The horror series “It: Welcome to Derry” abounds with chilling moments, yet it’s Pennywise’s (played by Bill Skarsgård) terrifying transformation in the second episode, “The Thing in the Dark,” that stands out for its shock factor. The episode evokes a blend of horror and sympathy, particularly towards Lilly Bainbridge (portrayed by Clara Stack) as she once again falls victim to this sinister force.

In the series opener, Lilly shares a haunting memory of her father, who worked at a factory. After a visit to his workplace, she misplaces her mood ring, prompting her father to retrieve it. However, when a co-worker’s machine malfunctions, her father steps in to help. Tragically, he becomes entangled in the machinery due to a malfunction, leading to an implied gruesome demise, though Lilly leaves the details unsaid.

At school, Lilly faces cruel bullying as classmates taunt her by filling her locker with pickle jars, a cruel allusion to her father’s fate. This vulnerability becomes a weapon for It in a terrifying encounter at the local grocery store. As Lilly navigates the aisles, she becomes ensnared in a surreal nightmare among the pickle jars. One jar, in particular, seems to speak, containing a piece of her father (voiced by Andrew Morgado). The scene escalates as the jars shatter, and her father’s remnants meld into a grotesque, octopus-like creature that lunges toward her face, pleading for a kiss. Overwhelmed, Lilly breaks free from this nightmarish vision only to find herself blamed for the chaos in the store.

Viewers of the initial episodes might find themselves wondering about the absence of the iconic clown. While Bill Skarsgård’s Pennywise does not make a direct appearance, the malevolent presence of It is unmistakable. Manifesting through fear-induced hallucinations, It takes various forms, proving it can be much more than just a sinister clown with a penchant for balloons.

Anyone who has watched the first two episodes of “It: Welcome to Derry” might be asking the big question: Where is that horrid clown? Bill Skarsgård’s Pennywise doesn’t physically feature, but the presence of the evil entity remains felt throughout. All the fear-induced hallucinations are a result of It, who can take many forms and isn’t relegated to only playing Bozo the Clown’s creepy, balloon-loving cousin.

“It is a shapeshifting creature, and in the movies there’s only so much space to see those non-Pennywise manifestations,” series co-creator Jason Fuchs told Entertainment Weekly. In other words, hang on tight to see Pennywise in later episodes.

Fuchs is right, though. “It: Welcome to Derry” is supposed to be about the origins and dark history of Pennywise, aka It, so the show should be more about what It can do. It offers the chance for viewers to experience more of these ghastly transformations, such as the weird bat baby or the remains of Lilly’s father. These manifestations add another level of fear to It beyond the creature becoming the worst nightmare of anyone who has coulrophobia (yup, that’s the phobia of clowns). So, while Skarsgård’s Pennywise is It’s most popular form, the clown is far from the scariest manifestation in this era of Derry.