It: Welcome to Derry Season 1 Episode 4 Review: The Great Swirling Apparatus of Our Planet’s Function

If It: Welcome to Derry Season 1 Episode 3 was gradually building up to a much-needed turning point, then I’m happy that the events from that episode are slowly, yet surely, paying off with “The Great Swirling Apparatus of Our Planet’s Function”.

So far, It: Welcome to Derry has been particularly meticulous with how it wants to establish the stakes that “IT” has to offer. While we certainly know the threat that Stephen King’s iconic monster poses, Derry’s community in this show can only understand so much.

What we’ve gotten so far is that there’s two sides to It: Welcome to Derry Season 1’s story: understanding what the Creature does as a means of manipulation and what it’s actually capable of. Through these parallel storylines involving military experimentations and the thrills of the Losers Club, this story has finally found its footing.

Although, that’s to say that, with this episode, it’s also digging deeper into the racial undertones that were subtly touched upon on previous episodes.

Of course, It: Welcome to Derry has been exploring this through the case of Hank Grogan, who was falsely arrested for the gruesome events way back on Season 1 Episode 1. While the previous two episodes focused on establishing the supernatural threat, this episode is able to make use of Hank’s situation.

Given the incidental occurrences experienced by her son, Will, Charlotte decides to take matters into her own hands, inspired after a coffee chat with Rose motivated her. While we’ve seen Charlotte recognize the partial injustices of Derry’s society, her tackling of Hank’s case head-on is something that gives her character more depth.

Through her case, we also learn much more about the Hanlons as a whole. Charlotte was part of a freedom movement in the South and was arrested for it and her marriage to Leroy was sort of an escape for a better lifestyle. However, given the last three episodes, that doesn’t truly seem so.

It: Welcome to Derry‘s main idea of secrecy is not just a driving force for its multiple narratives, but it’s key in this emotional rift between Charlotte and Leroy.

They both want what’s best for Will, but they’re also both too hesitant to share what they do separately because of the risks it poses. In that conversation they share about Charlotte going off to the police station, this “holding back” that the two have captures that inner trouble briefly, yet satisfyingly.

Back with Hank’s case, it drives the series’ theme of racial injustice even further as Hank reveals that on the day of the theater attacks, he actually had an affair with a married white woman.

Though this reveal seems a bit forced through dialogue, it’s reasonable to believe how the consequences may be even more dire if Hank shares this truth instead. He knows that he’ll be possibly killed for it, but if or when his daughter Ronnie finds out, the backlash could be worse. 

Speaking of Ronnie and the rest of the Losers Club, what they have to face in this episode is extremely troubling. Not only did their photos from It: Welcome to Derry Season 1 Episode 3 show something completely different to Sheriff Bowers and the police, but they also try to test a new theory out.

This theory comes in the form of an Nightmare on Elm Street-inspired element: pills that hinder one’s ability to feel fear. Although, because of the way that such narrative devices work, their plan goes down the drain (quite literally) when Lilly tries to save her friend, Marge.

In terms of the way that It: Welcome to Derry has been handling the “lunchtime drama” aspect involving Lilly and Marge, it’s felt somewhat formulaic. Lilly has been consistently treated as an outcast by a popular group of bullies to the point where it feels cyclical.

However, the way that the show’s been trying to make Lilly and Marge’s dynamic feel more complex is by having that emotional conflict in Marge. She wants to keep her ties with Lilly, but also not be mistreated by the bullies.

Unfortunately, when Marge gets wrapped up in the Creature’s shenanigans, her relationship with Lilly really becomes much more messier. Though Lilly tries to save her, the rest of the school believes Lilly’s just like her dad, which is another lie that this episode adds to its list here.

Although, that’s not the only lie that “The Great Swirling Apparatus of Our Planet’s Function” presents. In fact, the biggest lie that’s been going around is what General Shaw has to tell Leroy later on after a near-fatal incident with Will drives him to find answers.

Fortunately for Leroy, that lie dissipates when Shaw decides to show Leroy what Hallorann is truly capable of as the psychic “mind-melds” into Daniel’s head. What we get is a psychological exploration of Daniel’s mind as well as a lot of exposition about the Creature’s origins.

Through this story about how Derry’s Native American community fought against “IT”, it packs in much of the action in a thrilling survivalist way that really sticks. This actually showcases an early version of the Losers Club (if you should call them that), but I’m also very happy to see how Rose and Daniel’s characters are integrated here.

Given how it’s a generational story that’s been passed down in-universe, it makes sense and also adds to those racial undertones by navigating that idea of cultural sovereignty through Rose and Shaw’s previous friendship.

Overall, It: Welcome to Derry Season 1 Episode 4 ramps up the chill factor as the Losers Club, Charlotte, Leroy, and Hallorann unbury interesting truths about “IT”, Derry’s societal climate, and each other.

Stray Thoughts:

• “IT” taking the form of the priest that they killed in Daniel’s backstory weirdly reminded me of Sir Jimmy Crystal from 28 Years Later. I don’t know why, but it just did.
• The Creature’s attack on Will in the river caught me off guard at first, but I’m surprised to even see that Leroy actually can see what it can do.
• I can’t believe that Marge actually had to go through that whole thing with the snail eyes. Though, I will say that the effects were a bit better this time thanks to the practicality as well.
• The whole thing with the bar and Hallorann feels like a narrative that It: Welcome to Derry wants to keep lighthearted until the right moment. While we know what happens, this entire side story is essentially “feel good”.
• I also can’t believe they’re finally bringing the Well House into the show after teasing it for so long!

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New episodes of It: Welcome to Derry release on Sundays, 9:00 PM EST, on HBO and HBO Max.

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