A massive tragedy occurs, and Pennywise feeds well in The Black Spot, the seventh episode of It: Welcome to Derry, directed by Andy Muschietti, now streaming on HBO.
The Black Spot, the penultimate episode of the initial season of It: Welcome to Derry, delivers on all fronts. Whether it be character and lore progression and moments, Pennywise action, massively horrific sequences, or just having the clown version of It on screen at all, it all comes to play, and the story comes to a massively satisfying head. I can’t wait to see what happens in the final episode. But before we take that on next week, let’s take a look at the events and excitement of this week’s episode.
As it has been, spoiler warning for what happens in this episode. Now clowning around, HA, I’m going to talk directly and freely over everything instead of the standard review coyly working around spoilers.
Like episode 3, episode 7 starts in the 1908 cycle, but shifts to Ingrid/Perrwinkle and her father Bob Grey/Pennywise the Dancing Clown instead of Shaw and Rose. It’s surprisingly sweet, and ultimately heartbreaking, to see who Grey was before It swallowed his persona and look and broke Ingrid’s brain to try to make that connection again. Losing a parent young, especially in such a way, is traumatizing and sad. As one with a kid, it’s something I think of often. A later statement of It during 1962 brings it home, claiming Bob Grey is inside him, reaching out for his long lost daughter (whether It was mocking Ingrid or some consciousness is really hidden in there, and begging isn’t known, but either way it’s messed up). I’m glad Grey wasn’t a terrible person, some serial killer, a messed-up clown, but a real performer who has lost a lot but is holding on; one It can see how to use for nefarious means. Innocence is lost across the series in favor of terrible cycles and culture.
This segment shows Bill Skargard’s incredible strengths as a performer. Seeing the same mannerisms and methods the creature would later use in a regular performance, and then his conversation with young Ingrid highlights his immense, wide-ranging talent, and highlights how the creature works. Interesting how clowns still work to throw off, yet still pull in. That’s the appeal. Clowns will forever fall into the uncanny valley, but even still, they will pull in willing people, especially children. Chilling.
On the main timeline, 1962, we pick up just as we left off: Angry, Racist, White Men have descended on The Black Spot, setting off the Auguary (as the Native Americans call Pennywise’s big feed of the cycle before sleep). I had a smirk at a reference to an underseen King work, the TV movie Storm of the Century. They want Grogan, still thought to be the killer from the first episode. For a minute, I thought they might tease, back down, and leave the end of the episode to be the Event.
Nope.
Instead, Muschetti and writer Brad Kane follow through with an event of horror, so telling and sad as this sort of thing did and does occur in society, even without a supernatural background of the interdimensional creature pushing everyone along. Racism and violence due to it still occur all too often, and it sets a sad, terrifying tone to the massacre. Muschetti and Kane pull no punches. They keep the action front and center, no cutaways, no levity. It’s impressive, staying inside the Black Spot for a long length of time as it burns with dozens inside, all while bullets fly from the outside. An impressive, extended, continued shot of Dick Halloran trying to figure out what to do, including receiving help from a long-dead Native American (whose makeup is inverted to Pennywise at the cliffhanger later on, nice touch) is a fantastic moment. It’s one hell of a sequence, and it looks amazing and iconic. The visuals of the burning building, of the smoke and shadow, are beautiful in the chaos and confusion. When Pennywise joins the fray to feed, it kicks up a notch and is genuinely unnerving. And yes, I was right – Richie sacrifices himself to save Marge. Poor kid. At least he has a more righteous death than having his face eaten off.
Curious to see how Ingrid will be used in the future. She’s been an interesting character, perhaps the most interesting, in her conflicts and how she’s playing and been played. I’ve really enjoyed how she’s increased as a main cast member as the show’s gone on. She’s been deadlighted now (that eye movement while being taken away was creepy as hell). I wouldn’t be surprised ot see her and the lobotomised Lilly (if my theory is correct) in the same room at Juniper Hills Asylum when the season ends. But next season jumps back to the 1930s. We’ve been there once, with younger Ingrid meeting “papa”. Willing to bet, she’s the lead character in that cycle. Maybe even in 1908, with young Shaw and Rosa. Although we’ve started the show with two Loser’s clubs, the three-season arc might really be Ingrid’s.
The conversation between It, masquerading as her dad, and Ingrid was a hell of a play. The juxtaposition of the firebombed building and this moment makes this week one of my favorite episodes of anything this year. And, as noted above for 1908, it continues to shine a spotlight on how great Skarsgard is playing all the facets.
I appreciate sticking with this side of the story for nearly two-thirds of the runtime. Not cutting to Lilly or the other stories keeps the tension and terror high and uncompromising. I appreciate Muschetti’s restraint, while I do think he held it in control in the first two episodes he directed, the middle run showed a better flow and less showy, and I’m glad he’s kept that.
The remainder of the episode is well-suited to set up our finale. The kids tell Lilly about Richie (does Margie not have parents?), and the rest are in recovery as the town is already trying to cover up what happened. Charlotte and Grogan have a particularly telling moment of how Derry (and the country) works. The military does finally find a pillar, and what they do with it… Oh boy. Their plan given earlier was dumb as hell, and the real plan is even dumber. And I love it. It’s a fine bit of ridiculousness. And of course, they just made it worse. Hey, general, your monster was going to sleep! I love the blood pool filled with snacks (working on that night cheese… or hands). Now it’s up past its bedtime and mad. Which, of course, means more snacking for us to see next week. Bring it on.
It’s been a great series, far better than I ever expected; it continually surprises me in how it approaches both as a prequel and its own thing. Only one more! It: Welcome to Derry is currently streaming weekly on HBO.