A surprise cameo in 'It: Welcome to Derry' finale hints at the future of Pennywise and Derry
Following the chaos in the seven episodes, HBO's 'IT: Welcome to Derry' concluded with an epic showdown between Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård) and the townspeople. While the show kept viewers hooked with its intriguing storyline, its connections to Stephen King's other works also made major headlines. Across its eight-episode run, the series featured multiple cameos from the 'IT' universe, and staying true to tradition, the final episode also had a special appearance.
In the 'IT: Welcome to Derry' Season 1 post-credits scene, Ingrid Kersh (Madeleine Stowe) is shown institutionalized at Juniper Hill, then the timeline jumps to October 1988, where Sophia Lillis returns as Beverly Marsh and Joan Gregson reprises Mrs. Kersh, who confronts Beverly after her mother's suicide. Notably, Kersh is depicted as Pennywise's most terrifying form, which lured Beverly into her childhood home before transforming into a monster; however, the film does not explain why IT chose that form.
In an interview with ScreenRant, series co-creator Jason Fuchs explained the reasoning behind episode 8's cameo returns, saying, "If you think about the Mrs. Kersh and Beverly scene in Chapter Two, you don't really know why IT has made the choice to take that form in that moment. Certainly, a reasonable reading of that scene is that IT understands Beverly's trauma with her father, and is just preying upon that. But it does leave that question of, 'Why Mrs. Kersh?' What significance might that have?”
He added, "Now you know. You watch that final scene and realize, 'Wait a second...' Whether Beverly remembers it in that moment or not, the most horrible day of her life was the day her mother killed herself, which was also the day she first met Mrs. Kersh. IT looks into your head and sees all that, so suddenly you watch that scene and you go, 'Oh, it is preying upon the darkest memory she has, whether it's in her subconscious or otherwise.' That's the point of that scene."
Fuchs then shared how the series recontextualizes moments from the original 'IT' films, saying, "There are a few moments that do that. If you go back and watch IT: Chapter One, think about the first scene between Leroy and Mike. In the killing cage, he says, 'You're either in there with them or out here.' He's talking about the cage of Derry. He's talking about the pillars. It recontextualizes that, and it's fun to go back and realize, 'Oh, that's what Leroy was trying to articulate.'"
Regarding 'IT: Welcome to Derry' Season 2, the show has not been officially renewed or canceled, but the 'Chapter One' end-credits title and the June 16, 2025, writers' room for Season 2 indicate plans to continue the series, according to Comic Book Live. While scripts are being developed, a green light for production will depend on the show's overall success.
