With the release of the near feature-length finale of IT: Welcome to Derry, fans of the Stephen King universe and the IT franchise were treated to an explosive conclusion that leaves viewers with plenty of questions. The episode, filled with intense action, emotional moments, and a deeper dive into the lore surrounding Pennywise and the town of Derry, ends on a chaotic note, with the future of the series hanging in the balance. In this article, we’ll break down the major questions raised by the finale, from the fate of Pennywise to potential time travel elements and what might be coming next for the characters and the franchise.
Pennywise’s Fate: Locked or Free?
As the final episode of IT: Welcome to Derry unfolds, the fate of the monstrous Pennywise seems sealed — or so it appears. After the catastrophic fire at the Black Spot, which symbolically marks the end of Pennywise’s killing spree, the creature is ready to retreat back into the sewers to rest for another 27 years. But, in a twist that upends everything, the military, led by General Shaw (James Remar), decides that allowing Pennywise to wreak havoc on America would be a good idea — after all, it’s already been confined to Derry for decades.
In a dangerous miscalculation, the military works to dismantle the protective circle that surrounds Derry, which has kept Pennywise locked up for decades. As the pillars that form this protective barrier are destroyed, Pennywise makes a desperate break for freedom, charging towards the far bank of the river surrounding Derry — the final boundary that, if crossed, would free it entirely.
At the crucial moment, just as the creature is about to escape, the group of kids (and some unlikely allies, like Dick Hallorann and Major Hanlon) manage to reform the cage just in time. Using a fragment of the meteor that brought Pennywise to Earth long before, they’re able to reestablish the barrier and trap the evil clown once more, pulling it back into the sewers to await its return in the 1988 cycle, as depicted in the original IT films.
While Pennywise may be captured for now, it’s clear that this isn’t the end of its reign of terror. The creature’s fate remains uncertain, with hints that the military’s meddling with the pillars could have unforeseen consequences. Is this a temporary fix, or will Pennywise’s influence on Derry become even more pronounced in the future?
Time Travel and Pennywise’s Confusion: What Does It Mean?
One of the more intriguing and mysterious elements introduced in the finale is Pennywise’s cryptic comments about time. As the clown captures Marge (Matilda Lawler), one of the central figures in the series, it reveals to her that her future child will be none other than Richie Tozier — a key member of the Losers’ Club in Stephen King’s IT novels and films. Pennywise hints that Richie and his friends will be responsible for the clown’s eventual demise.
But in a startling and unsettling moment, Pennywise also seems to express confusion about time itself. “The seed of your stinking loins and his filthy friends bring me my death! Or is it birth?” Pennywise says to Marge. “I get confused. Tomorrow? Yesterday? It’s all the same for little Pennywise.”
This cryptic statement raises a fascinating possibility: Pennywise may not perceive time in the same way humans do. To him, the past, present, and future are all intertwined, making it possible for him to exist in a nonlinear fashion. Pennywise’s comment, “I get confused,” suggests that the creature might be capable of manipulating or traveling through time — a theory further explored by Marge, who wonders aloud if Pennywise could return to a time before the group was even born, targeting their parents.
Marge’s reflection that “his death was actually his birth” serves as a chilling foreshadowing for future events. It suggests that Pennywise’s death and rebirth may be cyclical, reinforcing the idea that the clown is tied to the land of Derry in an eternal loop.
This time-travel aspect also seems to set up future storylines for the show. Co-creator Andy Muschietti has previously teased that IT: Welcome to Derry could run for three seasons, with future episodes exploring Pennywise’s earlier killing cycles in the past. If the creature’s relationship to time is indeed fluid, then the possibility of traveling through different eras — and possibly even revisiting key moments from Stephen King’s other works — becomes more plausible.
What’s Next for Major Hanlon and Dick Hallorann?
The finale also offers some intriguing clues about the future of Major Hanlon (Jovan Adepo) and Dick Hallorann (Chris Chalk), both of whom play pivotal roles in this chapter of IT: Welcome to Derry.
In the final scenes, Hallorann, who is also a beloved character from Stephen King’s The Shining, makes a seemingly throwaway comment that connects Derry with the larger Stephen King universe. He mentions his plans to move to London and start working as a chef in a hotel. “How much trouble can a hotel be?” he says, referencing his eventual career path that will lead him to the Overlook Hotel, the haunted location at the heart of The Shining. For fans of the Kingverse, this line is a delightful nod to the broader mythology and sets the stage for Hallorann’s future role in The Shining.
Meanwhile, Hanlon decides to stay in Derry, where he begins working on a farm with his family. Hanlon’s grandson will eventually grow up to be Mike Hanlon, another crucial member of the Losers’ Club, and the character who plays a major role in the defeat of Pennywise in the original IT story.
These character developments, while brief, show that the show is carefully interweaving King’s larger universe into its own narrative, leaving plenty of room for connections and expansions that may play out in future seasons.
Flash Forward: Linking Back to the IT Movies
The finale of IT: Welcome to Derry also features a significant flash forward to 1988, a key year for the Losers’ Club in the events of both the IT novel and films. This flash-forward introduces a much older Beverly Marsh (Sophia Lillis, reprising her role from the movies), who witnesses a deeply traumatic event — the suicide of her mother at Juniper Hill Asylum.
In a chilling moment, Beverly is approached by Ingrid Kersh (Madeleine Stowe), the sinister figure from the 1960s cycle, who now appears as an elderly woman. Kersh, who has been in the asylum since the events of the 1960s, tells Beverly that “nobody in Derry ever really dies,” a statement that ties back to the idea that Pennywise’s influence continues to haunt the town and its residents in various forms.
This scene serves as a direct link to IT: Chapter Two and the events that unfold in the film. In the second movie, an older Beverly (played by Jessica Chastain) is terrorized by a manifestation of Pennywise in the form of Mrs. Kersh. This connection helps solidify IT: Welcome to Derry as part of a larger, interconnected story that spans decades.
What’s Next for IT: Welcome to Derry?
With the first season of IT: Welcome to Derry now concluded, the future of the series remains uncertain but full of possibilities. Given the finale’s open-ended conclusion, the time-travel hints, and the established connections to Stephen King’s broader works, there is plenty of potential for future storylines. As mentioned earlier, co-creator Andy Muschietti has expressed his desire for the series to span three seasons, with future episodes delving into Pennywise’s earlier killing cycles, potentially giving fans a deeper understanding of the creature’s origin and its connection to the town of Derry.
Moreover, the series could continue to explore the lives of key characters such as Major Hanlon, Dick Hallorann, and the eventual emergence of the Losers’ Club, while weaving in references and moments from King’s extensive body of work. Time travel, as hinted in the finale, could also be used to explore different historical periods and alternate timelines, adding an exciting dimension to the story.
Conclusion
IT: Welcome to Derry ends its first season with a bang, setting up a future full of questions and possibilities. Pennywise may be temporarily contained, but the creature’s influence on Derry is far from over. With time travel, new connections to Stephen King’s broader universe, and potential for deep dives into the past, the show’s chaotic ending sets the stage for an intriguing and suspenseful continuation. Fans can only wait to see where the story goes next as the series delves deeper into the dark history of Derry — and Pennywise’s terrifying cycle of death and rebirth.
