Why Welcome to Derry’s New Losers Deserve More Than One Season

With just one episode left in the first season of It: Welcome to Derry, it’s hard not to feel a sense of loss for the show’s new group of Losers. Not because their fate is sealed—though facing a supernatural, clown-faced terror isn’t exactly a walk in the park—but because, if the series gets renewed, these characters likely won’t return. Even before the premiere, director Andy Muschietti revealed that future seasons would jump back in time, with season 2 set in 1935 and season 3 in 1908. Drawing inspiration from Stephen King’s original interludes, each season would focus on a different tragedy from Derry’s dark history: the Black Spot fire of 1962, the Bradley Gang Massacre, and the Kitchener Ironworks explosion.

Falling for the New Losers

At first, the idea of exploring Derry’s past sounded exciting. But that was before meeting Will Hanlon, Lilly Bainbridge, Ronnie Grogan, Marge Truman, and Rich Santos. The original novel is often teased for its length, but its charm lies in the time spent with Bill, Beverly, Ben, Richie, Stan, and Mike. They’re not just running from monsters—they’re building dams, riding bikes, and sharing moments that make you care about them. That’s what’s missing with the new Losers: the chance to really get to know them over time, even though TV’s long-form format could have allowed it.

Over the past seven weeks, these young characters have become easy to root for. Watching them talk about stardust, stumble through awkward crushes, and decide whether to be a lifeboat or an anchor for others, it’s impossible not to get attached. Lilly and Ronnie, in particular, have faced unimaginable trauma after witnessing It’s attack at the Capitol cinema. Lilly ends up back at Juniper Hill Asylum, while Ronnie’s father is blamed for the tragedy. Marge nearly lost her sight, and Rich gave his life to save her during the Black Spot fire. Their struggles make them feel real, and it’s clear the show was designed to make viewers care deeply, knowing our time with them would be short.

Short-Lived Bonds and High Stakes

Unlike the movies, Welcome to Derry features a large cast, so the writers had to make every scene count. Co-showrunners Jason Fuchs and Brad Caleb Kane, who wrote most of the episodes, deserve credit for crafting dialogue that quickly brings these kids to life and builds their relationships.

There’s a silver lining to the show’s anthology approach, though. As a fan of horror series that aren’t afraid to kill off main characters, there’s something thrilling about not knowing who will survive. Maybe knowing these characters won’t return will push the creators to take bigger risks in the finale. We’ve already seen Rich die—not at Pennywise ’s hands, but at the hands of Chief Bowers and his gang—so anything could happen in the last episode. In the original story, the Losers survive their first battle with It, but the show could easily flip the script and raise the stakes even higher.

Looking Ahead to Derry’s Past

Some characters might reappear in future seasons, which softens the blow a bit. Rose, played by Kimberly Norris-Guerrero, seems likely to return since she’s lived near Derry since childhood, and her tribe has faced It for centuries. If a third season happens, General Shaw will show up, as teased in the 1908 prologue. But with the next chapters set decades before the current Losers were even born, it’s unlikely we’ll see Lilly, Will, Ronnie, or Marge again—unless the creators have some wild time-travel twist in mind. For now, there’s just one more hour to spend with these unforgettable kids, and it’s hard not to wish for more time.

It: Welcome to Derry is currently streaming, with new episodes airing weekly. For those looking for more, there’s a whole slate of new TV shows and Stephen King adaptations to dive into this year.