In the 5th episode of It: Welcome to Derry, “29 Neibolt Street,” both ends of the story converge in the sewers to try to face and/or capture Pennywise.
Welcome back to the weekly reviews of the IT prequel series, Welcome to Derry. We’ve now moved into the back half of season 1. “29 Neilbolt Street” is the 5th episode, directed by Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour, Jr. and written by Brad Caleb Kane. Warning: This write-up/review/recap/analysis contains spoilers for this episode and the others. As I’ve been writing these, and since they contain discussion and conjecture as a story develops, I’ve found it increasingly hard to write without getting into details. I’ve noticed each week I’ve slid into more detail. With the special nature of this series, I’ve decided to go ahead and abandon the coyness and the talking around specifics.
For those of you who may have been annoyed about the lack of the most famous form of the strange being that haunts, stalks, and changes Derry, Maine, your patience pays off with the reveal of Bill Skarsgard’s Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the climax of another great episode. It’s a tense one, building up a fantastic atmosphere as the storyellies converge further in purposeful and accidental ways. 
The main push of the episode, after some set-ups such as the Hanlon family now fully aware of the evil, both the kids (now with Margie and a surprise return) and the adults in the military head to the sewers to try to face what they all know is preying on them. There’s a fantastic tension in knowing both groups are down there, unaware of the other. And one has guns with orders to kill anything strange. Kids are already in danger from the inter-dimensional soul-eating shapeshifting fear-eating clown monster, let alone a private with an itchy trigger finger seeing a childhood trauma revisited. (In a strange note, the military acts like the well in the basement of the abandoned house is the only way into the sewers; we know there are more as the kids come in from The Barrens, but what about manholes directly – or do some entrances act like a portal sort of thing, a regular entry will just see basic drains).
I still wonder about the capabilities of the military’s plan. I get they want to find the beacons and bring them inward to capture It. But what’s the use? I have the same questions for Alien’s Weyland-Yutani or the military buyers in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Okay, drop the entity on the enemy, and .. then what? Do you get it back, or are they okay with individual killings of innocents? Is it going to be destabilising Russia for Pennywise to eat 40 Russian kids and take a nap?
I was thinking about how fear works for this series and culture. In many ways, It in book and filmed form, is a cold war allegory, the looming fear in a culture of a vague but close evil ready to destroy. There’s a reason the Augury, as the Native Americans in the show call it (the word means Omen. I admit: I looked it up), is a big bang: the ironworks explosion of 1908 or the town murdering gangsters and others in the next round. It’s the Bomb. This is all brought forward in the military plot. The cold war fear translated to the fear It preys upon, but how a fearful culture eats itself, creating cycles of terror, caused hatred. But belief also drives the creature and Derry; do the beacons only really work because the Native Americans believe they do? Since It continues, how effective is this?
I am annoyed they AGAIN dropped the Lilly cliffhanger; her visit to Juniper Hills was a quick minute to meet a nice nurse (we get more Madeline Stowe). And now the school catches her over a Fulci’d Marge with a bloody tool in her hand is waved away with Marge clearing her with no issues. I continue to really like the actress playing Lilly. Clara Stack is a real strong point; she has a face that says “innocent but is about to see some serious shit”. On the other Chris Chalk’s Dick Halloran is also an obvious strong point. I’ve said that before, along with Rose (who provides a bit more direct exposition; the entity’s defications poison the water, building its cycle of terrible, ew). But I want to give a shout to Taylour Paige, who plays Charlotte Hanlon. Her character is an unsung hero, a grounding and quietly powerful presence, and she’s amazing.
The nurse is confirmed to be Mrs Kirtch, the old woman Pennywise pretends to be when Bev returns in Chapter II. This was an item of conjecture I’ve read online. Not sure I like it or not, but it does pretty much confirm she was the young clown for Episode III’s opening. We’ll see if she’s a force for good or not (remember the old woman who attacked Bev was actually the creature, and not her).
I appreciate the show’s continual shift from pointed scare sequences, as well done as they are, to longer, more simmering sequences. As noted, the two forces hunting through the suprisingly large and complex sewage system for a small town (I handwave that’s its’ Pennywise’s influence; how does no one see his lair in building gan dmaintence… ahem), but also Halloran (wha’ts with his handwritten nametape) and Pennywise mind fighting again, bringing in a concept from Doctor Sleep in a cool way. But the star sequence is the introduction to The Dancing Clown form. I LOVE the way it’s revealed, a WTF sequence of building “oh shit we’re fucked” until fully there for them and for us after a slam-bang transformation effect. I’ve applauded the holding back, and it paid off magnificently. With the kids hyped up on too much Mother’s Little Helper (aka valium), it’s an extra push of oddity leading to it.
It: Welcome to Derry’s fifth episode, 29 Neilbolt Street, is another strong episode. I’m surprised how much I’m enjoying this. [need to catch up to the reviews? Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4]