This premiere of Welcome to Derry over the coming days transports audiences back to the early 1960s, as a fresh band of kids confronts an ancient, fear-consuming clown. Considering the original It story centered heavily around teens in danger, it's unsurprising that this series continues a comparable trajectory. However, Welcome to Derry ramps up the horror even more than the recent movies, establishing its harsh tone quicker than viewers might expect.
A Chilling Start in a Cursed Town
The series starts on a wintry January night in the haunted town of Derry, Maine, set in 1962. Following being ejected of a movie theater for slipping in and declining to go back home to his abusive guardians, a 12-year-old youth (Miles Ekhardt) holds onto his pacifier for solace while thumbing a ride out of town. When he is finally given a lift, the freezing boy agrees. It doesn't take long, however, for him to understand the scale of his mistake.
We'll pause at this point to avoid revealing any details from the installment. Suffice to state that Welcome to Derry wastes no time in demonstrating just how explicit and terrifying the program will be, especially regarding the brutality inflicted on children in the locale.
Throughout, the show's first episode proves its creators have no fear to "push boundaries," to the extent that it probably ought to include a graphic content advisory for those sensitive to aggression against young people; it's truly that disturbing.
An Different Approach to Terror
Executive producer the series' lead has in the past compared Pennywise to the predator from Jaws, a creature revealed in brief looks that builds toward a grand payoff. In Welcome to Derry, though, the emphasis shifts toward more shapeshifting terrors evocative of Stephen King's original novel. With the extended duration and high-quality of an HBO production, the program is patient exploring these terrors rather than rushing to highlight the clown, resulting in a more unsettling, heightened fright than the 2017 and 2019 films.
Is It For You?
Any audience member with the slightest knowledge of It should know what they're in for when it involves brutality toward kids, but Welcome to Derry turns the volume to the maximum when contrasted to the miniseries and even the movies. Given that, it deserves a PSA if those versions are where one draws the line. Nevertheless, It: Welcome to Derry is an superb show with a premiere episode that's a perfect watch for the Halloween time of year.
- Explicit violence involving minors
- Longer episode length for more profound fear exploration
- More shapeshifting horrors from the original book
- Establishes a more grim tone than previous versions
