Welcome to Derry Review: Episode 4 — The Great Swirling Apparatus of Our Planet’s Function

Rating: 7.9/10

TYLER, Texas (TXAN 24) — Episode 4 continues the slow-burn momentum from the previous chapter, leaning deeper into the mythology and the larger forces surrounding Derry.

Coming off the kids’ failed attempt to gather proof of the creature, the episode opens with frustration and rising fear, their plan didn’t deliver the results they hoped for, and the danger feels closer than ever.

While the children are dealing with new, unsettling encounters with the entity haunting Derry, Dick Halloran finds himself on the opposite trajectory. His efforts from last episode are finally acknowledged, and he’s pulled further into the military’s expanding investigation.

This episode widens the scope beyond Derry’s borders, bringing in the looming pressure of the Cold War as a motivating force behind the military’s interest.

It’s a smart shift—one that lifts the story above small-town horror and reminds the audience that larger powers are watching and reacting.

Halloran is once again called on to make sense of the supernatural threads that others refuse to see. His role grows more pivotal, and the tension around his involvement builds as the military pushes him to connect the dots at any cost.

Like the last episode, this one functions as a bridge, no major deaths, no huge explosions of horror. But the tension is coiled tight. It feels like pulling a string that hasn’t reached its end yet, the dread getting stronger with each tug. That sense of “almost there” keeps the viewer hooked, hungry for the payoff.

Once again, the child cast carries the emotional weight of the story. Their performances remain one of the series’ strongest assets, and it reflects a broader trend in modern genre storytelling; similar to the breakout success of Stranger Things, young actors are increasingly the heart of horror narratives.

Though deliberately paced, The Great Swirling Apparatus of Our Planet’s Function remains gripping, atmospheric, and essential for the season’s forward motion, deepening the stakes while setting the stage for the episodes ahead.