It: Welcome to Derry Episode 2 just revealed the real reason why the military is in the town, and it’s similar to a classic Stephen King movie.
The horror series has had a strong start on HBO Max, quickly taking the #1 spot on the streaming service after its first episode with 5.7 million views in its first three days. The renewed interest in the franchise also propelled both IT and IT: Chapter Two up to #2 and #3 on its movies list.
Our review says It: Welcome to Derry “widens the story of the titular town (and clown), alongside the brutal uncompromising violence it inflicts on the entire cast.”
The show takes place at the height of the Cold War in 1962 during Pennywise’s previous hunting cycle, but at the same time the military is operating a base nearby. Episode 2 just revealed the real reason behind their presence, and it bears some resemblance to another brilliant horror movie based on King’s work.
It: Welcome to Derry Episode 2 has connection to The Mist
Yes, the military is operating a base in Derry as part of the nation’s defense in the Cold War. But It: Welcome to Derry Episode 2 confirms that it’s also because they want to catch and control the creature that calls itself Pennywise to use as a weapon because it generates “debilitating fear” in people, something that could be useful against Russia if the conflict escalates.
This is also why they’ve recruited Dick Hallorann (Chris Chalk) because he can use his telepathic abilities to find Pennywise, which ultimately leads them to unearth an old 1930s car packed with skeletons (setting up the Bradley Gang massacre in Season 2!). But this military subplot is quite similar to another grisly King classic: The Mist.
The story sees a group of civilians take shelter in a supermarket when a blanket of mist descends on the town of Bridgton, Maine, and anybody who goes outside is attacked by horrific creatures and giant bugs.
Both the book and the 2007 film by Frank Darabont explain that the military was running something called Project Arrowhead, and were experimenting with opening a window to another dimension when they accidentally unleashed the mist into our world.
General Shaw might be running an early version of Project Arrowhead in It: Welcome to Derry
Now, horror fans might have noticed that in one of the early trailers for It: Welcome to Derry, there was an ominous shot of a thick mist or fog descending through the small town. Obviously, this could just be a Pennywise-induced hallucination, but it’s hard not to think of The Mist when seeing that.
It’s not impossible that the show is incorporating The Mist into its world through the military storyline. General Shaw (James Remar) is the one leading an entire military operation into finding Pennywise, so who’s to say that this doesn’t push him to set up Project Arrowhead as a way of exploring the paranormal and supernatural?
It’s pure speculation and theory at the moment, but just like the show has introduced a young version of Hallorann from The Shining, it might also add extra context to The Mist. Only time will tell.
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