown form, “salting the meat” as it were. But the show introduced Bob Gray’s daughter, Ingrid, also known as Periwinkle the clown. Obsessed with finding her father again, the creature has convinced her that he’s the same person - transdimensional entity from the Deadlights…travelling circus clown…sure same thing, tis what I thought - and has convinced her to bring him children when she used to work at Juniper Hill Asylum. It was even her, the Periwinkle clown, we were seeing in the shadows, not Pennywise. Girl gonna get eaten is what’s going to happen! “Dad! Remember me?! We’re together again!” Pennywise giggles as reality dawns on her, CRUNCH! Storyline over! Thanks for playing!
Just have to say, though all the acting in the show has been spectacular - truly, kudos to everyone! - but Bill Skarsgård just eats up every single scene he’s in (no pun intended), whether its as Pennywise or Bob Gray. The guy is a master of his craft and a modern Boris Karloff.
Now, Dick Hallorann better not die! He’ll be the one Stephen King character to be both alive and dead depending on the version of the story, lol. Lived in The Shining book, but died in the film. Lived in the It novel, but may die in the TV show. Such a great character, connecting the “shine” psychic abilities we see across King’s cosmology. He’s currently alive, but the opened box was the defense his grandmother helped him create to trap, hide away, all the dead people who would speak to, haunt him. Now, he’s delved deep into the bottle and at the Black Spot. In the novel, he escapes, assisting in others escaping as well. Hopefully this remains the case.
Tis all. Should be getting a lot of snow today :)
Patrick