Welcome to Derry Review: Episode 1 — The Pilot

Rating: 8/10

TYLER, Texas (TXAN 24) — The premiere of Welcome to Derry wastes no time setting its tone. From the opening minutes, the episode builds a creeping sense of unease anchored by the disappearance of a young boy named Maddie. Instead of lingering on mystery, the story pulls the viewer into the dark tension beneath Derry’s surface, using Maddie’s absence as the emotional spark that drives the premiere.

What stands out early on is how quickly the episode moves. The pacing is tight, almost relentless, keeping you alert as new pieces of the town’s unsettling atmosphere fall into place. Even without revealing key plot moments, the show makes it clear that Derry is not just dangerous, but alive in a way that feels deeply wrong.

One of the most refreshing elements is the military storyline threaded through the episode, centered on two Black characters whose leadership and perspective add a compelling layer to the narrative. Their presence gives the pilot a sense of grounded realism while still feeding into the supernatural tension that defines the IT universe.

Maddie’s influence continues to hang over the story, shaping the emotional beats and pulling other characters toward the town movie theater that becomes the focal point of the episode’s final moments. It’s atmospheric, eerie, and crafted to make you lean forward.

The pilot closes with a sharp cliffhanger; the kind that turns Episode 2 into an instant priority. Fast-paced, unsettling, and confidently directed, Welcome to Derry delivers an opening chapter that grabs you early and refuses to let go.