Welcome to Derry – Season 1 Review

Welcome to Derry Finally Explains Pennywise

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is my first TV show review, so bear with me.

After finishing the final season of Stranger Things, I randomly started Welcome to Derry—and yeah… I felt the need to talk about it.
I know this isn’t a video game, but it is fictional, dark, and story-driven. And if there’s one thing I love as much as games, it’s shows and movies that mess with your head.

Overall?
This show hits hard.

The plot is strong from start to finish. I didn’t know much about Pennywise going in, but after this season, everything clicks. The clown, the dancing, the madness—his backstory finally makes sense. It adds layers instead of cheap horror tricks, and I really appreciated that.

One thing I really loved is the attention to detail. The show does such a good job at building characters that you genuinely start to hate some of them. And when those characters finally die?
Yeah… it feels good.
That’s how you know the acting is top-tier. The performances make you feel something—anger, disgust, satisfaction—and that doesn’t happen by accident.

The first introduction of Pennywise in the show deserves special mention. It was done brilliantly. Creepy, subtle, and instantly uncomfortable. No rush, no overexposure—just enough to let the tension crawl under your skin. Perfect execution.

Visually, it’s good—not flawless. Some moments (especially near the end on the ice) weren’t perfect, but nothing that pulled me out of the experience. The atmosphere does most of the heavy lifting, and it works.

What really stood out to me was how brutal this show is. Some scenes are straight-up gory and gritty—and honestly, that’s part of why it works so well. Horror should be uncomfortable.
That said, the racism scenes were rough to watch. Not in a bad storytelling way, but in a “this is messed up” reality-check kind of way. It hits close and doesn’t sugarcoat anything.

And the acting?
Damn.
The kids absolutely nailed it. Great casting, great performances. The fact that this show doesn’t hesitate to kill off kids already tells you what kind of ride you’re on. This isn’t for everyone—but if you like dark horror, you’re in the right place.

I couldn’t binge this show. Not because it was boring—but because some scenes needed time to sink in.
Low-key, this made me wish Stranger Things went a bit harder in its final season. More brutal. More consequences. This show isn’t afraid to cross that line.

I really hope we get a second season. I might even go back and watch the movies to see how everything connects and what’s actually canon.

Welcome to Derry – Season 1: 5 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dark, detailed, uncomfortable, and incredibly well-acted.
This show earns every emotion it pulls out of you—and that’s why it works.