IT: Welcome to Derry Episode 5 Review

IT: Welcome to Derry has been going through a slow period ever since its premiere, causing quite a bit of worry for fans of the show. Plenty of viewers were convinced that the pilot was a fluke, a stand-out rollercoaster ride of an episode, the likes of which the series wouldn’t be able to recreate during its run. I also fell into this trap of worry, as Episode 2-4 of Welcome to Derry trudged along at a snail’s pace, albeit while building-up some pretty great characters along the way. This week, the show proved the naysayers wrong, and on top of that, proved that all of that character-building was essential for crafting a truly thrilling experience like Welcome to Derry Episode 5

Today, we’re reviewing IT: Welcome to Derry Episode 5, an episode where we finally take the fight to Pennywise directly, as almost all of our major story players descend into the sewers below this haunted town. This is your official spoiler warning! We’ll not only be discussing the events of previous episodes in this series, but also the events of this newly-released fifth episode, so be sure to watch for yourself before reading ahead! Now, let’s dive into the review!

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IT: Welcome to Derry Episode 5 Review

Image by HBO

Welcome to Derry Episode 5 is, for lack of a more humbling word, an excellent hour of television, with the series, for the first time since its pilot, finally kicking into the high-gear that is expected of the IT franchise. But why was it so good? Why did Welcome to Derry Episode 5 manage to stand-out from the crowd, especially in the wake of the series’ quality slowly dwindling since its premiere? Well, at this midway point of the show, Welcome to Derry Episode 5 takes almost everything that has happened in the show thus far, nearly all of the elements that the show has introduced, and catapults them forward in some way or another. With the exception of the Native American storyline, which kind of moves out of the spotlight this week, Welcome to Derry Episode 5 has a lot of key moments for nearly all of its characters – so let’s talk about them.

A lot of fans are probably going to walk away from Welcome to Derry Episode 5 with one, terrifying thing in mind, that being the appearance, at last, of Pennywise – or, more specifically, Bill Skarsgård. Before we even get to Pennywise though, I want to discuss the rest of Welcome to Derry‘s cast, who get some great moments in this episode. I really loved how the Hank Grogan storyline moved forward this week. Of course he couldn’t just wait around in Shawshank for Charlotte to campaign for his release, we need some chaos! Having Hank be on the run not only adds a new layer of tension to his storyline, but pulling in Mrs. Kersh, the head of housekeeping from Juniper Hill that Lilly discussed Pennywise with, be revealed as the woman Hank had an affair with, is an excellent way to wrap her up in this hurricane of a plot that the show has going on right now. There’s still a lot to learn about Mrs. Kersh, and I have my suspicions that she might not be hoping for the best for our characters. I can’t wait to learn more about her, as the Hank storyline pulls her into a more central role in the show.

I also loved how the military storyline really got going this week, a huge improvement from previous weeks in this regard. Before Welcome to Derry Episode 5, the storyline focusing on the kids of Derry was by far the most intriguing part of the show for me. While I do still prefer that aspect of the series, Episode 5 did wonders for the military angle, and all of its characters. Pauly’s death was a genuinely sad moment, and Pennywise using Charlotte to taunt Leroy, leading to him firing at his own son, Will, under the impression that it was another one of IT’s tricks, was genius. Francis Shaw also solidified himself as one of Welcome to Derry‘s most infuriating characters this week, as he somehow completely deflects the blame of his failed military operation onto the Native Americans that warned him against going down there in the first place. At least Clint Bowers is openly repugnant – Shaw had me convinced that he was just extremely naïve, not malicious. His intentions at the end of Welcome to Derry Episode 5, however, prove otherwise.

Image by HBO

Now, let’s talk about our main group of kids, a group that finds a new addition this week in the form of Marge, who I was glad to see make up with Lilly at the start of this episode. I don’t know if I could have handled Lilly being blamed for gouging out Marge’s eye – if the opening credits are anything to go by, it would probably have been time for a lobotomy for Lilly through the eyes of Juniper Hill’s administration. It was a great idea to have both the kids, and the military, exploring the sewers at once. Not only did it add a huge amount of tension to the story, as we continued to anticipate the moment where the two groups crossed paths, but it also made the sewers feel huge and engulfing, with almost the entirety of Welcome to Derry Episode 5 taking place in its winding tunnels. As terrible as this might sound morally, I also loved the scene where the kids felt the ‘effects’ of taking three Valium at once – really great acting from all involved there.

Clearly, the pills don’t work though, as Welcome to Derry Episode 5 also marks the first, fully-fledged appearance of Pennywise the Clown, in all of his terrifying glory. Pennywise didn’t do much this week, but his first appearance was enough of a bombshell to let him cast a shadow over this whole episode. Bill Skarsgård is as committed as ever to the role, proving that though he never planned to return to play Pennywise, he hasn’t missed a beat. It’s amazing how in an episode full of characters we’ve gotten to know for four weeks, Pennywise is still so easily able to steal the spotlight. I loved his showdown with Lilly, a scene made even better by the fact that her survival made logical sense. It helps that Welcome to Derry Episode 5 is a massive improvement CGI-wise from previous instalments – clearly the budget was being saved for this week, letting certain episodes, like Episode 4, fail in the visuals department as a result.

Welcome to Derry Episode 5 also made me a lot more interested in Lilly, as clearly, there’s something big going to happen with her character in the near future. As much as all of the main children feel like central characters, Lilly is clearly a different case. Now, she’s survived two direct encounters with Pennywise, the encounter in the theatre being particularly surprising, and the show seems to like focusing on her life in the town, as well as her relationships within it. As much as I love all of these characters, it feels like the show is building to something bigger when it comes to Lilly, and I can’t wait to see what surprises are in store.

Image by HBO

Speaking of surprises, I was very surprised to see Matty Clements at the start of Welcome to Derry Episode 5. In case you’ve forgotten, Matty is the kid that we saw killed by Pennywise in the show’s opening scene, with Episode 5 reintroducing the character to the fray after escaping the sewers. At first I was sceptical, but seeing as how the episode kept Matty around for the entire hour, I actually believed it was him, and somehow, he had made a miraculous escape from Pennywise’s lair. Alas, Welcome to Derry Episode 5 was simply playing the long game, with Matty revealed to be Pennywise in disguise the entire time – this was certainly the longest ever of Pennywise’s illusions, but it was certainly effective. For the first time in, not only Welcome to Derry, but the entire IT franchise, Pennywise tricked me! As happy as I am that Miles Ekhardt got some more time to shine on-screen this week, I’m kind of glad this turned out to be a trick, because I would have been calling out the logistics of escaping Pennywise’s lair in this review if it wasn’t.

What I do have to somewhat criticise though, is the end of Welcome to Derry Episode 5. To be clear, I adored this ending. Seeing Dick Hallorann unlock his Shining powers fully is an incredible moment, particularly for fans of The Shining, and Stephen King in general. It was chilling to see Hallorann lock eyes with the ghost of Pauly, and seeing the open, shiny box, on the floor of Hallorann’s childhood bathroom was a beautiful shot. However, this is Welcome to Derry, and though I love the references to Shawshank, and now The Shining, I do worry that this whole storyline might be a little confusing for viewers unfamiliar with these properties. I love Hallorann’s inclusion in this story, but I hope we don’t lean too heavily into his connection with The Shining. If they pursue this storyline with too much vigour, they may end up leaving some more unfamiliar viewers in the dust.

So, Welcome to Derry Episode 5 was an incredible episode, easily the series’ best since its debut four weeks ago. With only three episodes left, I’m hoping the show keeps up this pace going forward, as we move towards the explosive end of Pennywise’s 1962 feeding cycle. What did you think of this week’s episode? Be sure to let us know, and thanks for reading!

See also: All Alien Movies, Ranked

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Where to Watch IT: Welcome to Derry?

Image by HBO

IT: Welcome to Derry airs weekly on HBO, 9pm E.T., or if you’re reading from the UK, 1am GMT on Monday mornings. You can also stream new episodes of the series on HBO Max, or Sky in the UK. The series is set for 8 episodes.

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