Welcome to Derry expands on Stephen King’s mythology by exploring the town long before the Loser’s Club. From the very beginning of the series, it leans into psychological horror. It quickly establishes that it is willing to easily discard characters we, as an audience, may have grown attached to. It builds up to let us see how much evil seeps into the very foundation of the town.

The series almost paints the town as a character itself, where its darkness is revealed through sudden, shocking moments. Despite the series constantly keeping me engaged every week with each episode, Episode 7 stood out to me, as Welcome to Derry explores themes beyond the supernatural jump scares.

Episode 7, ‘The Black Spot’, confronts the real horror that haunts the town of Derry. What makes this episode stand out amongst the rest is how it extends beyond supernatural scares and explores the racial violence that Black people faced during this period. The Black Spot nightclub’s atmosphere captures a sense of community, while its destruction exposes immense cruelty.

This episode effectively blends historical trauma with the show’s established horror. Although Pennywise is the face of fear throughout the series, the true terror comes from the white mob who set fire to the Black Spot. Their claim of seeking revenge for a child only shows their hypocrisy, as their actions lead to the killing of children.

The performances give the episode an emotional weight, since throughout this series, you know they aren’t afraid to kill anyone. The adaptation of the Black Spot from the books is handled with respect, making the history feel immediate and grounded.

Overall, ‘The Black Spot’ is one of the most powerful episodes of the season, proving that Welcome to Derry is at its peak when it engages real-world horrors, educating the audience as well as keeping them engaged.

As a series, Welcome to Derry delivers strong performances, unsettling horror and a gripping sense of curiosity about what else Pennywise has been up to during his different eras of mayhem.

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