It: Welcome to Derry Season 1 Episode 3 Overview
Episode 3 of It: Welcome to Derry, titled Now You See It, premiered on November 9, 2025, on HBO Max. This episode deepens the ties between Stephen King's multiverse by featuring major character crossovers and cosmic mythology.
Connections to Stephen King's Universe
The episode bridges the 1962 events of the prequel series with the 2017 and 2019 It films, enriching King's interconnected world. It follows the established 27-year cycle in which Pennywise awakens, feeds, and returns to dormancy, a concept highlighted by Radio Times.
Key Themes and Plot Developments
- The timeline is set exactly 27 years before the Losers Club's encounter with Pennywise in 1989, explaining how past trauma shaped Derry's supernatural environment.
- General Shaw's Operation Precept uncovers a military effort to weaponize Pennywise during the Cold War, revealing the government's earlier awareness of the creature.
- The episode contains at least nine confirmed references to Stephen King's works, enriching the narrative's complexity.
Release Schedule
The season continues HBO Max’s weekly release pattern, with all eight episodes set to conclude by December 14, 2025.
"The show operates on Stephen King’s established 27-year cycle, where Pennywise awakens, feeds, and returns to dormancy." – Radio Times
It: Welcome to Derry Episode 3 not only expands Stephen King's fictional universe but also reveals the government’s secret knowledge and attempts to control supernatural forces in Derry.
Author's summary: Episode 3 masterfully intertwines King’s multiverse with new plotlines, spotlighting Pennywise’s cyclical terror and Cold War conspiracies within Derry’s haunting history.