IT: Welcome to Derry Episode 1 Ending Explained: Timeline Explaining the Origin and Cycles of Pennywise?

The universe of IT returns to the screen, this time in series format. It: Welcome to Derry, the new production of HBO Max, is presented as the prequel to the successful films directed by Andy Muschietti and inspired by the novel of Stephen King. The first episode premiered on October 26, beginning with a story that seeks to explore the origins of the fearsome Pennywise and the dark past of the town that saw him emerge. Set in the 1960s, the series features a cast led by Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, and James Remar, in addition to the return of his own Andy Muschietti as executive producer and director of some episodes. With a disturbing atmosphere and a narrative focused on psychological fear, this production promises to expand the myth of the murderous clown that terrified an entire generation.

IT: Welcome to Derry Episode 1 Ending Explained: Timeline Explaining the Origin and Cycles of Pennywise?

On the road in Maine, a boy named Matty Clements tries to escape from the town by asking for a ride on the road. A family stops to pick him up, but what seems like a kind gesture turns into a nightmare: during the journey, the woman goes into labor, and the baby that is born transforms into a horrible creature. The chaos ends in blood, screams, and a disturbing feeling that will set the tone for the entire series: in Derry, nothing is as it seems, and evil can take any form.

“We had to start with something very strong, because that’s how we had set the tone in the movies”, the producer explained to Barbara Muschietti about this scene.

Months later, the story moves to two fronts. On the one hand, we know Leroy Hanlon (Jovan Adepo), an officer who arrives at the local air base and faces hostility from his colleagues in a time full of racism and social tensions. On the other hand, a group of young people —Lilly, Phil, Teddy, and Ronnie begins to notice strange signs in the town: voices that sneak through the pipes, songs that sound from the drains, and apparitions that adults prefer to ignore. When Lilly hears a tune in the cinema bathroom and convinces her friends to go investigate, the game gets out of hand. In full projection of The Music Man, Matty —the boy at the beginning— appears inside the film, pale, distraught, and as if the entire town had forgotten him. What happens next is a sequence of pure chaos: the screen comes to life, a monstrous baby passes through the room, and several of the young people die in an explosion that mixes blood and screams.

The ending makes it clear that this prequel does not seek to repeat the history of the films, but rather to show how the nightmare began. The sewer system, the first disappearances, and the balloons that appear without explanation mark the return of evil to Derry. Pennywise isn’t fully shown yet, but his presence is felt in every scene. With this first episode, It: Welcome to Derry raises a broader idea: that the real terror is not the clown, but the people themselves, their silence, and their way of getting used to fear. “Stephen King always associated evil with human injustice”, he added Andy Muschietti, also producer: “Pennywise is not the cause, it is a reflection of what Derry already is”.

It: Welcome to Derry Explained: The Chilling Prequel That Expands Stephen King’s Universe

Forget everything you think you know about Pennywise. “It: Welcome to Derry” isn’t just a rehash of the Losers’ Club story. This highly anticipated HBO series, masterminded by Andy and Barbara Muschietti, is a direct prequel to the films that delves deep into the town’s cursed history, revealing that the real horror isn’t just a clown—it’s the town of Derry itself.

A Story Told Backwards: Uncovering Derry’s Buried Secrets

While the “It” films faithfully followed the main narrative of Stephen King’s novel, the series explores the dark corners the book only hinted at. Andy Muschietti describes it as a “story told backwards,” piecing together the hidden history of Derry by following the “crumbs” King left in the novel’s interludes.

This isn’t just a narrative choice; it’s the core of the show’s terror. The series structure itself works like an echo from the past, where each tragedy uncovers an older, more profound one. The plan is ambitious: a three-season arc that explores three distinct cycles of fear in 1962, 1935, and 1908—each one a twenty-seven-year awakening of the ancient evil, Pennywise.

1962: The Cycle Before The Losers

The first season begins in 1962, a full quarter-century before the events of “It: Chapter One.” We meet a young boy named Matty Clements, who believes he can simply escape Derry. The chilling opening quickly disabuses him of that notion, establishing a key theme: in Derry, evil always finds a way back.

But Matty’s story is just the catalyst. The series introduces a new group of kids—Lilly, Marge, Phil, and Teddy—who become this cycle’s tragic, premature version of the Losers Club. They aren’t bound by friendship, but by a shared guilt over Matty’s disappearance. Their investigation leads them to a terrifying discovery that proves in Derry, no one is safe, subverting the “safety in numbers” trope we’re used to.

More Than a Monster: Pennywise as a Reflection of Human Evil

The Muschiettis have made it clear that “Welcome to Derry” is a political horror story. The series directly links the town’s supernatural evil to its very human sins: racism, prejudice, and historical lies.

We see this through the character of Leroy Hanlon (Jovan Adepo), a Black officer who arrives at Derry’s air base and confronts the town’s institutional racism. This is a deliberate choice, reflecting Stephen King’s own view that the true evil is often the one we inflict upon each other.

As Barbara Muschietti puts it, “We are in a state of alarm. The dangers that we thought we had overcome are back.” This statement defines the series’ chilling relevance. Pennywise isn’t the cause of the town’s rot; he’s a parasite that feeds on it. The monster is a reflection in a deforming mirror, showing Derry its own ugly face.

Expanding the Mythology: The Turtle, The Meteor, and Cosmic Horror

For hardcore King fans, the series promises to delve into the cosmic elements of the mythology that the movies could only hint at. Andy Muschietti has teased exploring the origin of Pennywise, the meteor that brought it to Earth, and the role of Maturin, the cosmic turtle that represents the balance of good in the universe.

This expansion aims to add a new, epic layer to the horror, showing that the battle in Derry is part of a much larger, ancient conflict.

The Final Verdict: A Bold New Chapter in Terror

“It: Welcome to Derry” is shaping up to be the most ambitious expansion of Stephen King’s universe yet. It’s not just a prequel; it’s a diagnosis of a sick town. By returning to the past, it shows us that the fear we recognize in Pennywise has always had a human face—and that legacy of hatred and denial is the most terrifying monster of all.