SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains massive spoilers for the second episode of IT: Welcome To Derry, “The Thing In The Dark.” If you have not yet watched (it’s now available to stream with a HBO Max subscription), proceed at your own risk!
If you’re a Stephen King fan, there is nothing airing on television right now that encourages rewatches and pause moments like HBO’s IT: Welcome To Derry. While the series is technically adapting a specific storyline from IT, the filmmakers have filled episodes to the brim with various easter eggs and references that tie the show both with the hit IT movies and the larger King canon. The pilot was chock full of them, and now that they second episode has premiered, we can analyze all of the fun stuff in the latest chapter.
From special characters making appearances to fun details in production design, there is a lot to pay attention to in the episode “The Thing In The Dark,” and I’ve detailed everything I’ve caught in the sections below:
The Welcome To Derry Intro Nods To The Neibolt House, The Bradley Gang Massacre, And More
Like a lot of pilots, the premiere of IT: Welcome To Derry doesn’t feature the show’s opening credits sequence… but it was most definitely worth the wait to see it debut in “The Thing In The Dark.” In addition to a genuinely perfect song choice in "A Smile And A Ribbon" by Patience and Prudence, the animated sequence it accompanies is delightful, and it is loaded up with easter eggs. The illustrations include depictions of some of the most horrific events in the history of Derry, Maine – including the Bradley Gang massacre and the explosion at the Kitchner Ironworks – but my favorite bit is the house on Neibolt Street (in pristine condition) being in the shadow of a giant mushroom cloud.
Mention Of A Thrift Shop Reveals Second Hand Rose In Operation
When writing about all of the fun details in the premiere, I made note of many familiar storefronts in downtown Derry, including the Jade Orient restaurant, Keene’s Pharmacy, and Nan’s Luncheonette. Early in episode two, another business is added to the list. When Leroy Hanlon reunites with his wife Charlotte and son Will in their new home, he presents the latter with a telescope as a present – mentioning that he found it for sale at a local thrift shop. It just so happens that this shop is Second Hand Rose, which is the same place that adult Bill Denbrough visits in IT: Chapter Two when he sees his old bike Silver in the window.
The Derry Curfew Is In Effect
It used to be a thing in 20th century America that kids would go out in the neighborhood and play, and they would know that it’s time to go home when the streetlights come on. That was a kind of general practice, but things don’t work like normal in the town of Derry, Maine: it’s a place with a notable history of being dangerous for children, and thus, a strict curfew is enforced. It’s one of the little charms of the nightmare hamlet, and it’s a local policy that gets a callout in “The Thing In The Dark” via big, bold letters on the bulletin sign outside of the high school.
Young Norbert Keene Smoking A Cigarette
There’s perhaps no better way to get familiar with a new town than by taking a stroll around the downtown area, and that’s precisely what Charlotte Hanlon gets up to during her first day in Derry. And as she goes about running some errands, she ends up seeing some familiar faces and visiting some familiar places. In the former category, there is Nobert Keene, who Charlotte gives a polite nod to while he is standing outside the local pharmacy smoking a cigarette. IT fans will remember the character from IT: Chapter One, as Beverly Marsh makes an effort to distract him while Bill Denbrough, Eddie Kasbrack, Stan Uris, and Richie Tozier steal medical supplies to help the cut-up Ben Hanscom. And speaking of that incident…
A Familiar Alley In Downtown Derry
As Charlotte makes her way through downtown Derry, there is a standout shot that sees her walking past an alley – and it’s not a coincidence that director Andy Muschietti would highlight this particular location. After all, it’s the location in IT: Chapter One where the Losers Club really starts to take shape (not including Mike Hanlon, whom the protagonists befriend a little bit later). The alley is where six of the seven members of the group all come together for the first time, the young friends helping Ben bandage deep cuts on his stomach following a violent encounter with bully Henry Bowers.
The Paul Bunyan Statue Is Erected
Derry is a town with a whole lot of unaddressed issues, but in the sense of “Mussolini kept the trains running on time,” I suppose it can at least be said that the local government’s public works department operates with extreme efficiency. In the IT: Welcome To Derry pilot, a newspaper being read by Leroy Hanlon features an article announcing that the plans to erect a Paul Bunyan statue is moving forward, and in the second episode, Charlotte witnesses the art piece being constructed during her downtown stroll. The new landmark is the source of some controversy, as evidenced by protests and complaints, but we as an audience know that their criticism is going to be for naught, as Paul Bunyan will continue to stand in Derry for the next 50-plus years.
Meet Stan Kersh
During Charlotte’s errands, the first person we see her interact with is the local butcher, who is a kind enough local who sells her a roast to cook up for dinner. And if your ears perked up when he introduced himself as Stan “Stanley Cleaver” Kersh, that’s probably because that last name is one that you’ve heard before. In IT: Chapter Two, adult Beverly takes a trip to the home that she lived in with her father, and she finds that the place has a new resident: a Mrs. Kersh (first name not given). For now, this is a pretty vague connection, as we have no idea how the two characters are related, but that will hopefully be a question that’s answered later in the season.
The Derry Effect Exemplified
A significant part of what makes Derry such a rotten place is a terrible mix of cruelty and aloofness: there is a lot of hate and anger swirling around, and residents are more than happy to look the other way when those ingredients escalate into violence. It’s a consequence of IT’s presence, and we see it in full effect while Charlotte is at the butcher shop. When a group of boys start chasing and beating up a kid in the middle of the street, nobody acts to anything – that is, until Charlotte steps in, as she is new in town and hasn’t been exposed to the town’s poison yet.
Clint Bowers Arrives On The Scene
In my easter egg hunt for the pilot, I noted that there is a newspaper clipping that features the name Clint Bowers (a relative of Henry Bowers and his father, Butch Bowers) but it’s in episode two that we actually get to meet the man – and he turns out to be the Chief of Police in Derry. Susceptible to pressure being applied to him by some racist members of his constituency, Clint is leading the investigation into the deaths of Teddy, Phil and Suzie from the pilot, and he has a target directly set on Hank Grogan (even though the audience knows that IT is responsible).
As noted, there is mention of the thrift shop Second Hand Rose early in “The Thing In The Dark,” but Charlotte also ends up stopping by the store in the episode, and it’s there that she happens upon another individual who should be familiar to fans: the character played by Stephen King himself in IT: Chapter Two. Just looking at the guy in the scene, you might not think he is anyone special, but it becomes obvious who he is as soon as the word “beaver” comes out of his mouth with a thick Maine accent.
A Cameo From The Shopkeeper In His Youth On The Hunt For A Bea-vah
Calumet Baking Powder May Be Familiar To Shining Fans
The expanded presence of Dick Hallorann in the second episode of IT: Welcome To Derry isn’t the only fun connection that is present linking the show to The Shining. When Lilly Bainbridge is doing some grocery shopping, one item that keeps appearing on the shifting aisle shelves is a product called Calumet Baking Powder. If you’re unaware of why this detail might be an easter egg, you may just dismiss it as a standard bit of period-accurate production design, but it’s actually more than that. The cans of baking powder are identical to ones that can be spotted in the pantry where Jack Torrance is locked away by Wendy after he starts to lose his mind.
What other easter eggs and references await fans in the future? Because IT: Welcome To Derry Episode 2 got an early premiere to celebrate Halloween, we’ll have to wait a little longer for the next installment, but Episode 3 is set to premiere on November 9, and after it does, be sure to head back here to CinemaBlend for our next full rundown of all the most special details.
Dick Hallorann Is Using His Shine For A Secret Military Operation
It’s cool on a general level that Dick Hallorann is a part of the story in IT: Welcome To Derry, as he is featured in Stephen King’s book and directly links the canon of the show/movies to The Shining and Doctor Sleep – but not to be forgotten is that he is a man with a special power. His psychic abilities aren’t as strong as those possessed by Danny Torrance, but he does have them, and they are being put to use by the military in the series. While Dick didn’t get much of a spotlight thrown on him in the pilot, episode two reveals that he is operating as an enhanced asset for the Air Force and helping General Francis Shaw find the evil entity that is living in Derry.
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