"He lures the clown into the forest, and the real Bob Gray is never seen again. All Ingrid is left with is her father's bloody handkerchief. There's no real benefit to showing more of the human Pennywise, which, if anything, undermines the horror of the shape-shifter's most infamous form. Who Bob Gray was doesn't actually matter - he's simply an appearance that the creature took on, and Welcome to Derry's insistence on overexplaining this drags the episode down."
"Thankfully, after the opening diversion into the past, we pick up right where we left off. Hank tries to surrender to the mob to stave off bloodshed, but the service members draw their own weapons and order the intruders to leave. It's a Pyrrhic victory: As soon as the mob steps outside, they all barricade the doors and throw Molotov cocktails through the windows, setting the Black Spot ablaze with dozens of patrons trapped inside."
The episode delivers stronger moments amid continued storytelling unevenness. An extended cold open shows Bob Gray performing as Pennywise and Ingrid adopting the clown name Periwinkle, then a glowing-eyed boy lures Bob into the forest and Bob disappears, leaving only a bloody handkerchief. Revealing Bob Gray's human identity undercuts the shape-shifter's mystery and feels unnecessary. After the origin detour, the narrative returns to Hank, who attempts to surrender to an angry mob. Service members escalate, barricading doors and hurling Molotov cocktails, igniting the Black Spot and trapping dozens of patrons inside.
Read at Vulture
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