Copyright slashfilm
This post contains major spoilers for "It: Welcome to Derry." A child sneaks into the local theater to watch Morton DaCosta's "The Music Man" in "It: Welcome to Derry." This child, Matty (Miles Eckhardt), tragically goes missing that night, where he's last seen fleeing the theater. Of course, we are privy to the insanely bizarre chain of events that Matty experienced that night, right after hitching a ride out of Derry, Maine, a place he wanted to desperately escape. While Stephen King's "It" is chockfull of gruesome moments involving children, Andy and Barbara Muschietti's new prequel series makes it clear that no one is safe here, as there are no limits to It's monstrosity. Later on in the episode, we learn that Matty used to be friends with three other kids — Lilly (Clara Stack), Phil (Jack Molloy Legault), and Teddie (Mikkal Karim Fidler) — who gradually realize that there's more to Matty's disappearance than meets the eye. There's real grief and regret here, as some of them realize that they could've been kinder to the boy, who seems disturbed by something even during these flashbacks. After Lilly hears Matty singing through the pipes in her bathroom, the hauntings begin, all of which carry Pennywise's signature tendency to exploit deep-rooted fears. We do not see the dancing clown in the flesh yet, which adds to the anxiety of battling something that cannot be explained. Going back to Matty's attempt to leave Derry, we see him hitch a ride with a family of four (parents and two kids), who gently assure him that he will be safe with them. "Anywhere but Derry," Matty whispers, when asked where he wishes to go. But what ensues is pure nightmare fuel, setting the tone for a very dark show about the cyclical evil that haunts Derry.
