The new HBO series It: Welcome to Derry is expanding the world of Stephen King’s horror universe by bringing one of its most disturbing historical events to life. Episode 3 of the prequel series, titled “Now You See It,” directly references the tragic burning of The Black Spot, a key moment from King’s original novel that showcases how Derry’s evil feeds on both supernatural forces and human cruelty.
The Black Spot Story Revealed
In Stephen King’s It novel, The Black Spot was a nightclub built for and frequented by Black soldiers stationed near Derry. For a time, it served as a place of peace, joy, and unity for its patrons. However, this safety was shattered when a white supremacist group called the Maine Legion of White Decency attacked the club and set it on fire.
The tragedy contained a supernatural element that connects directly to Pennywise. As the fire consumed the club, witnesses including Dick Hallorann and Mike Hanlon’s father saw the shapeshifting entity appear in the form of a giant bird, feeding on the chaos and fear generated by the horrific event. Hallorann used his psychic abilities to save several people during the fire, though many others died.
How Welcome To Derry Handles The Tragedy
In It: Welcome to Derry, the series hints at the creation of The Black Spot through a scene featuring Dick Hallorann, played by Chris Chalk. Hallorann uses his psychic ability, known as the “shine,” to help General Francis Shaw and the military search for It’s underground lair. In a conversation with Shaw, Hallorann makes a simple request for a place where he and other soldiers can relax safely.
This seemingly innocent request sets the stage for the establishment of The Black Spot nightclub. While the full tragedy may not be shown immediately, the reference indicates the series will explore this dark chapter of Derry’s history. The recreation of this event is expected to be both emotional and unsettling, serving as an important link between Derry’s past and Pennywise’s ongoing terror.
The inclusion of this storyline significantly expands Dick Hallorann’s role, giving viewers insight into experiences that shaped him long before his appearance in The Shining. His exposure to Derry’s evil through events like The Black Spot tragedy will likely open his eyes to the monster’s true power and the danger facing the town.
Derry’s History of Violence
The Black Spot incident represents a pattern in Derry’s history where human evil and supernatural evil intersect. The town has repeatedly been the site of tragedies that coincide with Pennywise’s feeding cycles every 27 years. Another such historical event referenced in the series is the Bradley Gang Massacre from 1929, where outlaw brothers George and Al Bradley were brutally gunned down by Derry citizens during an attempted robbery.
Like The Black Spot tragedy, the Bradley Gang Massacre had witnesses who reported seeing a clown near the shooting, confirming Pennywise’s presence during these horrific events. The series’ opening credits already feature illustrations of this massacre, showing a bullet-riddled car and bloodied gangsters with Pennywise visible among the shooters.
Expanding the Stephen King Universe
It: Welcome to Derry continues to build connections across Stephen King’s multiverse. The series takes place in 1962 and features the Hanlon family, with Jovan Adepo playing Major Leroy Hanlon, grandfather of Mike Hanlon from the original It story. The appearance of Dick Hallorann provides a direct link to The Shining universe, showing the character decades before his experiences at the Overlook Hotel.
Other King references in the series include Juniper Hill Asylum, a psychiatric hospital that appears in numerous King works, and the significance of turtle imagery, which represents a benevolent force opposite to Pennywise in King’s mythology. The series also features the Second Hand Rose thrift shop, which appears in It: Chapter Two as the place where Bill Denbrough buys his bicycle.
Episode 4 of It: Welcome to Derry, titled “The Great Swirling Apparatus of Our Planet’s Function,” will be released on November 16, 2025, on HBO.
Also Read: Brand New Poster for A Thousand Blows Season 2 Revealed Ahead of January Premiere
Also Read: Taylor Swift ‘The End of an Era’ Docuseries Trailer Shows Romance With Travis Kelce and Tour Secrets
