It: Welcome to Derry’s Episode 8 Cameo Changes Everything for Chapter Two

Fans of the It universe got an unexpected treat in the eighth episode of It: Welcome to Derry, thanks to a surprise appearance that wasn’t part of the original plan. According to co-showrunner Jason Fuchs, who also penned the episode, this cameo was a spontaneous addition during reshoots. Fuchs explained,

“That was a very, very last-minute decision. 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 was a scene that 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?”

Connecting the Dots: Beverly Marsh’s Heartbreaking Scene

The cameo centers on Sophia Lillis reprising her role as Beverly Marsh. In a gut-wrenching moment, Beverly is seen sobbing on the floor of a hospital room at Juniper Hill, gazing up at her mother, who has just taken her own life. The season finale then jumps ahead 27 years, introducing viewers to an elderly Ingrid Kersh. Despite her dark past—being responsible for the deaths of over 20 Black residents in Derry—Ingrid initially appears as a gentle, quiet woman. But the mood quickly shifts when she hears a disturbance and goes to investigate. She finds Beverly on the floor beside her abusive father, who recoils from her. Beverly, in tears, looks up at Ingrid, who eerily tells her, “No one ever really dies in Derry.”

Reframing Mrs. Kersh in It: Chapter Two

Longtime fans will remember that in It: Chapter Two, Pennywise takes the form of an elderly woman known as Mrs. Kersh to torment an adult Beverly. That scene is infamous for forcing Beverly to confront the guilt and pain from her father’s abuse—her deepest fear. With this new context from Welcome to Derry, Mrs. Kersh is no longer just a random disguise for Pennywise.

Fuchs elaborated,

“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.”

Bridging the Series and the Films

With all episodes of It: Welcome to Derry now available to stream, this last-minute cameo not only ties the series more closely to the films but also adds a new layer of meaning to Beverly’s journey. The show’s creators have managed to weave in subtle details—like the Rich Tozier missing kids poster and the haunting presence of Mrs. Kersh—that make the transition from the series to the movies feel seamless. For those eager for more, there’s plenty to look forward to with new TV shows on the horizon in 2026.