IT: Welcome To Derry: Season 1 Episode 8 (Season Finale) – Recap and Review
With the chains loosened and the usual 27-year sleep disturbed, how much damage can Pennywise do with the military’s backing?
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Episode 8 “Winter Fire” Recap and Details
- Director(s): Andy Muschietti
- Writer(s): Jason Fuchs
- Public Release Date (HBO Max):
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No Reins And A Captive Audience: Pennywise
Pennywise being on the loose, his mist covering most of Derry, leads him to go to the High School, kill the principal, send away the upperclassmen, and bring the rest to the auditorium. There, he shows off his kill, freaks students out, and then turns on the deadlights to snatch the souls of all those in the room, who he then has join him in his trip out of Derry.
The Kids Will Save Us All: Ronnie, Lilly, Marge, Pennywise, Rose, Taniel, General Shaw, Leroy, Hallorann, Charlotte, Rich
Ronnie, Lilly, and Marge see from their hangout the mist covering Derry, and upon investigating what’s going on, they learn Will has been taken. This leads the ladies to set aside their issues and go to save him. As that happens, Leroy pushes Hallorann to help, just as Hallorann is seeking to end his life. However, with a soft spot for Will, he lets Leroy take him to Rose, who prepares him a tea that stops him from seeing evil spirits, but allows him to tap into Pennywise’s mind.
This comes of use later on since Hallorann gets into Pennywise’s head and, for a few minutes, has him weakened and distracted. Add in Leroy shooting Pennywise in the head repeatedly, and the adults contribute quite a bit.
But with General Shaw and the military wanting Pennywise to go free, they kill Taniel to make a point. With that, it seems whatever Rose and General Shaw shared at one time is as dead as Taniel. And, as all this happens, Charlotte is doing her best to help, but ultimately it is the kids, with Rich’s spirit providing the assist, who defeat Pennywise.
See You Again In 27 Years: Rose, Leroy, Charlotte, Will, Ingrid, Beverly, Hank, Ronnie, Hallorann
With Pennywise defeated, but likely only for the usual 27 years, Rose is trying to figure out what to do next. With Taniel dead, she doesn’t want to stick around anymore. Because of that, she offers her home and land to Leroy and Charlotte, who, initially, don’t seem fond of the idea, considering all they went through. But with Leroy being honorably discharged and there being conversations about how things will change, they ultimately decide to stay.
Unfortunately for Will, who is back in his right frame of mind, Ronnie isn’t staying, as her dad is still a wanted man, but, unlike before, they do share a kiss before she leaves, making him a happy boy. As for the others? They go to Rich’s funeral, with Hallorann, who can see Rich, reassuring his parents he is close, and then there is Ingrid.
While it seems everyone else got their soul back and are relatively fine now, she ended up in Juniper Hill and stayed there until Pennywise’s next cycle. In fact, she is one of the first handful of people to see Beverly Marsh’s mom hang herself, and this connects the end of IT: Welcome To Derry to IT: Chapter 1.
New Characters in Episode 8
Beverly (Sophia Lillis)
- Check out other productions we’ve covered starring this actor: [Link to Actor’s Tag]
- Character Summary: A character in the recent movie adaptations, who is the sole member of the Losers Club.
Other Noteworthy Information
- We learn Marge ends up being Richie’s mom in IT: Chapter 1.
Review and Commentary
Highlights
Creating A Universe Without Making It Corny [86/100]
With every IP being exploited in hopes of making a universe that can dominate across different mediums, you wouldn’t be wrong to worry about a horror icon like Pennywise being run into the ground. Yet, despite the two movies, which end in his potential defeat, to this 8-episode season, with two more which will cover an additional two cycles, likely teased in the show’s intro, creating a Pennywise universe doesn’t seem so bad.
Granted, could Bill Skarsgard become like Robert Englund, and the shtick maybe get old? Yes. But, if the right gang of kids, maybe adults, present themselves as opposition, maybe this won’t end up too much of a good thing.
Will and Ronnie Having A Cute Moment [85/100]
How often do you see two Black kids having crushes on one another? Never mind, unambiguous Black kids, with the girl having her natural curls out throughout the whole show? The only other show, besides this, to give us that recently is Forever, and it is so great that now there isn’t just one example, but two, which operate in different genres.
Probably Being One Of The Best Season Finales I’ve Seen In A Long Time [84/100]
IT: Welcome To Derry has a self-contained season. It doesn’t need a season 2 or 3, despite the promise of one. Because of that, if Warner Brothers, Netflix, or Paramount decide a hit duology and season is good enough, we won’t miss anything. To me, that feels rare, especially in the sense of saying, “We won’t miss anything,” and not meaning that in a sarcastic way.
How this season ends wraps up storylines, has tear-jerking moments, a few epic ones, like Rich running while giving Pennywise the finger, and even sets up other potential prequels, like Hallorann going to the hotel where The Shining is. It all presents you with this feeling of completeness, rather than some form of desperation, as if WB/HBO doesn’t have a huge swath of other IP, with new IP being made every season.
Overall
Our Overall Rating [85/100]
I think IT: Welcome To Derry is one of the best horror shows I’ve ever seen, certainly sets a precedent for the quality that will be expected when other horror icons inevitably move over to a serial format, and even outside the horror genre, it is one of the best shows of the year.
What To Check Out Next
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