Blogs by Ella Fisher

I’ve been doing really well this year when it comes to spoiler alerts  I’m not sure if I’m making many friends this way, but honestly, if you don’t want to know anything: stop reading now.

I came across news on social media that Welcome to Derry was on the shelf. But was it real? Or was it just another fan wish, people hoping it would happen? These days you can’t just assume anything is true, so I didn’t. I waited it out. And sure enough, there was no lie. Welcome to Derry was released.

My Love for Stephen King and My Fear of Clowns

People who know me know I’m a huge fan of Stephen King’s work. IT in particular really speaks to me. Secretly, that might also have something to do with the fact that I have a mild fear of clowns myself. Weird, right? Watching this kind of stuff while being scared of it. I honestly don’t know how that works either.

IT still takes me straight back to my childhood. The first time I saw that movie, I couldn’t sleep at all. I was so scared that I was convinced he would come out of the shower drain. That was my first real encounter with Stephen King. After that, I started diving deeper into his work and even did a presentation at school about his books. I actually got a pretty high grade for it too.

Skepticism and Low Expectations

I’ll admit I was very skeptical at first when it came to Welcome to Derry. Mostly because Pennywise himself wasn’t shown right away. That made it less appealing to me. Personally, I think they should have handled that differently. I can totally imagine people dropping out because Pennywise doesn’t appear immediately. And honestly, it takes a few episodes before he does.

The atmosphere felt a bit flat in the beginning. Even though there’s blood in the very first episode, it didn’t hit me the way IT Chapter One and Two did. I didn’t have high expectations at all, and I was genuinely curious if that would change at some point.

Old Clown Versus New Clown

At one point, I really thought this might just be another continuation of something that was once amazing. Opinions are still very divided. There are fans of the old clown, the original version played by Tim Curry, and there are fans of Bill Skarsgård.

I think they’re both great, but the version Bill brought to life has pushed the old one into second place for me.

Story Choices and Pacing

The idea of putting the past of Derry at the center of the story really appeals to me. The pacing, however, feels slow, mainly because Pennywise isn’t present much at first. As the series progresses and he finally appears, the show becomes much more ominous.

The ending felt rushed to me. Sorry, creators, but that part was disappointing. I only realized at the very end that one of the kids turns out to be Richie Tozier’s mother later on. That reveal felt abrupt and not very well explained.

The fact that Pennywise can jump between past and future also made the story confusing. At times, it was hard to fully follow what was happening.

What I did appreciate was seeing Rich at the end. He helps the other kids bury the dagger by the tree, and during his own funeral you see him with his parents. That moment really worked for me.

Characters That Worked and Those That Didn’t

The scene that stood out to me the most was the one with Pennywise’s daughter. Of course, she isn’t really his daughter, it’s IT taking on Pennywise’s form. Strangely enough, I found him almost sweet in that scene. It gave me a warm feeling but also raised questions. Why didn’t he kill her? That wasn’t clear to me, and I’d honestly like to know more about that.

Dick Hallorann stood out the most, played by Chris Chalk. He can look into people’s minds and memories. I thought this was a great addition to the story, though it also made things even more unrealistic, which is a bit of a downside.

The character Matty, one of the kids, didn’t add much for me personally.

Horror, Makeup, and Atmosphere

The scene that really got under my skin was Pennywise at the school. That one was intense. I didn’t love the makeup though. I get that it needed to look bloody, but having half of his face dark red the entire time just didn’t work for me.

There were moments where I jumped, especially early on when he suddenly appeared. Later on, that feeling mostly disappeared. The horror goes further than IT Chapter One and Two, so be prepared.

The camerawork is fantastic. The color grading, not so much. Especially toward the end, in the mist, it felt too vague. I understand that mist means limited visibility, but I think it could have been handled differently.

The music and sound effects did their job perfectly, just like in IT.

A Strange Mix of Emotions

There were moments when I found the clown almost endearing, especially in the scene with his “daughter.” Sometimes the way he looks makes it seem like he means no harm at all. And that’s exactly where the danger lies.

He has humor, and because of that he brings up all kinds of emotions. Fear, anger, sadness, but also affection. It’s a very strange and unsettling series.

I even find myself feeling a bit sorry for IT. It’s an entity, clearly evil, but it just keeps existing and returns every 27 years. Maybe it doesn’t experience exhaustion the way humans do, even though it sleeps for 27 years, but the idea of endlessly existing sounds frustrating to me. That’s just my perspective.

Final Thoughts

If you’re a horror fan and you’re okay with things being unrealistic at times, this is definitely worth watching. The biggest strength of Welcome to Derry is obviously Pennywise, but the lead roles are strong too. The kids do a great job.

I’ve heard there will be a second season, and I’d absolutely like to see it. I want to know if everything Pennywise predicted about the kids and their futures actually comes true.

For me, Welcome to Derry is a solid and enjoyable addition to IT. And hopefully, it will be for you too.