IT: Welcome to Derry has several fascinating connections to Stephen King’s IT, the movies, and the author’s broader works as well. As a prequel, Welcome to Derry‘s timeline has enough distance from the IT movies that it can largely stand on its own, but at the same time clearly has a meaningful impact. We’re learning more about the town of Derry, Maine, and getting answers to mysteries like how and when It first became Pennywise, and why it so often takes that form.
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Similarly, there are also clear familial connections. The biggest, of course, is the presence of Will Hanlon, who’ll grow up to become the father of Losers Club member Mike. There’s also a relative of Stan Uris, and we’ve seen the name of Beverly Marsh’s father, Alvin, written on a tpoilet cubicle in the school. But could there have been another family connection hiding in plain sight all the way through? One popular theory says yes, and it’s a lot more believable now. Warning: Contains SPOILERS for IT: Welcome to Derry Season 1, Episode 7.”
Is Marge The Mother Of IT’s Richie Tozier?
There have been some clues throughout IT: Welcome to Derry that Marge Truman is actually the mother of Richie Tozier (played by Finn Wolfhard and Bill Hader in the IT movies). They wear similar glasses, and share some similar personality traits: Marge is funny, and loves to tell jokes and do impersonations that make others laugh, even if she’ll sometimes push it too far, and that’s all very reminiscent of Richie, whose nickname is “Trashmouth.”
The biggest clue, prior to Episode 7, was that Marge’s full name was Margaret. In King’s book, Richie’s mother is called Maggie, itself short for Margaret (she also very briefly appears in IT: Chapter Two, next to Richie at Stan’s bat mitzvah). All of this, of course, could’ve just been coincidence, but the heartbreaking events at The Black Spot make it so much more likely to be true. There, Marge’s life is saved by Rich Santos, who valiantly protects her – because he’s a knight – by allowing her to climb into a cooler for safety, even though it ultimately means sacrificing his own life.
Given their final moments together sees them professing their love for one another, and how devastating a sequence it is, then it’s the kind of thing that will no doubt stay with Marge forever. Her and Rich may not get to grow up together, but she isn’t going to forget about him. It’d be a very fitting tribute if she were to name her son after him, which would add a whole new dimension to Richie in the IT movies, knowing not only how similar he is to his mother, but the tragedy behind his name.
This would fit well with the themes of IT and Welcome to Derry, which are both about the cycles of trauma and violence shared through the Losers, Derry’s families, and the wider community, as we’re also seeing with the Hanlons, and is represented with Mrs. Kersh as well. That gives it more depth than just being an Easter egg, and with Maggie Tozier being a minor character, it’s very easy to work into canon, adding another sad layer to the series.
IT: Welcome to Derry‘s Season 1 finale will release on Sunday, December 14th, at 9pm ET on HBO and HBO Max.
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