In 1908, a traveling carnival passed through Derry, Maine. The same carnival was attended by a young General Shaw in episode 3, and one attraction was the show Pennywise the Dancing Clown. Children loved Bob Gray’s performance, while off in the distance a strange child watched with a less enthusiastic expression.
Bob Gray retired from the stage. In his dressing room his daughter, Ingrid, came in showing her clown outfit. She is deemed Periwinkle, the daughter of Pennywise. Ingrid was speechless as Periwinkle was her mother’s stage name.
That night, Bob, in his Pennywise outfit, was enjoying a drink alone. The strange child from the show approached and stated that kids seem drawn to Pennywise. He then asked Bob to help him find his mother. After a woman’s scream is heard, the two walk off into the forest.
Later, Ingrid tries to find her father and overhears some of the worker talking. Ingrid is shown Bob’s embroidered handkerchief drenched in blood. They say he was probably dragged off by wolves.
The Augury Commences
Back in 1962, picking up from the events of episode 6, a band of vigilantes are outside The Black Spot. They barge in with guns raised and demand that the crowd turn over Hank Grogan. Dick Hallorann comes out from the back room claiming the vigilantes have bad intel.
When the group refuses to accept Dick’s response, Hank turns himself in to prevent any violence. The airmen stop Hank from exiting and draw their own weapons. The white men stand down and exit. As soon as the door shuts, the airmen hear chains wrapping the doors. Molotov cocktails are thrown into the building, setting everything ablaze.
Several people try to get the children out safely. Hallorann, however, recognizes he needs to use his abilities to find safety. Ghosts make themselves known on the property. Dick is drawn to one ghost in particular. This is the ghost of the War Chief who imprisoned Pennywise.
In the panic, Pennywise makes his presence known. He emerges through the flames and consumes one of the performing girls. Dick steps in only to be confronted by Pennywise. He torments Dick by pointing all the ghosts in Dick’s direction.
Dick remembers the icebox was leaking and rotting the floorboards. He and Hank break the wood. Hank, Will, and Ronnie are sent out through the floor while Dick went back to try to save Rich and Marge.
After escaping, Dick tries to save the remaining kids but he is blocked when part of the roof collapses between them all. Rich finds the overturned icebox. He opens it and tells Marge they can get inside and wait out the fire. Marge realizes they can’t both fit inside. Rich lays on top of the box so Marge is forced to stay inside. He recounts their first meeting and reveals his affection for Marge. They share a first and final “I love you” before smoke and flame envelops them.
Ingrid and Pennywise
While the fire blazes, the men outside begin driving off. One man, Stan Kirsch, is having car trouble. He is approached by Ingrid dressed as Periwinkle. She tries explaining this has always been a part of her. He tells her to go home and wash the make-up off.
Behind Stan is a ferociously gleeful Pennywise who grabs Stan’s head and cleaves it in half. Ingrid embraces Pennywise. She explains she called in the tip about Hank knowing it would cause pain and fear. He tells her she did a good job for her papa, but now he’s going back to sleep.
Ingrid becomes distressed and tells Pennywise he can’t just abandon her again. He looks back at her with his glowing eyes. She realizes this isn’t her father, this is something evil. Pennywise reveals he ate her father and that he lives in the deadlights. Ingrid tries to flee, but she is instead shown the infamous deadlights.
The Recovery
Later, Military fire rescue arrives on site. Inside amongst the bodies, ash, and rubble is an icebox with Marge alive inside. Leaning against the box is the lifeless body of Rich. Outside, a catatonic Ingrid is wheeled away.
Leroy and Charlotte are reunited with Will, who recounts that he is alive thanks to Dick’s actions. Leroy goes off to find Dick while Ronnie informs Charlotte that her father is still in the woods.
Dick is unwell when Leroy finds him. Ghosts of the fire’s casualties are demanding vengeance. He explains he can feel that Pennywise is now hibernating. He also lets it be known that the ghost he spoke to knows where a pillar is to be found.
The Keepers
The council of the Sqoteawapkot tribe has convened to determine that the augery has been performed and the cycle has ended.
Some of the younger members have difficulty accepting that so many lives were lost. Rose tries to comfort everyone by pointing out the lives saved because they have continued to keep Pennywise concealed in Derry.
The Pillar
Dick shows the military the site of one pillar. This pillar was buried at the resting place of the War Chief, entombed in a turtle shell. The military promptly confiscates the artifact and transports it to the airbase.
Leroy points out that removing one of the pillars seems equivalent to taking down a cage wall. Commander Shaw states they are only trying to study it and that Dick explicitly said the beast was sleeping.
At the base, it quickly becomes apparent that the military has no interest in studying the pillar. They aim to destroy it. Shaw reveals he intends to set Pennywise free to make America afraid. With civil rights and nuclear panic taking hold of the country, unified fear is the only thing that can shock the nation back together.
Leroy tries to stop the destruction of the pillar by putting a gun to Shaw’s head. Unfortunately, Officer Masters has a gun to Leroy’s head. Shaw releases Leroy. However, he gives Masters an order to see to it that Leroy does not leave the base.
Meanwhile, in the underbelly of Derry, Pennywise is sleeping in a pool of blood. His eyes snap open with a knowing glint.
Hank and Charlotte
Later, Charlotte follows the kids into the woods to find Hank. She sneaks Hank off the base disguised as an airman.
The only way to get Hank out of Derry now is Rose, who welcomes them into her home to listen to Charlotte’s plan.
Pennywise Freed
At the end of the episode, Ronnie and Marge go over to Lilly’s house to inform her of the incident. The girls collect his possessions from the standpipe.
Will later receives a call from Ronnie. She talks about how Rich must have suffered when he died. Ronnie then says her mouth is watering thinking about it. Will realizes this is Pennywise. Upon turning around, a blood-soaked Pennywise leaps down from atop Will’s refrigerator to show Will the deadlights.
Watch the season finale of It: Welcome to Derry on HBO and HBO Max on Sunday, Dec. 14, at 9 p.m. EST.