‘It: Welcome to Derry’ Episode 6 review: “In the Name of the Father”

Now that is a twist! Did anyone see Ingrid Kersh’s dark side coming? HBO’s It: Welcome to Derry episode 6 drops a huge bombshell about Pennywise the Clown, but more importantly, a new familial connection. “In the Name of the Father” pulled back the layers on the past, answering many burning questions set up since the series premiere. In some cases, we got answers to questions we didn’t even realize were questions. This episode was essential viewing for both the TV series and the movies.

Send in the clown.

“In the Name of the Father” answers the long-awaited question: who was Pennywise the Clown? It fans long theorized where the clown persona came from, especially since the entity is an alien being. From past hauntings, the entity loves to use real manifestations to create its killer personas. Someone had to have been ‘Pennywise’ first at some point.

Episode 3, featuring General Shaw’s flashback, makes so much sense now! That’s the carnival where Pennywise and his daughter Periwinkle had been traveling in. The appearance of the red balloon and the hints of the clown weren’t the entity trying to lure people – that was Pennywise doing his job. From that traveling carnival, that’s most likely where the entity took over the clown’s persona…or killed Ingrid’s dad to tie up loose ends.

It’s a strong reveal for the series because of the narrative foundation built before it. Bob Gray and the 1908 carnival expands the timeline more concretely; we now have a starting point for where the clown came from. The clown didn’t simply appear out of nowhere; there were scenes to support its arrival, and a family member to justify its being in town.

Like father, like daughter.

Speaking of Ingrid, her character change was shocking, but it’s also confusing. We’re six episodes into It: Welcome to Derry Season 1, and her story has taken a sharp villain shift. She’s only appeared a handful of times, and in those scenes, she’s come across as a caring underdog. Like, let’s not forget her last big twist was her affair with Hank Grogan. That was the last episode! I’m unsure of how It: Welcome to Derry wants us to feel about her. Should we be rooting for her to be with Hank? Or was that a red herring, and we’re completely in her villain arc?

Her 1935 flashback at Juniper Hill added another interesting footnote to the timeline. She’s been aware of Pennywise the Clown’s attacks on children, even accidentally helping with one. So, does that mean she’s been luring victims for her “father” since then? If so, how many victims does she claim? Ingrid’s love for her father and her persona as Periwinkle throws a huge wrench into Lilly’s plans.

The best twist of “In the Name of the Father” has to be the reveal of Ingrid/Periwinkle being the clown appearances around Derry. It: Welcome to Derry led us to believe it was Pennywise; this twist pulled the rug from under us in the most delightfully devious way. All the pieces together form into a new villain with an equally sinister motive, one that could hurt The Losers Club. Lilly and her friends should stay far away from Ingrid – there’s no telling what she’ll do to see her father again.

Let the music play.

From a narrative standpoint, we’ll no doubt have The Losers Club become friends again. As with most horror stories, the kids will rally together to fight their Big Bad – it’s basically expected. Still, Ronnie had a strong point in her argument with Lilly. Why would they rush back into the sewer to face Pennywise? They barely got out alive, and several military personnel died along the way. Don’t get me wrong, Ronnie was completely wrong for lashing out at Lilly and saying the hurtful words; she was only right about the regroup attack. A breather and a plan of action were the smarter move.

I’m glad Ronnie reunites with her father at the Black Spot. With everything going on in town and what happened in the sewers, the family needed a happy moment. It: Welcome to Derry couldn’t be all doom and gloom, especially for one specific family in the series. The Black Spot seemed to be a calm break away from the chaos; an interlude filled with warmth before the chaos would come. The blending of jazz and atmosphere could be inspired by Sinners, with its nods to music capturing a moment of togetherness, set apart from the impending vampire horror. That could be felt before the townsfolk’s mob arrived.

The clown mob looks to be nothing but trouble. Not only will they be forcing their way to get Hank, but that mob will be attacking military personnel on military property. Will anyone die in the crossfire? Could this be the climactic battle that will end Pennywise’s latest iteration in Derry?

Puppy love.

It can’t go unnoticed on “In the Name of the Father” that the episode developed the romantic plots too. Something is definitely brewing between Will and Ronnie. They were so close to kissing, right? It’s adorable to see them experience their first crushes. From the movie timeline, they don’t end up together as adults, so it’ll be interesting to see where their friendship goes after this chaos ends.

Rich and Marge, on the other hand, are a very curious case. Is It: Welcome to Derry was foreshadowing Rich’s future death? The pair bonded and strengthened their friendship, like when he helped reapply her bandages and when she stood up against the Pattycakes. Just like Will and Ronnie, they have a cute crush brewing. It’s just a nagging feeling that the show is building them up to tear them apart. You can feel this during the Black Spot scene when everyone cheers Rich on as he plays on the drums. Even Marge looked impressed and happy to see him.

Brace yourselves, It: Welcome to Derry fans. We’ve prepared for character losses (the movie cinema massacre, anyone!), so we’ll need to be cautious here. Something seems a little too perfect this close to the end of Season 1.

Overall.

“In the Name of the Father” served several big plot developments that changed the TV series and movies at large. These twists landed well, delivering both shock value and weight thanks to the strong foundation built before it. And the kids built their character development forward, prioritizing themselves and building their bonds as a group. This episode is leading toward something explosive; we can’t wait to see what ignites the mayhem in the remaining episodes.

It: Welcome to Derry airs new episodes on Sundays at 9 p.m. EST on HBO.

Justin Carreiro

Justin is a fun-loving geek living in downtown Toronto, Canada. He’s an avid TV buff, movie fan, and gamer. He’s written for publications like Entertainment Weekly’s The Community, Virgin, TV Fanatic, FANDOM, The Young Folks, and his blog, City Boy Geekiness.