Welcome to Derry’s Finale Quietly Breaks the Biggest Rule of the It Franchise With New Pennywise Lore

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The show recently finished its second season, leaving viewers with plenty to think about regarding its connections to the films and whether it will return for another season. The finale was particularly noteworthy for providing a detailed exploration of the rules and backstory surrounding the character Pennywise.

Most fans already suspect Pennywise isn’t a typical creature, but a powerful, ancient force that destroys entire worlds – and therefore doesn’t follow human logic. Stephen King hinted at this in his original novel, connecting Pennywise to his larger ‘Dark Tower’ universe. Now that it’s understood Pennywise doesn’t perceive time in a straight line, a key element of the plot for the second season of ‘Welcome to Derry’ becomes problematic.

Welcome to Derry Teases the Extent of Pennywise’s Cosmic Power (But It’s Pointless)

The children attempt to trap Pennywise in Derry by carrying a piece of his broken claw to a dead tree on a frozen lake. During this, Pennywise captures Marge and reveals to her that she will become the mother of Richie Tozer and that he and his friends will ultimately destroy him. While this is confusing for Marge, it hints at the future events of It: Chapter Two for viewers.

This explanation reveals that Pennywise views death and birth as the same thing, because he doesn’t experience time like humans do. He exists everywhere and everywhen, seeing everything all at once. Previously, Pennywise was thought of as a destructive, fear-fueled entity that simply preyed on people, but now it’s clear he’s far more complex than that.

Despite the mystery surrounding his words, Pennywise revealing he knows what will happen breaks a key storytelling rule. This opens the possibility of seeing him even further back in the past during Season 2, attempting to eliminate the relatives connected to the events.

Ultimately, this powerful creature has been reduced to simply struggling against its fate. However, disrupting the established pattern of Pennywise always being in charge introduces a new, potentially bigger issue that could lessen the story’s overall horror.

Welcome to Derry Season 2 Will Have a Major Problem With Stakes

The initial It films and the first season of Welcome to Derry create an engaging story about the Losers’ Club repeatedly attempting to defeat Pennywise. However, establishing this conflict as a fixed cycle – and having a character point out Pennywise could have targeted their ancestors – significantly lowers the tension. This feels odd, especially considering Pennywise understands time non-linearly but can’t actually change it.

The story is frightening because these children are facing a godlike being of immense power – one so terrifying that just seeing its real form could shatter a person’s mind or even destroy it. The kids have no real chance of winning, which makes it incredibly satisfying when Pennywise is finally defeated.

Many of the central characters are likely to be kept safe, and the plot feels predictable, as if it’s following a pre-established pattern. This is particularly noticeable because the story relies heavily on events already detailed in earlier books.

The return of familiar characters like Dick Hallorann adds an interesting new dimension to this Stephen King prequel, and helped make the events of Welcome to Derry feel original. However, if the show continues to Season 2, it might be harder to introduce surprises, and Pennywise likely won’t be as frightening.

Pennywise used to be frightening and even amusing, as seen in Welcome to Derry. However, by removing his supernatural power and portraying him as someone fighting a hopeless battle, he becomes much less intimidating. To maintain the fear factor, Pennywise needs to always seem in control, even to the viewers. If the show doesn’t achieve this in Season 2, it will be hard to convince audiences it’s still scary.

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2025-12-18 03:06