Pennywise’s New Power in IT: Welcome to Derry Makes No Sense

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The series Welcome to Derry has enriched the lore of Stephen King’s iconic creation by delving into the history of the terrifying entity at its center. The first season carefully explains how the creature became connected to the town, how it adopted the form of Pennywise (played by Bill Skarsgård), and just how disturbingly adaptable its shapeshifting powers are. The show also cleverly uses the monster’s actions to examine the history of racial injustice in America, grounding the horror in a specific time period. However, the season finale introduces a new power for Pennywise that significantly changes its nature. While this reveal is startling, it creates some storytelling problems that could weaken the established rules of the franchise.

Warning: Spoilers below for IT: Welcome to Derry season finale

In the climactic showdown with the monster, Pennywise focuses his attacks on Marge, revealing a disturbing glimpse into her future. He shows her that she will become Margaret Tozier and have a son named Richie. This confirms Marge is Richie’s mother, connecting the events of this prequel to the original story. More significantly, the scene demonstrates that Pennywise isn’t bound by time – he knows what has happened, what is happening, and what will happen. Because he knows Richie and his friends will eventually destroy him, Pennywise tries to kill Marge as a way to prevent that future from happening.

After the fight, Marge shared a chilling idea with her friends, explaining how Pennywise might use time to its advantage. She believes Pennywise could target their parents or ancestors in past cycles, preventing the group from ever being born. This suggests the upcoming seasons of IT: Welcome to Derry, set in 1935 and 1908, will show the creature trying to change the past to ensure its own survival. While this gives the anthology seasons a clear direction, it also raises questions about how powerful Pennywise is and what truly motivates it.

Time-Traveling Is Not the Best Tool for IT: Welcome to Derry

Time travel is tricky to pull off in stories because it can create paradoxes that break the established rules. Adding it to a story already filled with complex history and mythology could make the plot overly complicated instead of improving it. A major problem arises when considering Pennywise’s actions. If Pennywise knows it will ultimately be defeated by the Losers’ Club, its behavior throughout the series doesn’t make sense. Both the movies and the TV series portray Pennywise as a creature that enjoys tormenting its victims, relishing their fear before it consumes them.

IT can also swiftly eliminate dangers, such as those searching for its home, simply to clear its way. When its own survival is at stake, wasting time on tormenting those who would eventually destroy it is a dangerous mistake. IT should focus on quickly removing threats instead of toying with them. The film IT: Welcome to Derry highlights this by making us wonder why IT doesn’t just kill the Losers’ Club’s ancestors (or the Losers themselves) directly, without any elaborate games.

This storytelling choice significantly limits the show’s future possibilities. While the anthology style of IT: Welcome to Derry allowed for exploring the town’s history and how evil impacts different generations, focusing the creature’s motives on protecting its own future traps the story in a cycle. Instead of a broad tragedy about a cursed town, it risks becoming a repetitive hunt focused on a few families over decades. This limits the show’s ability to build a rich and expansive world, prioritizing connections to the existing story over creating fresh and original narratives.

All episodes of IT: Welcome to Derry Season 1 are now available to stream on HBO Max.

Does knowing what will happen make Pennywise even more frightening, or does it create inconsistencies in the story? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2025-12-15 17:19