Welcome To Derry solves a fundamental problem that Stranger Things has struggled with for years
When the Season 4 finale of “Stranger Things” reached a point of no return, Hawkins was changed forever, ominously splitting the Indiana town in two as the Upside Down began to bleed into our reality. It also implied that the residents should finally shake off their unconsciousness and realize that Hawkins has fallen prey to something unnatural. But the first four episodes of season 5 go backwards. plot to establish a sense of normalcy, with the good people of Hawkins still none the wiser. From a logical standpoint, this doesn’t make sense: between the grisly deaths of children and an apocalyptic event that literally divides their home, the townspeople should be aware that something is wrong. Even if you suspend your disbelief, it’s hard to believe that no one has ever noticed a demogorgon or two chasing a group of children all over town.
We see Hawkins under military-ordered quarantine in Season 5, but that doesn’t raise any major red flags for most people, as life there seems to have returned to normal. Indeed, if we compare Hawkins’ situation with that of Derry in “It: Welcome to Derry”, the problem of the townspeople which torments the former seems even more uncertain. Derry, of course, is no paradise – I’d say it’s much worse than Hawkins, with the shape-shifting Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård) posing a constant threat, unlike the monsters of the Upside Down and their boss Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). Additionally, Derry’s children are mostly helpless, while Hawkins has the super-powered Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and her friends to protect him.
Derry is trapped in a cycle of violence and chaos that is in sync with Pennywise’s feeding cycle, but most of its residents are complacent as they are largely under the creature’s control. But Hawkins is not subject to such a fate, so what gives?
Hawkins still feels subscribed after five seasons of Stranger Things
“It: Welcome to Derry” doesn’t exist in a vacuum, as the stage has already been set by Andy Muschietti’s “It” films and Stephen King’s vivid source material. Despite this, the HBO series painted a compelling portrait of Derry in just six episodes (at the time of writing), portraying the townsfolk as extremely involved in the day-to-day affairs of the town despite being unaware of Pennywise. While children bear the brunt of the creature’s terror, adults are not spared either, as they are encouraged by Pennywise to engage in abject cruelty or cultish behavior. No one’s life is truly his own, but the veneer of normalcy is made possible by Pennywise’s supernatural powers. It can lure the most strong-willed people into concocted memories, unlock their darkest fears, and even pit lifelong friends against each other.
In Hawkins, the townspeople exist as a backdrop and lack the nuance one might expect from a small-town community. Hawkins is not a metropolis, so the apathy of its citizens makes no sense. The disappearance of just one child should have been enough to shake the entire town, not to mention the violent deaths of many people. Instead, the residents of Hawkins unfairly target a teenager, Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn), after he gives in to a satanic panic, rather than trying to prevent further deaths. And while this crowd behavior is believable, none of the show’s adult supporting characters feel like real people, which is a problem for a hit series that’s been running since 2016. Hopefully the final episodes of “Stranger Things” will fix that problem.
“It: Welcome to Derry” is streaming on HBO Max. “Stranger Things” season 5, volume 1 is now available on Netflix.
