Even just three episodes in, IT: Welcome to Derry is a fascinating expansion not only of the two IT movies it serves as a prequel to, but of Stephen King‘s wider universe. The show, which takes place 27 years before the events of IT (2017), is largely focused on exploring more of Pennywise’s history in Derry and the people he tormented before the Losers Club, and there have already been teases of It’s origins and why he never left the town. But beyond that are some bigger connections, such as references to Shawshank Prison and, of course, the presence of Dick Hallorann.
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While best known for his role in The Shining (and later its sequel, Doctor Sleep), Dick does appear in the novel IT, but Welcome to Derry expands his role. This positions him and his shining ability as the key to uncovering – and utilizing – the powers of Pennywise, which also means seeing more of the character than we have before. And with that comes one of the most important people in his life: his grandmother, Rose, with whom he shared his ability. She’s mentioned in both The Shining book and movie, as well as Doctor Sleep, but never made it onto the screen in either Stanley Kubrick’s or Mike Flanagan’s movies, but does appear in IT: Welcome to Derry Season 1, Episode 3.
Dick Hallorann’s Grandmother In IT: Welcome to Derry Explained & Why It’s Important
Dick’s previous on-screen appearances have always made it clear there was a strong connection between him and Rose. In The Shining, he explained to Danny how they could hold conversations without ever opening their mouths. In Doctor Sleep, he references how she taught him what his abilities were and how to use them. This continues in Welcome to Derry, as he discusses his powers with Mike Hanlon, saying: “My grandma said it’s like seeing things without seeing things.”
More important than that, though, is her own physical appearance, which comes when Dick is in a helicopter, using his psychic powers to try and find out more about It. They take him deep inside its lair, where he sees the entity’s glowing eyes, and a vision of his grandmother then appears to him and tells him to get out of there. Although she’s dead at this point in the story, the shining ability allows people to communicate with spirits, and since they had a particularly strong bond previously, it makes sense she’d be able to communicate with him. Another possibility is that she’s among the victims caught by the Deadlights, since that’s where she’s floating around, but Welcome to Derry doesn’t make this fully clear (though I lean towards the former idea as it better fits with Dick’s character).
The vision of Rose is an important step in showing us more of Dick’s own abilities and how they begin to interact with Pennywise. But it’s also good for simply fleshing out the character, and expanding upon what we know of him before The Shining, giving us a greater understanding of one of Stephen King’s most interesting recurring characters.
New episodes of IT: Welcome to Derry release on Sundays at 9pm ET on HBO and HBO Max.
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