7 Stephen King Easter Eggs & References You Might’ve Missed in IT: Welcome to Derry Episode 1

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A new series, IT: Welcome to Derry, is bringing the terrifying town of Derry, Maine, back to life for a new audience. The show, which has been well-received, goes back to 1962, long before the events of the original story and the formation of the Losers’ Club. It’s based on historical flashbacks from Stephen King’s novel, showing the repeating tragedies that plague Derry. This allows the series to tell the story of how the evil entity Pennywise came to be and build a connected universe of Stephen King stories on television.

Right from the start, IT: Welcome to Derry signals that it’s building a much bigger story, linking the terrifying events in Derry to the larger world Stephen King has created throughout his books. The series is filled with small details, clever references, and important new characters that longtime King fans will appreciate. For viewers who love to analyze everything they see, the first episode is packed with hidden clues and references that both pay respect to the original story and suggest a much larger narrative is about to begin.

Be warned: Spoilers ahead for IT: Welcome to Derry, Episode 1

1) Major Hanlon is Mike’s Grandfather

The first episode introduces Captain Pauly Russo and Major Leroy Hanlon, two highly respected Air Force officers newly stationed near Derry. For fans of IT, the name Hanlon will be familiar – Leroy is the grandfather of Mike Hanlon, who later joins the Loser’s Club. This connection deepens the Hanlon family’s history in Derry and their link to the town’s tragic events. While Mike’s grandfather was a farmer in the 2017 film, we now see Leroy as a decorated officer in 1962, hinting at a compelling story about what led him to leave the military and how his encounter with Pennywise will affect his family’s destiny.

2) The Paul Bunyan Statue

The large Paul Bunyan statue in Derry is a well-known landmark, famously coming to life in a scary scene in IT: Chapter Two to frighten Richie Tozier. The recent prequel series shows that the statue wasn’t actually built until 1962. In the first episode, a newspaper reveals the town council just approved its construction, establishing its future presence in Derry. This detail cleverly builds the show’s world by showing viewers what Derry was like before it became the town they recognize from the movies.

3) The Earth vs. Flying Saucers Poster

One scene shows the bedroom of young Phil (Jack Molloy Legault), who loves science fiction and believes in aliens. A poster for the 1956 film Earth vs. Flying Saucers hangs on his wall. This is a deliberate reference to an important moment in Stephen King’s life. In his book Danse Macabre, King describes seeing this movie as a child when the screening was interrupted by an announcement: the Soviet Union had launched Sputnik. King felt the combination of the fictional horror on screen and the very real fear of the Cold War was deeply impactful, shaping his writing style. The poster is a subtle but meaningful tribute to his personal history.

4) Juniper Hill Asylum

In the opening of IT: Welcome to Derry, we meet Lilly (Clara Stack), a new student who is unfairly called “Loony” Lilly by her classmates. Her painful past is revealed: she saw her father die in a terrible accident at the pickle factory. The shock of this event caused a serious mental breakdown, and her mother had her committed to Juniper Hill Asylum. This asylum is a familiar setting in Stephen King’s work, appearing in stories like the original IT novel, Needful Things, and 11/22/63. It’s often where characters affected by supernatural events are sent for care.

5) Turtles Everywhere

The first episode is packed with turtle imagery, a clear tribute to a key figure in Stephen King’s fictional universe. Set in 1962, during the height of Cold War fears, the children watch a public service film featuring Bert the Turtle, a real cartoon used to teach safety drills. We even see one child dressed as Bert, handing out safety flyers. A touching flashback reveals a character named Matty giving Lilly a turtle pendant, who notes that turtles are considered lucky. These repeated references all point to Maturin, an ancient and powerful cosmic turtle who is a major opponent of Pennywise in King’s novels. Maturin also protects The Dark Tower, suggesting the show will delve into the more magical and fantastical aspects of King’s storytelling.

6) Beverly’s Father Is in School

Since IT: Welcome to Derry is set 27 years before the first IT movie, it makes sense that the future members of the Losers’ Club would have parents who were in school in 1962. The show confirms this with a quick scene in a school bathroom where the name “Alvin Marsh” is written on the wall as graffiti. Longtime fans will recognize this as the name of Beverly Marsh’s abusive father. This small detail subtly reminds us that the evil in Derry goes way back, and the trauma that haunts the Losers’ Club began long before they were born.

7) The Prophecy of The Music Man

The premiere ends with a chilling scene in a movie theater, where a new group of kids is watching the classic film The Music Man. During the movie, the character Harold Hill says, “Our children’s children are gonna have trouble,” which feels like a dark prediction for what’s to come in Derry. This line happens right before Pennywise attacks the children in the theater, but it’s also thematically important. It directly hints at the creature’s 27-year cycle of violence, suggesting that another group of kids – the future Losers’ Club – will eventually have to confront the same horror when Pennywise returns.

New episodes of IT: Welcome to Derry premiere on HBO every Sunday.

Did you notice any other interesting details in the first episode of IT: Welcome to Derry? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion in the ComicBook Forum!

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2025-10-27 14:13