Ono: Welcome to DerryThe new HBO Max series is more than just a prequel to the successful movie saga. That this is so, and this makes it clear from the first chapter, showing a new generation of victims of the evil Pennywise. This time in the 1960s. It’s also a look at the sinister explorations of the Stephen King universe. So, in addition to paying homage to the original book, it risks reinventing its rules. So, from the first scenes the plot focuses its interest in one direction. It’s not about – or at least not only – another group of victims are at the mercy of a sinister creature.
At the same time, the script by Jason Fuchs, Brad Kane and Andy Muschietti tries to answer two questions at once. On the one hand, what is it and where did Pennywise (again played by Bill Skarsgård) come from? This time there is an unnamed entity that, in addition to the sewers, completely controls Derry. On the other hand, this is what unites each of those who are able to see them and who suffered under their siege. So Ono: Welcome to Derry avoids the easy route of becoming just another story in a terrifying world. Instead, he seeks to perpetuate the myth. Moreover, doing it with a depth that the film version did not allow, and that, Now it is shown in all its elaborate richness.
So now both the city and the entities that inhabit it are shown as elements of something that points to new frontiers. It’s not just about the supernatural elements associated with the creepy clown anymore. The script, which skillfully combines situations, settings and data from the book and films, covers the city, its history and secrets. The monster’s own story is similar. Now, richer and more complex than just an entity that feeds on the fear of children and even adults.
A city full of secrets for It: Welcome to Derry
Part of the credit goes to the way the show presents its monster. Contrary to what one might assume, the script does not assume that the audience already knows him. Or, at best, you know what your options are. Therefore, he devotes time and interest to showing its consequences and what its mere presence – almost invisible in the early chapters – can cause. For the first time, the idea that Pennywise corrupts everything in his path and is therefore more than just a monster hidden in the darkness is brought to the fore. Just like the center of the plot.
So, in the beginning – especially in the first two chapters – It: Welcome to Derry shows the power of the creature as an infectious element. It doesn’t just cause fear. He is also able to bring out the worst in every Derry resident who absorbs his harmful presence without knowing it. One of the series’ greatest strengths is its creation of an unhealthy and dangerous environment, with little to no indication of what is actually happening. Much more, please note that Pennywise and Derry They are united by a parasitic relationship that becomes worse and more dangerous over the years.
What’s more, it’s clear that Andy Muschietti handles Stephen King’s clichés and obsessions with ease, now fully integrated into the narrative. From the possibility of an intruder that only children – and some other adults – can see, to connections to many of the writer’s other stories. In the early chapters, the production carefully establishes the setting. Therefore, he describes Derry as an idyllic city, corroded by an infection center. Street fights, disappearances, unexplained crimes. Pennywise’s trail is easy to follow. In addition to the iconic red balloons and signs of attack, every family and resident of the region.
A monster more menacing than ever
But when he finally appears in all his famous form, Ono: Welcome to Derryacquires more content and energy. Bill Skarsgard brings other nuances to his character that he is known to know well. This is a Pennywise who has never known defeat, who uses Derry as a hunting ground and learns everything he can. Details that the series will return to again and again. Especially by showing that the dark clown’s appearance is a newly learned trick – in monster time terms – and which begins to take full advantage of its advantages.
The interesting element of the series is that it is aware that this is a story based on a very famous and old story. So, rather than making the mistake of making Pennywise’s performance more exaggerated (or relying on mild scares anyway), the plot delves deeper into his nature. Unlike all previous appearances of this creature on television and film, this time it is its capabilities as a creature that actually This is far from just a supernatural or ghostly phenomenon.
Ono: Welcome to Derry does a good job of creating a new dimension to his being, closer to cosmic horror and body horrorthan just supernatural phenomena. This time the terrifying clown shows his ability to influence reality, destroy with a monstrous will and manipulate his victims. Moreover, this time the characterization emphasizes the type of creature of inhuman scale, taller and larger than a human. So when he acts like a clown, the effect is terrible on every level.
The nightmare returns worse than ever.
But despite the changes, the series doesn’t lose sight of its purpose, which is – to a large extent – to allow us to explore what a monster really is. To do this, he goes through two scenarios: Pennywise’s attacks – increasingly frequent and brutal – and what happens to the residents of Derry. In particular, with events related to tragedies that spoiled the atmosphere among the population. and they turned it into a dangerous place for the inhabitants themselves and their neighbors.
To do this, the series focuses on what happened at the Black Spot, a nightclub for the black community that was destroyed after a racist attack. This incident is described in the book – especially in the passages associated with Mike Honlan’s diary – and now forms the essence of a return to the past in Derry. A city poisoned by its own being is also a dangerous place. due to its brutal nature, reinforced by a long list of unanswered tragedies.
Therefore, the plot focuses on Leroy Hanlon (exactly Mike Hanlon’s ancestor). Played by Jovan Adepo, the character witnesses the consequences of an evil that seems to lurk beneath a quiet North American town. Which he soon discovers when he moves to the region with his wife Charlotte (Taylor Paige). The young couple soon discovers that the area’s apparent racist tensions are actually masking an unexplained phenomenon that has erupted. Horror Cycle which takes 27 years to develop and whose explosion culminates in the appearance of Pennywise.
Recommendations for Stephen King fans
Apart from the obvious fact that it adapts parts of the author’s book, Ono: Welcome to Derryis full of references for regular Stephen King fans. Among them is young Dick Hallorann (Chris Chalk), a boy with psychic powers who will lead the way in the terrible trail of the creature. As you remember, the adult version plays a prominent role in the book. Glow, as well as Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 adaptation and Doctor Sleep Mike Flanagan.
Another recurring element is the mention of other typical cities in the author’s books – Salem’s Lot and Castle Rock, as well as Maturin, the cosmic deity who is the enemy of Pennywise. All the details that the series inserts into its story skillfully and organically. In particular, showing how the main character is a monster,He is just part of a series of formidable creatures inhabiting the same universe.
Generally, Ono: Welcome to Derry It brilliantly manages to delve into its myths and stories without seeming like it’s just an homage or too dependent on the films it’s taken from. Something that gives it an undeniable personality, energy and a brilliant ability to create atmosphere. And don’t forget to keep an eye out for red balls at every opportunity, which add a story to their symbols. They will lead you to unexpected cluespart of Stephen King’s interconnected universe. A delight for red bone lovers.
Source: Hiper Textual
