IT: Welcome to Derry Episode 2 Review — Terrifying, Twisted, and Slightly Tangled

After a thrilling premiere, IT: Welcome to Derry continues its chilling journey in Episode 2 — expanding the mystery, amplifying the horror, and introducing new storylines that both excite and concern long-time Stephen King fans. Picking up right after Pennywise’s gruesome rampage at the Capitol Theater, the episode dives deeper into Derry’s twisted psyche — but not without a few stumbles along the way.

🎈 Derry’s Darkness Deepens

Episode 2 continues the dual focus on the Hanlon family and Derry’s surviving kids. The aftermath of Pennywise’s feeding frenzy forms the backbone of the narrative, with Chief Clint Bowers turning a blind eye to facts in his rush to close the case. Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), the theater manager, quickly becomes a convenient scapegoat — while his daughter Ronnie (Amanda Christine) takes the emotional spotlight this week.

Her frustration, guilt, and anger explode in a powerful cafeteria scene that showcases Christine’s emotional range. Meanwhile, Lilly (Clara Stack) faces her own nightmare as Bowers threatens to send her back to Juniper Hill Mental Hospital unless she incriminates Hank. The show continues to explore Derry’s deep-seated inequalities — racial, generational, and gender-based — using Pennywise as a grotesque mirror for human cruelty.

🩸 The Hanlons Arrive

Charlotte (Taylour Paige) and Leroy Hanlon’s family faces overt racism and suspicion as newcomers in Derry. Charlotte’s soft-spoken strength contrasts with Leroy’s strict parenting, especially in scenes where they debate how to raise their son, Will (Blake Cameron James) — whose curiosity and compassion already echo future Losers’ Club member Mike Hanlon.

Paige delivers a standout performance, capturing both resilience and unease. This thread grounds the show’s supernatural terror in a painful reality: that Derry itself may be as monstrous as the clown haunting it.

⚙️ Military Mysteries and Shining Connections

A surprising subplot involves General Shaw (James Remar) and a top-secret “special projects” military program tied to the Cuban Missile Crisis. His real motive for bringing Leroy Hanlon to Derry — involving experiments and psychic research — veers the show into unexpected sci-fi territory.

Enter Dick Hallorann (Chris Chalk), the young psychic whose “shine” will later connect to The Shining. Chalk channels Scatman Crothers and Carl Lumbly’s legacies with finesse, portraying Hallorann as both haunted and heroic. However, the show’s heavy exposition around Shaw’s agenda feels overly complicated — and risks muddying the story’s core horror with unnecessary Cold War conspiracies.

😱 Pennywise’s Horrors Return

Though the clown remains mostly unseen, Pennywise’s presence dominates Episode 2 through two expertly crafted terror sequences.

Ronnie’s nightmare — a grotesque, symbolic scene involving childbirth and guilt — is a masterpiece of psychological and body horror, tying her trauma directly to her mother’s death.

Lilly’s grocery store encounter is equally chilling. The aisles twist into a labyrinth of grinning, distorted faces before collapsing into a nauseating climax.

Both sequences showcase the series’ improved practical effects and its knack for visual storytelling. They’re not just scares — they’re character revelations, turning personal trauma into literal nightmares.

🎭 Verdict

“IT: Welcome to Derry” Episode 2 remains horrifyingly effective when focusing on Derry’s children and their emotional scars. The haunting visuals and deeper character work elevate the show, but the addition of government conspiracies risks pulling it off course. If the creative team can balance the supernatural with the psychological — and resist overexplaining Pennywise’s origins — Derry might yet hold us captive in its sinister grip.

⭐ Rating: 7.5/10

A dark, imaginative continuation packed with heart, horror, and a few overreaches.