'It: Welcome to Derry' Season 1 Finale Explained: What Does the Post-Credit Scene Mean?

The first season of the prequel Welcome to Derry concluded, plunging viewers into the dark events of 1962 and revealing shocking new secrets about Pennywise.

Here, we explore the secrets that were revealed, the role that the new characters played in the monster's fate, and the meaning of the final scene with Beverly Marsh.

What New Information Does 'Welcome to Derry' Reveal About Pennywise?

Millions of years ago, the monster arrived on Earth inside a meteorite that fell on the future site of Derry. The meteorite served as a kind of cage for the entity.

Fragments of this meteorite are the only thing that can harm Pennywise, and they are guarded by a local Native American tribe. In 1908, It took on the appearance of Bob Gray, a clown, to lure unsuspecting children more easily.

The series also demonstrated that Pennywise exists outside of linear time. It can peer into the future, learning the fates of its victims and enemies. This makes it an even more dangerous and unpredictable adversary.

Why Did Pennywise Want to Kill Marge?

The reason turned out to be related to the future. Thanks to his timeless perception, Pennywise learned that Marge would become the mother of Richie Tozier, a member of the Losers' Club.

Thus, the monster attempted to alter the course of history by eliminating Richie's future mother before he was born. However, this plan failed thanks to the intervention of the kids and Dick Hallorann.

Which Canons of Stephen King's 'It' Did the Series Violate?

First of all, Welcome to Derry follows the timeline of Andy Muschietti's movie, not that of the original novel.

In King's novel, the Losers' Club first encounters Pennywise in the late 1950s and again in the mid-1980s. In the movies and TV series, these events are moved to 1989 and 2016, respectively.

In the book, Pennywise isn't a "time traveler." However, as a cosmic entity, he may have had his own perception of time. After all, in the novel, Pennywise comes from the Macroverse, the home of the turtle Maturin, who gives the Losers' Club the idea to defeat the villain.

The idea that the asteroid became a "cage" for Pennywise is also a creation of the series' writers. In King's book , the Losers' Club kills It using a ritual – a special psychological battle that takes place in the subconscious.

What Does Beverly's Encounter With the Old Woman Mean?

The season finale features a significant post-credits scene that moves the action forward to 1988. In it, young Beverly Marsh meets an elderly Ingrid Kersh in a mental hospital. The same old woman later appears in It Chapter Two as an illusion created by Pennywise for adult Beverly.

The series reveals the origin of this image – Ingrid is the daughter of clown Bob Gray, whose appearance was stolen by It.

The monster had controlled Ingrid's mind for many years and knew that Beverly had known the real Ingrid as a child. It used this memory to create a particularly terrifying, personalized trap for Beverly.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'It: Welcome to Derry'?

• It: Welcome to Derry has 80% from both critics and viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the series has a score of 8.0/10.

Where to Watch 'It: Welcome to Derry'?

It: Welcome to Derry is available to stream on HBO Max.