Fans are eagerly waiting for It: Welcome to Derry Episode 5 as the series dives deeper into Pennywise’s early history. The next episode will bring the story closer to the conflict between the military and the groups protecting Derry’s secrets. It also connects the prequel’s timeline to key events in Stephen King’s wider universe.
Episode 5 will stream on HBO Max on Sunday, November 23 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET. International viewers may need to watch late at night or catch it the next day to avoid spoilers. In the UK, the episode will be available on Sky Max and NowTV, with a repeat airing on Monday, November 24 at 9pm.
Season 1 has eight episodes. While HBO hasn’t confirmed a Season 2 yet, director Andy Muschietti has a three-season plan. He said Season 2 will be set in 1935, and the ending of Season 1 will explain why the following seasons move backward in time. Muschietti also plans to explore the Macroverse, the ancient dimension linked to It, which the original book only shows from a human perspective.
Episode 4 focused on Dick Hallorann using his psychic ability, the Shine, to access memories of Taniel, a guardian of Derry’s secrets. One memory shows Rose teaching Taniel about the Galloo, a creature from Indigenous stories connected to the Western Wood. The Galloo is revealed to be Pennywise, an ancient entity that fell to Earth from another world.
Indigenous groups survived by avoiding the creature’s land and forging a blade from the meteorite that brought It to Earth. They later created thirteen shards from the meteorite to trap Pennywise within Derry. The show consulted Indigenous groups while developing this storyline.
Episode 4 ends with Taniel revealing the location of the meteorite shards to Dick, directing him to the tunnels under the old well. This points to the Neibolt Street house and Pennywise’s sewer lair, setting up the events for Episode 5.
