IT: Welcome to Derry premiered its second episode on HBO Max today, two days earlier than scheduled, making your Halloween even sweeter.
The prequel series, co-created by Andy and Barbara Muschietti (the duo behind 2017's It movie and 2019's sequel), takes audiences back to the Stephen King cinematic universe, where Pennywise, an extra-dimensional being that eventually takes the form of an evil clown, terrorizes the fictional town of Derry, Maine, every 27 years.
Episode 2, titled The Thing in the Dark, stays in 1962 and follows the small-town community as it deals with the shocking act of violence that wiped out a group of kids I thought were the show's main players.
The episode hones in on Lilly Bainbridge, the girl at the center of the story, and, unexpectedly, delivers one of the most unsettling scenes I've seen in a TV show this year.
It goes without saying that there are major story spoilers about the second episode of IT: Welcome to Derry below. If you've not watched it yet (HBO's cable channel won't air the episode until Sunday, Nov. 2), I suggest proceeding with caution.
Getty Image/Zooey Liao/CNET
Thematically, IT: Welcome to Derry explores the corrosion of the American Dream -- the sinister underbelly lurking beneath its quaint Norman Rockwell veneer. The fantastic opening credit sequence makes that message clear, and it's on full display during a brief trip to the supermarket.
Lilly, like pretty much every child in Pennywise's orbit, is dealing with some semblance of trauma. Hers involves the death of her father, who died in a factory accident. It's 1962, and no one mentions seeking therapy. Instead, there are threats of shipping her off to Juniper Hill Asylum, which, if you're familiar with King's works, appears a lot in his literary universe.
From the moment she walks into the store, it's clear something is off. The further she wanders into the rows of canned goods and cereal boxes, it's obvious Pennywise is pulling the strings. Behind her, the aisles move, and quickly her trip to the market evolves into a nightmarish maze.
Clara Stack stars in IT: Welcome to Derry. Brooke Palmer/HBO
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