HOLLYWOOD—There are not many TV series that I watch that leave me speechless. When I say that I’m not necessarily referring to shock value, I’m referring to each episode getting better and better as the season progresses. There have only been like 2 series as long as I have lived that have accomplished that feat for ME: “Breaking Bad” and the first season of “Empire.” I now want to add another series to that list, HBO’s “IT: Welcome to Derry.”
I have never been a fan of any type of horror that places children in serious danger. It is just something I don’t want to see in my TV or movies. However, we have seen a trend as of late of Hollywood placing children in danger more and more, see “Stranger Things” people. With that said, the children in this series are fantastic, just fantastic. The acting from these young thespians is amazing and the character development is so strong it is unforgettable when you watch.
The actress who portrays Lilly is the heart of the series in my eyes. The plight this little girl has endured is just devastating. To make matters worse she is grappling with her father’s death, a evil entity threatening her and her friends and questions about her mental state is constantly spiraling.
Then you have Ronnie who is the fighter of the group who says what’s on her mind with no apologies along the way. I love the ferocity of the character who is determined to ensure her father is not jailed for a crime he didn’t commit. This is Derry, Maine by the way people, so be aware of that racial tension that plays to some degree in the narrative.
There is Rich, the band geek who has an affection for Marge, who is determined to stay by the side of the popular girls even if it’s to the detriment of her closet friend Lilly. Marge suffered an unholy fate when it came to one of her eyes thanks to that evil entity, known as Pennywise, who didn’t really make his presence known until episode 5 in the allusion of Matty.
Yes, indeed it was a reveal, and if this series has taught me anything and I mean anything, it’s the fact that NO CHARACTER IS SAFE and that absolutely raises the stakes for the viewers. Why? When you’re watching you don’t know if you’re going to be gob smacked liked the ending from the first episode or if you’re just keeping your fingers crossed that one of the characters you care about actually survives.
You also have the Halloran and the Leroy Hanlon of it all. Halloran has the ability to see things he shouldn’t and has become an experiment that he’s experimenting with. While his son Will, is doing all in his power to get his father to open his eyes to the terror that is haunting the town and leading to the disappearance of all these kids and people in Derry. I absolutely love Taylour Paige as Will’s mother Charlotte, who knows something is wrong and refuses to turn a blind eye to things.
Episode 5 really threw me for the loop, because SPOILER ALERT stop reading if you don’t want to know. I thought Lilly was a goner after her pals left her behind when Pennywise made his big reveal. However, just when we thought it was over for Lilly, she discovered that relic, and that relic was vital because it stopped the evil clown in his tracks.
Lilly is no idiot and knows that Pennywise can be halted with that relic; he’s afraid of it and cannot cross that boundary. This last episode, jeez, didn’t see that coming a million miles away involving Ingrid Persh and her connection to the evil clown and this desire to reunite with her father. Whew, talk about a twist I didn’t see coming a million miles away.
We only have 2 episodes left before the season culminates, and the prediction for episode 7 if you’re seen the movie, you know what happens and the season finale which has been touted in the teaser trailers indicate more bad things to come. Bring Kleenex and prepare for the worst because this series is a rollercoaster, where you don’t know what to expect. New episodes of “IT: Welcome to Derry” airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO.
