It: Welcome to Derry started off with a bang... and if episode 2 is any indication, the newest Stephen King spin-off doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. The series is also rife with It: Welcome to Derry Easter eggs from the Stephen King universe, and pulls material straight from the 1000-plus-page book.
At the end of It: Welcome to Derry episode 2, we get a rather grim reveal that harkens back to a major event on the It timeline... that occurred the last time Derry, Maine was visited by Pennywise.
Warning! The rest of this article contains major spoilers for It: Welcome to Derry episode 2. If you're not up to date, turn back now!
After General Shaw explains Operation Precept, the Air Force's covert operation involving the recovery of a mysterious weapon, he and Major Leroy Hanlon are interrupted by the announcement that something was found at the dig site. As General Shaw, Leroy, Dick Hallorann, and the rest of the soldiers watch, an old-timey 1930s-era car is lifted into the air. The door swings open, and a skeleton immediately flops out. As we zoom in, the car appears to be filled with decaying skeletons that are still holding onto machine guns... as well as wads of cash.
Given that director Andy Muschietti already confirmed that Welcome to Derry would explore the Bradley Gang Massacre, an event that is mentioned in 2017's It, we can infer that this car is indeed full of the skeletal remains of the aforementioned Bradley Gang.
Who are the Bradley Gang, and are they in the book?
The Bradley Gang, led by brothers George and Al Bradley, were a violent group of criminals who robbed and murdered various business owners in Derry throughout the 1930s. In the novel, George was often accompanied by his wife, Kitty Donahue, during these violent sprees (in what was no doubt a nod to real-life gangster duo Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow). The other members included Arthur "Creeping Jesus" Malloy, "Handsome" Patrick Caudy, Caudy’s girlfriend, Marie Hauser, and brothers Joe and Cal Conklin. They robbed an estimated seven banks across the Midwest before killing a banker and alerting the attention of the FBI, which led them to flee to Derry... and continue their streak of violence.
In 1935 (though this happens in 1929 in the book's timeline), the citizens of Derry revolted and surrounded the gang in the middle of the afternoon. In the novel, the gang had stopped over at Machen's Sporting Goods store to buy more ammunition when they were ambushed by a crowd of civilians wielding guns. All eight members of the gang, including Kitty, were murdered by the townspeople. A man named Norbert Keene, who was present that day, recounts the events to Losers Club member Mike Hanlon – whose thorough research into Derry is what the events of the prequel show are based on. In the novel, Keene tells Mike that he recalls one of the gunmen was, in fact, a clown. It's important to note that Pennywise appears every 27 years, and that 1935 was the last time he arrived in Derry before reappearing in 1962, which is when Welcome to Derry takes place.
How does the Bradley Gang Massacre fit into Welcome to Derry?
Firstly, the men being surrounded by gunfire in the show's opening credits are, no doubt, the Bradley Gang, in what appears to be a reenactment of the massacre. This, and the recovery of the car, signifies that the massacre will play a significant role throughout the season. Though it has not yet been greenlit, Andy Muschietti plans for Welcome to Derry to last for three seasons, with season 2 taking place in 1935, and season 3 taking place in 1908. This means that we'll most likely meet the Bradley Gang in season 2, and watch the massacre take place. For now, we'll just have to see what the discovery of their bodies means for season 1. If they were killed outside of their car in broad daylight... did the townspeople stuff their bodies into the car and then push it into the water? Was it Pennywise? Only time will tell.
It: Welcome to Derry airs on HBO every Sunday at 9pm PT/ET. Episode 2 was made available to stream on HBO Max earlier, on October 31, in honor of Halloween. Stay up to date on new episodes with our Welcome to Derry release schedule.
