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It: Welcome to Derry season 2 will be set in 1935 and won’t ignore “horrible things that were happening in the era”
The planned second season of It: Welcome to Derry is expected to move the story back to 1935, continuing the prequel series’ exploration of Pennywise’s earlier cycles of violence in the fictional Maine town. The setting matters because the creators say the programme will address the period’s darker real-world history rather than treating it as mere background for supernatural horror.
The series is designed to move backwards through Derry’s past, with the first season set in 1962 and a potential third season reportedly intended for 1908. The 1935 instalment would take place during the Great Depression, and the production team has indicated that the era’s “horrible things” will inform its approach to the story.
In short
- Season two is planned to be set in 1935.
- Creators intend to confront the era’s darker history.
- The prequel series moves backwards through Derry’s past.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Including authentic historical context enriches the supernatural narrative whilst honouring the real experiences of people who lived through that era. Horror as a genre effectively explores genuine societal fears and injustices; integrating the documented horrors of 1935—racism, antisemitism, economic desperation—with Pennywise's cycles of violence creates thematic resonance rather than mere backdrop, demonstrating how systemic violence and supernatural violence are intertwined in Derry's history.
The case against
Using real historical traumas involving genuine human suffering—racism, antisemitism, economic devastation—as contextual atmosphere for supernatural entertainment risks trivialising profound historical injustices in service of genre horror. Such weighty historical atrocities deserve serious, dedicated examination rather than integration into a narrative where a fictional monster remains the central focus, risking that real suffering becomes merely atmospheric set-dressing for entertainment.
Explained simply
It: Welcome to Derry is a horror series set in the fictional town of Derry, Maine, and serves as a prequel to Stephen King’s It. The story centres on Pennywise, a shape-shifting creature that returns in cycles and preys on people in the town.
The series traces earlier periods in Derry’s history: its first season is set in 1962, and later seasons are planned to go further back. The reported 1935 setting falls during the Great Depression, when economic hardship affected many people in the United States. The creators have said the period’s real history will inform the story alongside its supernatural elements.