Stephen King Fans Praise Pennywise Depiction In 'IT: Welcome To Derry'
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IT: Welcome to Derry, Episode 7 was an unforgettable event for Stephen King fans. The episode covered the Black Spot massacre, which resulted in the deaths of several innocent people, but that’s not all. Episode 7, “The Black Spot,” also covered Bob Grey, aka Pennywise the Dancing Clown’s backstory. Pennywise the Dancing Clown was Ingrid Kersh’s father, and the episode reveals that IT killed Grey and took over the Pennywise persona because it appealed to children. However, while Grey was a kind and simple man who loved his daughter and did his best to entertain children, IT made a mockery of his legacy.
The star of the episode is Bill Skarsgård, for his stellar performance as Bob Grey, the original Pennywise the Dancing Clown, as well as his formidable performance as the evilest version of Pennywise ever depicted in media. The episode effectively uses juxtaposition as Bob Grey is shown lovingly hugging his daughter, Ingrid, only for the evil Pennywise to unwillingly hug a grown Ingrid near the end of the episode, while appearing to be disgusted by her display of affection for whom she believes is her father. This stark contrast shows Bill’s phenomenal ability to portray distinctly positive and negative roles. Skarsgård’s turn from adorable to monstrous has been acknowledged by fans all over social media, and the episode perfectly sets the show up for Sunday’s season finale. “The Black Spot” is currently rated 9.5/10 with nearly 10,000 votes on IMDb.com, making it the highest-rated episode so far this season.
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On X, there are several viral posts of fans who want Skarsgård to play The Joker in Matt Reeves’ The Batman or another project, thanks to his diabolical laugh in Episode 7. Almost every fan agrees that Episode 7 features “the greatest piece of Pennywise media ever.” While one fan praised Pennywise’s blood-soaked appearance at the end of the episode, another gushed about Skarsgård, who they believe is “the king of horror confirmed! His Pennywise levels up in intense and entertaining ways. You have to be an extremely skilled actor to keep taking your iconic character to levels like that! Fans were so floored by the Swedish actor’s portrayal of the evil entity that they’ve started their own Emmy campaign for him. A fan enthusiastically tweeted, “When I tell you Bill Skarsgård deserves an Emmy for this episode alone. His Pennywise performance is so peak”. Another praised Skarsgård’s versatility as “Bill Skarsgård gave us a grieving father, a silent performer, a lonely man, a dreamer, a ruthless horror, and a masterclass of acting in one episode. Where is that fucking Emmy?”
For an episode that features countless shocking moments and memorable lines, Skarsgård’s performance as Bob Grey managed to stand out to a fan who says, “Bill Skarsgard really put on an acting masterclass in his scenes as Robert Gray. You can’t teach that type of talent.” Skarsgård has played his share of horror villains, including Count Orlok in Robert Eggers’s Nosferatu and Pennywise in IT and IT Chapter Two, but Welcome to Derry might prove to be the role that helps him break through during awards season. Skarsgård is also receiving plenty of applause for his performance as Tony Kiritsis in Gus Van Sant’s Dead Man’s Wire. For now, the overwhelmingly positive and enthusiastic audience response to Welcome to Derry Episode 7 could be enough for HBO to greenlight Andy and Barbara Muschietti’s plans for more seasons, and hopefully, much more Pennywise. IT: Welcome to Derry’s season finale streams this Sunday on HBO and HBO Max.
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