Why Welcome to Derry’s New Losers Deserve More Time

With just one episode left in Welcome to Derry, I’m already feeling the loss of the show’s fresh batch of Losers. Not because their fate is sealed—though I wouldn’t fancy my odds against a cosmic clown in a boiler suit—but because, if the series gets another run, these kids likely won’t be back. Even before the first episode dropped, Andy Muschietti made it clear that any follow-up would head backwards in time. Season two is set for 1935, and a third would jump to 1908. The show’s using Stephen King’s original interludes as a launchpad, each season focusing on a grim chapter from Derry’s history: the Black Spot fire of 1962, the Bradley Gang Massacre, and the Kitchener Ironworks disaster.

At first, I was all for this approach. But that was before I got to know Will Hanlon, Lilly Bainbridge, Ronnie Grogan, Marge Truman, and Rich Santos. The book cops a bit of stick for its length (and, fair go, I’ve told mates it could lose a few hundred pages), but the real charm is in the time spent just hanging out with Bill, Beverly, Ben, Richie, Stan, and Mike. Sure, they’re often in strife—dodging Henry Bowers or convincing themselves that werewolves don’t wear varsity jackets—but there’s heaps of moments where they’re just mucking about, listening to rock and roll, building dams, or tearing around on Bill’s bike, Silver. That’s a big part of what makes the story work, and it’s a shame we won’t get the same with the new crew, even though TV’s longform style could’ve made it possible.

Getting Attached to Derry’s Newest Mates

Over the past seven weeks, I’ve grown pretty fond of these young characters as they chat about stardust, stumble through awkward crushes, and debate whether they’re the sort to help out (lifeboat) or leave someone hanging (anchor). Poor Lilly and Ronnie have copped it the worst, both being there for It’s brutal attack at the Capitol cinema in episode one. Not only did they witness the carnage, but they’ve had to deal with the fallout—Lilly sent back to Juniper Hill Asylum, Ronnie’s dad stitched up for the deaths. Marge nearly lost her sight after It had her seeing eyes on stalks, and Rich, the Cuban-American kid, died saving her during the Black Spot fire. Watching them go through all this, it’s no wonder I’ve ended up caring about them. The show’s clearly set up to make us feel that way, knowing our time with them would be short.

Unlike the films, Welcome to Derry gives us a big cast, so the writers had to make every scene count to get us on side with these pint-sized heroes. Credit where it’s due to Jason Fuchs and Brad Caleb Kane, who wrote most of the episodes, for nailing dialogue that quickly shows off each kid’s personality and their bonds with each other.

The Anthology Angle: A Double-Edged Sword

As much as I hate to admit it, there’s something to be said for the show’s anthology style. As a fan of The Walking Dead, I’ve always respected horror series that aren’t afraid to knock off a main character without warning. If your leads are always in danger, not all of them should make it out every time. Maybe knowing these kids won’t be back after episode eight will push the Derry team to go all out for the finale.

We’ve already seen Rich die—not by Pennywise, but at the hands of Chief Bowers and his racist mates—so anything could happen in the last episode. In the films and the book, Bill and his friends all survive their first run-in with It. Maybe the show will pull the rug out and take out the whole lot of them. I hope not, but it definitely raises the stakes.

Looking Ahead: Who Might Return?

There are a few characters who could pop up in a second season, which takes the sting out a bit. Rose, played by Kimberly Norris-Guerrero, seems a likely candidate, since she’s been living on Derry’s edge since she was a kid—and her Shokopiwah tribe has been dealing with It since the 1500s. If a third season gets the green light, we already know General Shaw will be involved, thanks to the 1908 prologue in episode three. He won’t be played by James Remar, though, since it’s set more than fifty years earlier. Unless the creators are planning some wild time travel, I reckon I’ve only got one more hour with Lilly, Will, Ronnie, and Marge. Wouldn’t mind hanging out with them a bit longer, to be honest.

Welcome to Derry is streaming now on HBO Max, with new episodes dropping weekly in the US and airing Mondays on Sky Atlantic/NOW in the UK. For more, check out our picks for the most exciting new telly coming up, or our deep dive into this year’s Stephen King adaptations.