'IT: Welcome To Derry' Episode Eight Spoiler-Free Review
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Last time on Welcome to Derry! Dick Hallorann isn’t the ideal choice for a drinking buddy. Lilly Bainbridge got the day off, somehow. The patrons of the Black Spot will be dearly missed. Marge Truman is a freakin’ trooper. And my main man Rich Santos is a real one, fr.
Here we are, folks, the season finale! After eight terrifying weeks of horror goodness, Welcome to Derry has concluded its first chapter. This week’s episode (titled Winter Fire) is brought to us by director Andy Muschietti and co-showrunner Jason Fuchs, his first solo writing credit since The Pilot. The season finale of Welcome to Derry’s first season had to accomplish a lot. Continue the hanging threads from The Black Spot, answer some mysteries set up throughout the season, tie into Muschietti’s two It films, and explain why the showrunners and the Muschiettis decided to tell the story backwards. It’s a lot to ask from a 68-minute television episode. The end result? Magic
Winter Fire is not only a deeply satisfying finale to a great season of television, but it’s also a remarkable artistic feat for the creators behind the show. The writing, directing, visuals, and acting are firing on all cylinders and somehow manage to top last week’s episode, which was also a masterful feat of horror storytelling. If anyone allowed themselves to let Jason Fuchs, Brad Caleb Kane, the Muschiettis, and the other writers and directors of this series take them on a journey, the finale was more than worth the wait.
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As a prequel, we assumed we knew how Welcome to Derry would end: Pennywise wins, all our new characters die, and then we wait for 27 years for the events of It Chapter One to occur. Without revealing too much, Winter Fire goes in exciting and unpredictable directions that are both intriguing and emotionally gripping. The finale focuses mainly on our three young heroines (Lilly Bainbridge, Ronnie Grogan, and Marge Truman) and Dick Hallorann. Our trio of teen heroines and Dick Hallorann have yet to catch a real break this season, but they all shine here, both in story role and in performance. Chris Chalk has more than earned his mainstream moment at this point. After delivering memorable supporting roles in shows like Gotham and the Perry Mason reboot, Chalk owns the show as Dick Hallorann. It sounds like sacrilege to say that anyone can play Dick Hallorann better than Scatman Crothers in The Shining, or even Carl Lumbly in Doctor Sleep. However, it’s safe to say that Chris Chalk is the definitive portrayal of this remarkable character. If HBO or Warner Bros. had any sense at all, a Hallorann spin-off film or series would be greenlit yesterday. And like I say every week, the young actresses are great and do a lot of emotional heavy lifting. I wish nothing but continued success for Clara Stack, Matilda Lawler, and Amanda Christine moving forward. Jovan Apedo, who has been great throughout the entire season as Leroy Hanlon, gives his best performance as the character in the finale. But of course, the scene-stealer is Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise. Whether it be the Muschietti duology or the final stretch of episodes of Welcome to Derry, Bill Skarsgård has more than earned the right to be considered the definitive Pennywise. His devilish and delightfully sickening performance makes him a magnetic presence. Should Skarsgård return for future seasons, hopefully, he will continue to keep his performance fresh and exciting.
Speaking of fresh and exciting, Andy Muschietti’s direction continues to prove that The Flash was a fluke. Muschietti channels his inner-Sam Raimi with exciting camera movements and visual tricks that keep you from taking your eyes off the screen. Muschietti’s affinity for blending humor and large stakes, much like the movies, shines here, with a particularly funny scene involving Lilly, Ronnie, and Marge all riding on the same bike. Muschietti, with the help of cinematographer Daniel Vilar and editor Glenn Garland, makes Winter Fire feel cinematic in many ways, which is helped by Muschietti’s theatrical experience. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, whether his next film is Attack on Titan, Drift, or The Brave and the Bold, Muschietti must return to the big screen as soon as humanly possible. Another major standout is the musical score by Benjamin Wallfisch. More grand and orchestral than ever before, some scenes sound like Benjamin Wallfisch is auditioning to be the composer of The Brave and the Bold. A job I hope he gets when the time comes.
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The creatives have done the impossible. What started as a show that most people wrote off as a “pointless, cheap cash grab” not only surpassed expectations, it defied them. Welcome to Derry, if poorly made, could’ve ruined the legacy of Andy Muschietti’s two It films and even the original Stephen King novel. Thankfully, because the series is made by people who care and are talented, Welcome to Derry enhances the work that came before it. From Andy Muschietti’s stunning direction from his four episodes, the gripping writing, the fantastic performances (particularly from Clara Stack, Chris Chalk, Matilda Lawler, and Bill Skarsgård), Benjamin Wallfisch’s musical score, and its lively production design, it all comes together to create one of the best TV shows of 2025. While season 1 has been given the distinction of being “Chapter One” of this story, a second season has yet to be officially announced. If HBO had any sense at all, it would announce it soon.
It’s exciting to think about where they’ll go next. As it’s been confirmed that the story will be told backwards, a potential season 2 will take us to 1935. It’ll be exciting to see our new batch of losers, Bill Skarsgård donning the clown make-up yet again, and the long-awaited portrayal of the Bradley Gang Massacre. Whatever they do and whenever they decide to get started, it’ll be worth it. For as long as Andy Muschietti and co. are at the helm, we’ll be in good hands. I don’t know about anyone else, but I hope we take another trip to Derry sooner rather than later.
Rating: 10/10
IT: Welcome to Derry, Season 1, Episode 8: Winter Fire, and the rest of season 1 are now streaming on HBO Max. It: Welcome to Derry will also be available on 4kUHD, DVD, and Blu-ray on May 5th, 2026.
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