Welcome to Derry Finally Confirms Pennywise’s New Origin: Where Did IT Come From?

by

The new series, Welcome to Derry, is four episodes in, and it’s done something unique compared to past adaptations of Stephen King’s story. It actually shows how Pennywise first came to Earth. In the fourth episode, “The Great Swirling Apparatus of Our Planet’s Function,” viewers learn more about the origins of this terrifying creature and the very first attempt at the Ritual of Chud.

The new series is building towards a showdown for the Losers’ Club, though Bill Skarsgård’s character hasn’t appeared yet. This episode showed Will being attacked while fishing, which made Major Hanlon aware his family was connected to the government’s target. Meanwhile, Marge experienced a shocking attack at school, causing her to side with Lilly again. After such a thrilling episode, viewers are eager to see what happens next in Episode 5.

Dick Hallorann Shows a Darker Side in Welcome to Derry

Dick Hallorann is a popular character from both The Shining and Doctor Sleep. Similar to Danny Torrance, he possesses the psychic ability known as ‘the shining,’ and this likely led him to the town of Derry. He’s an Army private assigned a secret mission: use his gift to locate ‘It’ so the government can try to weaponize the creature during the Cold War.

Chris Chalk takes on the role of Derry resident Hallorann, originally played by Scatman Crothers, and delivers a compelling performance, showing a more sensitive side to the character in his younger years. He has a frightening psychic experience with Pennywise, seeing his grandmother in the terrifying ‘deadlights,’ which deeply affects him. But instead of breaking him, this encounter only strengthens Hallorann’s resolve, proving he’s a serious threat to the evil entity known as ‘It’.

Okay, so the tension really starts to build when Rose’s nephew, Taniel, gets taken into custody. They’re desperate to figure out what he knows, but he’s completely closed off. That’s when they bring in Hallorann, and let me tell you, his method is… intense. He basically dives into Taniel’s mind, and what he finds is a flashback to Rose grilling a young Taniel about a terrifying, shadowy presence their family stumbled upon in the woods. It’s a haunting scene, and it really sets the stage for the mystery to come.

While Hallorann clearly demonstrates kindness and concern, Taniel doesn’t display those same protective qualities. After Taniel recounts the story of Pennywise’s appearance, Hallorann’s reaction is strangely disturbing, marked by a cold smile. This moment reveals a previously unseen side of Hallorann, suggesting he may be unraveling from intense fear or desperation.

Pennywise’s Origins and the Ritual of Chud Are Revealed

Taniel explains that long before humans existed, a powerful, destructive being arrived on Earth as a meteor. After crashing, this entity roamed the land for ages, becoming stronger once humans appeared and provided it with prey. Rose and Taniel are part of the Shokopiwah tribe, who have lived on this land since the dawn of humanity and have suffered countless attacks and losses from this creature, known as the Galloo.

The tribe shielded themselves from the Galloo by hiding a piece of the shattered meteor in a deep cave. This fragment, which had once held the entity captive, was meant to be used as a weapon. For many years, they lived safely by staying away from the area, known as the Western Wood, and keeping the shard close by.

When settlers arrived, their hunting and travel through the woods unintentionally provided food for the Galloo, increasing its strength and the risk of it escaping the Western Wood. Three young members of the Shokopiwah tribe tried to gather more shards to trap the creature, but their search party was ambushed and destroyed.

Driven by a desire for justice, the children of the victims devised a plan to contain the Western Wood by burying thirteen fragments around its perimeter. The Shokopiwah people have committed to guarding these fragments and keeping their locations secret, information that both the government and others are seeking.

Fans of Stephen King know that the recent movie and TV adaptations of It differ from the original novel in how they portray the ritual to defeat the monster. The book describes the ritual as a powerful, psychic battle with origins in ancient Himalayan traditions. But It: Chapter 2 changes this, connecting the ritual to the Shokopiwah tribe and requiring the use of physical objects. The movie also adds a tragic backstory, explaining that the ritual previously failed, resulting in the tribe’s destruction.

We’ve witnessed things hurt It before, but the strongest weapon so far seems to be courage – something the show is really focusing on. This new weapon, however, is different; It’s actually afraid of it. Since Taniel showed Hallorann how to locate It, this piece will definitely come in handy. Everything points to a major confrontation next week in Episode 5, appropriately named “Neibolt Street.”

It: Welcome to Derry airs every Sunday on HBO, leading up to the season finale on December 14.

Read More

2025-11-17 06:09