We’re all floating here: this article contains spoilers for “It: Welcome to Derry” season 1, episode 1, “The Pilot”.
The titular villain of Stephen King’s “It” is an ancient, malevolent entity who is much more than the demonic clown Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård). He is also known for being one of the most prevalent antagonists in King’s work, second only to Randall Flagg. A powerful alien creature from another universe, it is linked to a whole bunch of King’s stories and various works allude to its existence.
Given that the “It” story already has a lot of substance to chew on without incorporating the entire Stephen King universe into it, it’s understandable that adaptations have tended to downplay this aspect. However, the Season 1 premiere of “It: Welcome to Derry” builds extremely quickly on elements that feature in the narrative of “It” but also exist in other King stories – to the point that the series soon begins to feel like a stealthy companion to his mix-and-match series of King Lore, “Castle Rock.”
Hulu’s ambitious horror series “Castle Rock” is known for taking place in the titular small town in Maine — the setting of many of King’s stories — and for incorporating as many elements from the author’s various works into the plot as humanly possible. Additionally, the series features a post-“It” Skarsgård playing yet another mysterious entity known as the Kid. With Skarsgård returning as Pennywise and the story set in King’s other famous small town, “It: Welcome to Derry” already had its share of thematic similarities with “Castle Rock” before the series’ first episode began to highlight other elements of the King-verse.
From turtle deities to Shining users, the show extends its reach far beyond Derry
What’s smart about “The Pilot” is that the elements it introduces all technically belong to the “It” canon. However, just like the monster lurking at the heart of Derry, they also have connections to other King works, meaning the episode manages the rare feat of keeping its narrative self-contained. And extending it far beyond the scope of the show’s source material.
For example, the episode’s “duck and blanket” mascot, Bert the Turtle, and Lilly’s (Clara Stack) prominent turtle-themed bracelet are references to Maturin, a turtle deity who appears in the novel “It” as well as King’s “The Dark Tower” books. The notable attention paid to the infamous Juniper Hill Asylum is also noteworthy, as the prominent “It” location is also found in a good dozen other King works and adaptations…including “Castle Rock,” in this case.
There’s also the case of Dick Hallorann (Chris Chalk), a character who has a miniscule presence in the novel “It,” but is much better known for his role as Danny Torrance’s mentor and Shining user in “The Shining.” Hallorann has an important role to play in “Welcome to Derry,” and while his inclusion makes sense since he’s part of the city’s history, it’s also a page straight out of the “Castle Rock” playbook.
(Not that I’m complaining, mind you. “Castle Rock” rules, and based on the first episode, “It: Welcome to Derry” does too.)
The creators of Welcome to Derry have sent mixed messages about the series’ connections to other King works.
To be fair, “Welcome to Derry” is a very different beast from the mystery thriller “Castle Rock,” thanks to its legitimately disturbing scenes and patented predatory “It” atmosphere. Not everyone buys the comparison between the two series either, even within the production team. In fact, Brad Caleb Kane, who created the show with Andy and Barbara Muschietti, specifically crowned “Castle Rock” as THE interconnected show from the Stephen King universe. “The decision was made early on to tell a specific story set in Derry in 1962 and not necessarily do a lot of cross-pollination into the King universe,” Kane told Entertainment Weekly. “There’s a specific show for that. It’s called ‘Castle Rock,’ and you can go watch it.”
However, Andy Muschietti’s comments in the same interview hint at the overall storyline of the series. will embrace “Castle Rock” style cross-pollination, although at a different, potentially greater level:
“The idea, on the longest arc of the series, is to open the door to this bigger, broader mythology to see the iceberg underwater and everything that’s not perceptible to humans. I can’t tell you too much about seasons 2 and 3, but we’re going to see more of the mythology and the world behind the veil.”
There’s a lot to learn about “It: Welcome to Derry,” which originally stemmed from Mike Hanlon’s (Isaiah Mustafa) “It Chapter Two” research interludes that delved deep into Derry’s dark history. “Welcome to Derry” might intend to delve much deeper into King’s overarching mythology, and only time (and potential future seasons) will tell how far the series is willing to go.
Season 1 of “It: Welcome to Derry” is streaming on HBO Max.
