Just as Pennywise shifts his form to shock and surprise, so too does IT: Welcome To Derry, with every twist bolder than the last. But one twist in particular will flat-out break your heart in ways you’ll never see coming, even if you did guess the connection beforehand.
For a while now, fans have suspected that Marge Truman (Matilda Lawler) might have a direct connection to The Loser’s Club. You know, those kids who eventually defeat Pennywise 27 years later in It: Chapters One and Two. The idea is that Marge might actually be the future mother of Richie Tozier, the smart-mouth kid played by Finn Wolfhard.
Like Richie, Marge is also a glasses-wearing class clown (when she wants to be). But more importantly, fans of Stephen King’s original IT novel might also recall that Richie’s mother is named Maggie, which is another nickname for Margaret or even Marge…
Beyond that, the biggest clue came last week when Marge found herself trapped in the Black Spot as it burned down after a vile racist attack.
Just when it looked as though she might be done for, Rich Santos (Arian S Cartaya) encouraged Marge to shield herself in a small refrigerator. But once she was inside, it became obvious that there was no room for Rich as well, so he ended up sacrificing himself to save her.
Rich declared his love for Marge before he burned to a crisp, and it’s clear she felt the same way. As such, it makes perfect sense that Marge would honour Rich’s sacrifice by naming her future son after him. It’s the least she could do.
Confirmation of this didn’t arrive, however, until one episode later in the final chapter of season one. And certainly not in the way you might think.
Episode 8 begins with Pennywise on his biggest murder spree yet. With the pillars no longer trapping him as they did before, the Dancing Clown two-steps into town and kidnaps an entire school full of children, including Will.
Lilly, Ronnie, and Marge follow to save their friend, hoping that they can fend Pennywise off using the dagger made of the same material that once trapped him in Derry. Marge’s bad luck strikes again, however, when Pennywise snatches her away from her friends.
Is it just me or does Pennywise have it out for Marge? Well, yes, it turns out. He actually does.
Out on the ice, Pennywise begins to taunt her, revealing that she’s long been on his mind (and stomach too, apparently).
“I’ve always wondered how you taste, Margaret Truman,” Pennywise says with a grin. “But not yet… First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Richie in the baby carriage… Unless he dies with you?”
Richie? In a baby carriage?
“Your son!” continues Pennywise. “The seed of your stinking loins and his friends bring me my death. Or is it birth? I get confused. Today, tomorrow, yesterday… All the same for little Pennywise. It’s not always easy being caged up in one place, one time.”
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In case there was still any room for doubt, Pennywise even reveals a missing poster from the first IT film with Finn Wolfhard’s face on it. Yep, Marge has just been shown the face of her future child years before he’s even born.
But it’s safe to say that even fans who saw this coming couldn’t have predicted it would play out like this.
Never before has Pennywise alluded to the idea that his consciousness works so differently to ours, that he’s able to perceive different points in time all at once. This cosmic expansion of It’s perception is a game-changer, one that will shape future seasons now that Pennywise plans to travel back in time and prevent his eventual demise.
Marge survives this encounter, thankfully, and ends up speaking at Rich’s funeral where she talks of their special bond.
In a less imaginative show, this would probably have been the moment when the extent of her connection to Richie was revealed. Perhaps in a speech where she alludes to keeping Rich in her heart always, his spirit living on in some capacity. But no, Pennywise is the one who breaks the news to Marge – with time-shattering implications.
It’s easy to focus on the horror of what this all means. Pennywise could theoretically go back and prevent the kids from ever being born. But let’s not overlook the genuine love and warmth that also comes with this reveal.
Rich’s death was by far the most painful part of IT: Welcome To Derry so far. Yes, even more than getting munched on by Pennywise. But now we know that his spirit will continue to live on, literally at the funeral as he watches over his friends, but also in the films too, through Marge’s son Richie Tozier.
