The debut of Welcome to Derry over the coming days transports audiences once again to the early 1960s, where a new band of youngsters confronts an age-old, fear-eating clown. Considering the original It story revolved heavily around teens in danger, it's unsurprising that this series continues a similar trajectory. However, Welcome to Derry ramps up the frights to a greater degree than the recent films, setting its brutal tone quicker than viewers might anticipate.
An Chilling Beginning in a Cursed Town
The series starts on a wintry winter evening in the haunted community of Derry, Maine, taking place in 1962. After being ejected of a movie theater for slipping in and refusing to return home to his violent parents, a pre-teen boy (the young actor) holds onto his pacifier for solace while hitchhiking away from town. When he is eventually given a ride, the freezing child accepts. It doesn't take long, though, for him to realize the enormity of his error.
We'll pause at this point to prevent spoiling any details from the episode. It is enough to state that Welcome to Derry acts quickly in demonstrating just how graphic and frightening the series is set to be, especially regarding the violence experienced by minors in the town.
From start to finish, the show's debut episode demonstrates its creators aren't afraid to "go there," to the extent that it likely should include a content advisory for those sensitive to violence involving young people; it's really that gruesome.
An New Approach to Terror
Executive producer Jason Fuchs has in the past compared Pennywise to the shark from Jaws, a monster revealed in brief looks that builds toward a grand payoff. In Welcome to Derry, however, the emphasis moves toward additional shapeshifting terrors evocative of Stephen King's original book. With the extended runtime and prestige of an HBO production, the program is patient exploring these fears instead of rushing to highlight the clown, resulting in a creepier, heightened fright than the 2017 and 2019 films.
Is This Suitable?
Any viewer with even a passing knowledge of It should understand what they're in for when it involves violence toward children, but Welcome to Derry cranks the volume up to 11 when compared to the miniseries and even the movies. Given that, it merits a PSA if those versions are where one sets their limit. Yet still, It: Welcome to Derry remains an excellent series with a premiere episode that's a perfect viewing for the Halloween season.
- Explicit violence against minors
- Extended episode length for deeper terror exploration
- Increased transformative monsters from the source novel
- Sets a darker tone than earlier adaptations
