Welcome to Derry Review: Episode 6 — In the Name of the Father

Rating: 9.1/10

TYLER, Texas (TXAN 24) — Episode 6 opens with a haunting flashback to 1935 at Juniper Hill, setting the tone for one of the most emotional chapters of the season.

The cold, unsettling atmosphere of the institution gives us another glimpse into the creature’s history; not a full explanation, but a meaningful tease that adds weight to everything happening in the present.

In the modern storyline, the search for Veronica’s father continues as Derry’s fear and paranoia spread. Veronica, still one of the strongest anchors of the kid ensemble, becomes even more central as the group uncovers a new weapon that might finally give them a fighting chance.

But the question hanging over the episode isn’t just Can they confront it? — it’s whether the group can hold together as the pressure mounts.

This episode aims for deeper emotional beats, and it largely succeeds. There are moments where the choices feel predictable, but the overall impact lands because the characters have been built up so carefully across the season.

The episode also delivers one of the most intriguing pieces of lore yet: a detailed explanation of how the Pennywise identity came to exist.

It’s not the creature’s true form, fans of the mythology know that, but the way the origin is presented is creative, unexpected, and packed with symbolism.

Just when things seem to settle, or at least level out, the story erupts into the biggest confrontation of the season so far. And interestingly, it’s not supernatural.

It’s human versus human.

That choice grounds the horror in something familiar and raw, reminding the audience that the creature’s influence spreads through people just as much as it does through shadows and fear.

In the Name of the Father is layered, tense, and emotionally charged.

It expands the mythology while pushing the characters into their hardest moments yet, setting the stage for a major shift heading into the later episodes.