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  4. It: Welcome to Derry

Stephen King fans say It: Welcome to Derry has the "greatest depiction of Pennywise in any media format," making up for It: Chapter 2: "Mr. Muschietti, I’m sorry for doubting you"

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By Megan Garside published 8 December 2025

Fans are praising Bill Skarsgård's performance as Pennywise in the latest episode of It: Welcome to Derry

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Bill Skarsgard as Bob Gray/Pennywise in It: Welcome to Derry
(Image credit: HBO)
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With the finale now less than one week away, fans are celebrating Bill Skarsgård's performance as Pennywise in It: Welcome to Derry, saying episode 7 includes one of the best interpretations of Pennywise the Clown ever seen on screen.

Warning, the following contains slight spoilers for It: Welcome to Derry episode 7, so turn back now if you have not yet caught up, but make sure to read our spoiler-free It: Welcome to Derry review first.

The penultimate episode of It: Welcome to Derry, titled 'The Black Spot,' finally filled in some of the blanks surrounding Pennywise's origin as Bob Grey, and how he became the killer clown entity we know him to be. However, the episode also delivered one of the most shocking scenes in the series so far as it saw the era's catastrophic event come to fruition. Pennywise used the disaster to feed, and took advantage of a number of victims in the cruellest of ways.

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  • Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise in It: Welcome to Derry It: Welcome to Derry season 2: All we know so far about the HBO horror spin-off's second chapter

This is exactly what fans have been waiting for, as one took to Reddit to discuss how, although they were "very disappointed" by the portrayal of Pennywise in Andy Muschietti's It: Chapter 2 when the sequel hit screens in 2019, the seventh It: Welcome to Derry episode makes up for it. "Mr. Muschietti, I’m sorry for doubting you," said the fan.

"This episode by itself may just be the greatest depiction of Pennywise in any media format. Take my hand? Do I have face on my face? They see you too? The MEATCLEAVER? I'm Pennywise your dancing daddy? The pool of gore? The last scene on the fridge?? I had to play all of these scenes back like 3 times. Bill is incredible. That's all, just had to gush about it!"

It seems as though other fans agree, as one replied, "With Chapter 2 [Muschietti] had to eliminate a lot of content, and perhaps to try to reach the most 'mainstream' audience, he left the worst material. But this episode confirms to me that the guy has a lot of talent." Another added, "Skarsgard gets to shine by showing us the actual Bob Grey and then going full on psycho clown Pennywise."

According to IMDb, 'The Black Spot' is so far the most popular episode of It: Welcome to Derry, and stands with a near-perfect score of 9.5 stars out of 10. The Stephen King spin-off comes to an end on December 14 with the eighth and final episode titled Winter Fire. See our It: Welcome to Derry release schedule for exact timings.

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For more, check out our guide to IT: Welcome to Derry Easter eggs and cameos, and keep up with upcoming Stephen King movies and shows heading your way.

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Megan Garside
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Junior Social Media Editor, GamesRadar+

I'm the Junior Social Media Editor here at GamesRadar+, handling all of Total Film's social platforms. However, I also write, covering all things film and TV for the site's entertainment section. I joined GamesRadar+ in 2023 and have been here ever since. I previously worked in communications after graduating with an MA in journalism. In my spare time, you can find me binging horror movies or getting lost in a cosy little game on my Switch.

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