Grab your red balloon and steady your nerves! On this week’s episode of The Commentary Booth, Jamie Apps and Corrina Mabey descend into the sewers of Stephen King's imagination to review the first five episodes of HBO Max's chilling new series, IT: Welcome to Derry.

Serving as a direct prequel to the blockbuster It films, this series plants us in Derry, Maine, in 1962. As a new family arrives, a boy vanishes, and the town's deep-seated darkness begins to fester. Is it the return of Pennywise, or is the real horror the people of Derry themselves?

Across the episode, Jamie and Corrina unpack early impressions of the first five episodes — from its chilling opening sequence to its layered social commentary on racism, military paranoia, and generational trauma. They debate whether Pennywise’s absence makes the horror sharper, discuss how fear manifests beyond the clown, and draw parallels between Stranger Things and It’s young cast. There’s laughter, unease, and a lot of speculation about where this dark mythology will lead next.

Highlights Breakdown:

- First Impressions: Why the opening scene is a gory, tone-setting masterclass that hooks you immediately.

- Standalone Scares: How the series works perfectly for both It veterans and horror newcomers.

- Behind the Mask: Why the show is scarier for not relying solely on Pennywise, and how human evil is the true villain.

- Production Praise: The consistently fantastic CGI and a title sequence packed with hidden clues and lore.

- Era & Atmosphere: How the 1960s setting, with its Cold War paranoia and systemic racism, creates a perfect feeding ground for fear.

- Future Fear: Our theories on the rumoured three-season plan and a potential journey back to 1935 and 1908 to explore the full origin of Pennywise!

- Final Ratings: Our spoiler-free scores for the first five episodes and our high hopes for the finale.

If you're wondering whether Welcome to Derry can stand on its own, if it's truly scary, or how it sets up a potential multi-season journey through the 27-year cycle of fear, this is the review you can't miss.

IT: Welcome to Derry is streaming now on HBO Max with new episodes weekly.

This week’s episode is brought to you by

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