Surprise Beverly Cameo in Welcome to Derry Changes It: Chapter Two
A last-minute addition to the season finale creates a deeper connection between the prequel series and the horror films, transforming our understanding of a terrifying scene from the sequel.
The shocking appearance of Beverly Marsh in the final episode of It: Welcome to Derry wasn't part of the original plan, according to co-showrunner Jason Fuchs. This unexpected moment now adds layers of meaning to one of the most disturbing sequences in It: Chapter Two.
"That was a very, very last-minute decision," Fuchs, who penned the eighth episode, revealed. "That scene came about in reshoots. Reshoots are a normal part of any big show or any film, but we were at the tail end of everything. And that scene had been talked about a few times, just generally, like how do we have one more piece of architecture linking us to the films? We certainly had the Rich Tozier missing kids poster that popped up, but what was one other piece of the puzzle that could sort of build a bridge to the films and make it feel like this really takes you in many ways to the doorstep of It: Chapter One?"
The Heartbreaking Hospital Scene
Sophia Lillis returns as young Beverly Marsh in a devastating moment at Juniper Hill hospital. She's discovered sobbing on the floor, staring up at her mother who has taken her own life. The scene jumps forward 27 years to show elderly Ingrid Kersh, who despite being responsible for the deaths of more than 20 Black Derry residents, appears as a harmless old woman.
This facade quickly crumbles when Ingrid hears noise from down the corridor and decides to investigate. She discovers Beverly crying beside her abusive father, who pulls away from the traumatized girl. When Beverly looks up through her tears, Ingrid delivers a chilling line: "No one ever really dies in Derry."
Connecting the Dots to Mrs. Kersh
Fans of It: Chapter Two will remember the terrifying encounter between adult Beverly and "Mrs. Kersh," an elderly woman who was actually Pennywise in disguise. That horrific scene forced Beverly to confront her deepest fears about her father's abuse.
Fuchs explained how this revelation transforms that moment: "It also changes the context of that scene in It: Chapter Two, because now you're understanding, 'Oh, wait, the reason that It takes that guise in Chapter Two is not just about tormenting Beverly as it relates to her traumatic relationship with her dad.' It's actually scratching a very deeply repressed piece of trauma in the back of her brain, which is Mrs. Kersh, the person she met the day she suffered the most traumatic event of her young life to that point, which was the suicide, obviously, of her mom."