IT: Welcome to Derry – Episode 5: 29 Neibolt Street - Review (Spoilers)

The kids are back this week - with a twist. Matty, played by Miles Ekhardt, who was traumatised and supposedly killed by Pennywise in Episode One, returns. Meanwhile our favourite Cold War crew (Mason, Woods, sorry wait, Hanlon (Jovan Adepo) and Hallorann (Chris Chalk)) are fully brought up to speed on the details of their mission. The plot is knee-deep and finally set up.

Matty (Ekhardt) explains to the ensemble what happened to their friends in horrific detail, creating a lingering, uneasy "all is not what it seems" aura around him. The kids, horrified but relieved their friend appears alive, piece together that IT lives in the sewers beneath the town, just as Matty describes.

And in true old-school American fashion, the government's first instinct is naturally to weaponise the monster - a creature that indiscriminately destroys anything in its path, including children. Lily (Stack) forces Matty (Ekhardt) to take them down into the sewers to face the evil plaguing them. Rich (Arian Cartaya) remains as funny as ever, firing off classic one-liners that break the tension perfectly.

The Cold War squad are also sent into the sewers, armed to the teeth and ready to serve their country. Hallorann (Chalk) is tormented by Pennywise almost immediately, a smart move by Mr. Wise to split the group. We then jump to a quick scene of several soldiers being slain by Pennywise dressed as Uncle Sam, which adds a hilariously ironic edge to the mission. Even the alien killer clown god knows these soldiers are just pawns for the government.

The kids enter the sewers after popping some of Lily's mum's medication, high as kites as they search for their missing friends and whatever entity is tormenting them - what could possibly go wrong? They find the lair, and their dead friends, rotting and in horrific shape. Matty (Ekhardt) starts acting strangely, and then comes the grand reveal…

Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise is back, and still as nightmarish as we remember. He chases the children through the tunnels, of course singling out Lily (Stack) for extra torment. He finally confronts her, taunting, mocking, doing his signature run, and just as he goes in for the kill, he looks down at the floor in utter disgust and backs away. This moment actually works brilliantly: the build-up is tense and terrifying, no cheap jump scare, and the humour lands without shattering the fear. It's unsettling and funny, keeping the stakes high.

Everyone leaves the sewers traumatised, confused, and questioning every life choice that led them there. The plot threads converging Tarantino-style is satisfying, with each storyline having been built up and fleshed out well. My concerns from last week about over-complication still stand, but it does feel like these issues are being addressed as the season enters its second half.

Skarsgård delivers an incredible reveal, recapturing the terror of IT (2017) with expert precision. The combined horror of the hallucinations and Pennywise himself elevates the show's already sublime horror elements to another level.

Episode 1 review

Episode 2 review

Episode 3 review

Episode 4 review

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Blake Reilly