It: Welcome to Derry Delivers a Year’s Most Unnerving TV Moment
HBO’s It: Welcome to Derry stuns with a harrowing, technically masterful sequence that blends supernatural horror with the raw brutality of human prejudice.
There are TV moments that stick with you, and then there’s the seventh episode of It: Welcome to Derry. The penultimate chapter of HBO’s much-hyped spin-off doesn’t just raise the bar for horror on the small screen—it leaves it smouldering. The episode’s centrepiece, a gut-wrenching recreation of The Black Spot’s destruction, stands out as the most disturbing sequence of the year, not just for its supernatural elements but for its unflinching look at human cruelty.
Even with plenty of warning, the scene hits like a punch to the guts. Chief Bowers (Peter Outerbridge) and his gang of bigots storm Hallorann’s club, faces hidden behind Universal Monsters masks, intent on violence. Director Andy Muschietti had flagged the fire as a pivotal moment for the series, and even for those familiar with Stephen King’s original, nothing quite prepares you for the way it unfolds here. The show takes a few liberties with the source material, adding a devastating twist that makes the horror feel all too real. Pennywise, played by Bill Skarsgård, is present, but the real terror comes from the people of Derry themselves.
Human Monsters in the Spotlight
King’s novel hints that Derry’s nastier side is fuelled by the presence of It, with characters like Henry Bowers and John “Webby” Garton already prejudiced but pushed further by the creature’s influence. The series, though, doesn’t let them off the hook so easily. Here, Bowers and his mates have a clear motive: they’re after Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), wrongly accused and hiding out at The Black Spot. When the crowd refuses to hand him over, the attackers barricade the doors and lob Molotovs through the windows. Unlike the book, they wait outside, guns ready, to pick off anyone who escapes.
The chaos is captured in a three-minute continuous shot, weaving through the panicked crowd as they scramble for safety. It’s a technical feat, with the camera darting between characters, flames, and falling debris, making you feel like you’re right there in the thick of it. The result is a scene that’s as impressive as it is horrifying.
Loss of Innocence and Lasting Scars
“It was about showing these kids and the audience that the ultimate terror of Derry might just be the humans who live there,”
says Fuchs.
“They’re not brainwashed. They’re not hypnotised. Those are people making the cruelest choices imaginable, and I don’t think there is an aspect of horror more horrifying in season 1 than what they do in the context of that attack. Although, you know, It has done his part to rile things up, and certainly takes advantage.”
Seeing the violence through the eyes of children, who might blame the supernatural for what’s happening, gives the moment extra weight. The loss of innocence is both emotional and physical. The fire claims many lives, but it’s Arian S. Cartaya’s Rich who makes the ultimate sacrifice. He urges Marge (Matilda Lawler) to hide in a cooler, then seals it shut, protecting her as the flames close in. As he remembers their first meeting and kisses the top of the cooler, it’s a heartbreakingly human moment—far more haunting than any ghost or gore the series has thrown at us so far.
Shifting the Story’s Focus
What’s especially striking is the decision to put the kids at the centre of the tragedy. In the book, Will Hanlon, father of Losers’ Club member Mike, survives the fire as an adult in 1930. The show shifts the timeline to 1962 and places Will and his young friends in the thick of it, raising the stakes and making the horror feel even more immediate. The presence of children, hopeful and determined, facing the worst of humanity, adds a layer of tragedy that lingers long after the credits roll.
“These kids really represent the best of us; they’re hopeful, they’re determined. These are good people, and I think they’re hopeful about the world. So to have that hopefulness challenged by the stark evil that they see there felt the most interesting dramatically; can light triumph over dark? Can the power of unified belief triumph over the divisiveness of fear?”
Fuchs reflects.
The season finale hints at hope, with the young heroes overcoming General Shaw (James Remar) and sending It back into hibernation. But with more seasons on the way, it’s clear the nightmares in Derry are far from over.