"After finally finding some much-needed forward momentum, the show backslides with "In the Name of the Father," an hour that's almost entirely about inaction. Aside from one big reveal (undermined by the fact that we figured it out last week), we spend an awful lot of time with characters refusing to do the things they'll inevitably end up doing. You could argue that this is the series putting the pieces in place for the final two episodes,"
"When Leroy dresses down his son for disobeying him and getting Pauly killed - I think Leroy is maybe a bit more culpable there - Will says he won't stop fighting back against the creature with his friends. "You always told me that a man should never hide from trouble, that what makes life count are the friends you make and the risks you take," he tells his dad."
The episode sacrifices momentum for long stretches of inaction, focusing on characters hesitating instead of taking decisive steps. One significant reveal appears, but prior clues make it feel inevitable rather than surprising. Will Hanlon insists on fighting despite family conflict, exposing tension and a darker side of Leroy. At the Standpipe the town grows chaotic with wanted posters and armed vigilantes, while Lilly identifies the dagger as Pennywise's weakness and proposes returning to the sewers. Ronnie rejects her plan and lashes out. The pacing makes the hour feel like filler and highlights problems with extending the story over eight episodes.
Read at Vulture
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