Spoiler Alert / Mature Content: This review may include plot details and adult themes. Reader discretion is advised. This site discusses horror films (and horror television), which may not be suitable for all ages.

When episode one of IT: Welcome to Derry ended, we were left with a lot of intriguing thoughts and so, so many questions. Did those kids survive? They did not. Would they really abolish the new Losers Club so quickly? Yes, they would. Why exactly is the military in or near Derry in the first place? Who attacked Hanlon, and why? The next three episodes really shone a light on what exactly is going on in town and gave us some really good peeks into where things are headed. They aren’t really trying to hide anything. They just weren’t ready to tell us yet.

In the spirit of watching things week to week (now that I’m back and can do such a thing), we binge-watched episodes 2 and 3 to make ourselves ready for episode 4 last night. This, as it turned out, was the right thing to do. Episodes 2, 3, and 4 have some of the most gnarly scenes that I’ve seen in any horror property recently—things that I can’t unsee, and if we are being honest with each other, I’m not sure I would want to forget. They were wild. So, without further ado and too much blathering, here are the reviews for episodes 2, 3 and 4 of It: Welcome to Derry.

Episode 2 begins in the throes of the terror the kids were facing at the end of episode one. The episode is again directed by Andy Muschietti and written by Austin Guzman. This time, we see the action from slightly different angles, and they are all terrifying. From there, we transition into the opening credits for the first time on the show, and I have to say: that opening sequence is incredible. From the imagery to the music choice, it’s just beautiful. I wasn’t expecting an opening like that.

So far, the pacing and the release of information have been kept pretty consistent, and just as it may seem like the show is about to drag, something happens. In the second episode, we are shown the fallout from the theater massacre and Ronnie’s dad getting arrested. This episode actually did a lot of lifting when it came to world-building and character work.

We meet for the first time the real rest of the New Losers Club: Will and Rich (Blake Cameron James and Arian S. Cartaya), both of whom are great additions to the squad. James does a fantastic job as Will, the son of Leroy the pilot, and Rich. Well, what can I say about Rich? He is a tiny fast talker who always has the funniest lines, in my opinion. We also were finally told who the mysterious driver from the first episode was, and it blew my mind a little. Dick Hallorann (yes, the Dick Hallorann from The Shining) apparently spent some of his youth in Derry, working with the military. It was awesome to see but also confusing. I need to see where it goes, but I like what Chris Chalk is doing with the character.

Overall, it was a great episode of television with two standout scary scenes (still no Pennywise): one involving Ronnie being born again, tethered by an umbilical cord, and her mom attempting to eat her. Trust me, you’ll just have to see it for yourself. The other scene really tried to turn me away from pickles, something I did not care for. Frankly, both scenes are peak horror and I can’t wait to see where it goes next.

The creators honestly couldn’t have come up with a better title for the third episode than they did. We finally get to see Pennywise, even if it was in a photograph right before the credits rolled. This episode starts back in 1908, which, if you do the math, was two cycles ago on Pennywise’s 27-year schedule. We learn that Rose has known about the monster since she was a child, but so has the Major. That’s what the military is actually doing in Derry. They want to find and weaponize Pennywise. I’m sure that’s fine.

The kids are still doing detective work, looking for a way to get Ronnie’s dad out of jail (he is innocent, after all), and of course, no one in horror believes children. When an adult in a horror movie or show actually believes the kids, I get so happy but it’s rare. But of course, here no one believes them, so they are wracking their little brains looking for an answer. Photographs will be the key.

This episode covers a lot of ground as well, not wasting any moments that could have been filled with important information. This time, the episode was written by Guadalís Del Carmen and Gabe Hobson and directed by Andrew Bernstein but the look and feel remain consistent. I know in television, it can be rare to have the same director for every episode (sometimes it does happen, and it’s great), but oftentimes you can see different styles bleed through. That isn’t really the case here and it’s very cohesive.

There were two standout scenes in this one for me: the first scene was Hallorann looking for, locating and then mentally sparring with Pennywise. A very cool scene, and I think he knows he’s outmatched. The second scene was, of course, the graveyard. There was something very ’80s adventure cinema about that, and it really stood out and brought our tiny protagonists together as a team. The Losers Club is coalescing into a force and I’m really hoping that the photos they took will hold up.

The fourth episode continued with the threads laid out from previous episodes, even explaining why Pennywise has never left Derry. The pillars set in place by local Native Americans have him trapped, only able to surface every 27 years. That’s also why Rose knows so much about what’s been going on. This episode was once again directed by Andrew Bernstein and written by Helen Shang. Much of the plot has been set in motion over the last couple of episodes, and things are slowly coming to a head.

The photographs didn’t work, the cops basically ran the kids out of the station, and they were forced to go back to the drawing board. Ronnie’s dad is innocent, and now we know what he is actually hiding and why he hasn’t told the truth: he was sleeping with another man’s wife, and if other people found out, he was sure that would be the end of him. He still might be okay, but it looks like it’s going to be a hard road. It’s fine, though. Will’s mom is on the case.

This episode also had (at least to this point) one of the more grisly scenes: Marge has to cut her eye off with a band saw. That is all I will say, and that is enough. Just go watch it. Of course, Lily was trying to help her friend at the time, and I’m sure this will get her sent back to Juniper Hill Asylum. It seems like everything she does gets her closer and closer to being sent back and her mom actively wants it to happen.

Of course, if you have read the book, Stephen King gives us kind of the broad strokes of Pennywise’s backstory, and this show seems hell-bent on filling in all the gaps. Through Hallorann, we venture into the mind of a man who holds the tale, and we learn the creature’s origin story, how Pennywise got here and how Pennywise was stopped (as much as Pennywise can be stopped). The episode set up so much. The final four episodes are going to be wild.

At the midway point of the season, I can honestly say that it hasn’t disappointed. The show is incredibly beautiful to look at; the ’60s feel and flair touch everything, and it’s kind of just a joy (if you can look past all the awful, terrible things that keep happening to people). The music hasn’t let me down, each episode dropping one banger after another and the tone hasn’t really shifted. We came in feeling uneasy about everything, and we still feel that way. So far, they haven’t let us feel any kind of hope. They are keeping their foot firmly on the tension pedal and making us sweat a little. If a break is coming, they haven’t hinted at it.

At this point, I’m fairly certain the cast is set. As a whole, everyone is great in their parts. Hallorann and Rich are still my two favorites. Rose is a close third and she’s incredible. The writing has yet to be stale, the direction continues to be exciting. Overall, it’s just a well-done hour of horror television. It’s still far too early to tell if they’ll stick the landing (four hours is a long time, and anything could ruin it), but it seems like they know what they’re doing and where they’re going. I’m just happy to tag along for the ride.