It comes as no great surprise that the inaugural season of It: Welcome to Derry likely won't end on a particularly joyous note. During the HBO series' event at CCXP in São Paulo, Brazil, the show's team was asked to provide a single word to encapsulate the penultimate episode ahead of its Sunday airing. Participating in the panel for the series based on Stephen King's classic horror novel It were co-creators Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti, alongside cast members Chris Chalk and Rudy Mancuso.
"Episode seven? Devastation," replied Chalk, who plays Dick Hallorann. Filmmaker Andy Muschietti, who directed Warner Bros.' 2017 movie It and its 2019 follow-up, added, "You took the word from my mouth. Devastating, like deaths." And Barbara Muschietti chose "Heartbreaking," which elicited exclamations of disappointment from the moderators and crowd.
She went on to say, "I'll tell you one thing: Rudy is great in it. So, it's OK."
Last week's sixth episode of It: Welcome to Derry certainly hinted at the looming devastation. In that installment, Lilly Bainbridge (Clara Stack) realized that Ingrid Kersh (Madeleine Stowe), who has been stalking her as Periwinkle the Clown, is the daughter of Bob Gray (Bill Skarsgård), the original Pennywise the Dancing Clown. Meanwhile, the episode ended on a cliffhanger as the racist mob arrives at the Black Spot in search of Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider).
Speaking of Mancuso, his character, Pauly Russo, sacrificed himself this season to save best friend Leroy Hanlon (Jovan Adepo). The actor was asked to reflect on that decision. "It's interesting because I don't think Pauly was necessarily imagined as this super-selfless, self-sacrificial character," Mancuso explained. "But in that moment, at least for me, what was going through Pauly's mind was, 'This is what my purpose is.' All these other characters, including my partner, Leroy, has a lot to lose. He has this family, and he has this reputation, and he's battling with his own traumas. But Pauly really only has Leroy."
Set in Derry, Maine, in 1962 amid the aftermath of young Matty Clements (Miles Ekhardt) disappearing, It: Welcome to Derry boasts a cast that includes Taylour Paige, James Remar, Matilda Lawler, Blake Cameron James, Amanda Christine, and Arian S. Cartaya.
In keeping with the themes of the series, the panel's participants were asked to name their greatest fear. "My fiancée, Camila Mendes—who's here—being mad at me," quipped Mancuso. Meanwhile, Barbara Muschietti replied, "Fascist government," leading to a big cheer from the crowd.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Chalk teased the daunting task for the show's leads as the season winds down. "How can you beat Pennywise, guys?" the actor asked. "Is that even possible for this group of ragtag goofballs? I don't know. We'll see."
