Fans of Pennywise the clown have to be pleased with "It: Welcome to Derry" so far. The show, which is a prequel to the films "It" and "It Chapter Two," has been largely well-received by fans and critics alike. Tom's Guide's own Alix Blackburn even went as far as to declare it "one of the best shows ever made" in her review of the HBO show.
Well, now I have even better news for fans of Stephen King's demented clown: "It: Welcome to Derry" episode 2 is being released early on HBO Max. While the show typically simultaneously airs on HBO linear on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET and streams on HBO Max at the same time, this Friday is Halloween, so HBO is moving up the release date for episode 2.
Now, there is a catch. "It: Welcome to Derry" episode 2 is only being released early on HBO Max, the streaming service. Its HBO linear premiere will still be this Sunday (Nov. 2) at 9 p.m. ET for those who strictly watch HBO on cable, satellite or a live TV streaming service.
After this spooky switchup in the schedule, "It: Welcome to Derry will resume its normal cadence of weekly releases on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET, starting with episode 3 on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025, and culminating with the season 1 finale on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025.
'It: Welcome to Derry' brings big-screen horror to TV
For those unfamiliar with "It: Welcome to Derry" or the IT franchise as a whole, the show is set in the fictional town of Derry, Maine, which is haunted at various times by an interdimensional being known as It. This being often takes the form of Pennywise, the dancing clown, who lives in the sewers and terrorizes the townspeople of Derry, particularly the kids.
The first movie, "It," is set in the late 1980s, and its sequel, "It Chapter Two," is set 27 years later in 2016. This prequel series is set 27 years before "It," in 1962, and kicks off with the disappearance of Matt Clemens (Miles Ekhardt) from Derry and the subsequent arrival of the Hanlon family. From there, a series of horrifying events begins to unfold, with Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård) likely the culprit.
So far, the show has a 77% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and audiences rate it even higher at 82%. Most seem to praise it for its horror elements and its faithfulness to the tone of the previous two films, while most complaints seem to relate to the show's plot.
For her part, Tom's Guide's Alix Blackburn seems to agree with the assessment that the show holds to the formula established in the movies, but also praises the show for its ability to balance horror and drama. In her "It: Welcome to Derry" review, she declared it "one of the rare horror shows that manages to balance its scares with character drama."
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