Who Really Makes It Out Alive in IT: Welcome to Derry Season 1?

I just finished bingeing the last couple episodes of IT: Welcome to Derry last night, and I’m still kind of reeling from that finale. “Winter Fire” was brutal – the fog, the ice, all those kids under the deadlights… it felt like the whole town was holding its breath. The show did a solid job keeping you guessing on who’d bite it, especially after that Black Spot fire tore through everything in episode 7. So if you’re wondering how the dust settles for the main crew in 1962, here’s the straight scoop – massive spoilers, obviously.

First off, the ones we lose, and man, some of these hurt.

Richie Santos – everyone calls him Rich – goes out like an absolute legend, but it wrecks you. It happens right before the finale, trapped in the Black Spot with Marge. Smoke everywhere, no way out, and he spots this old trunk that might buy someone time. He tricks Marge into climbing in, locks it, then stretches out on top to block more smoke. By the time help gets there, he’s gone. Straight-up sacrifices himself for the girl he likes. But the show gives him one last moment in the finale – his spirit shows up (Dick Hallorann spots him because of the shine), and he helps the kids push that stubborn shard into the tree. Marge feels it, even if she can’t see him. The funeral scene got me dusty-eyed, no lie.

Taniel, Rose’s nephew, doesn’t make it either. He’s out on the frozen lake doing his guardian thing when Shaw’s goons start shooting to keep Pennywise free. Bullet right to the neck – quick, senseless, and the military just buries the whole incident. Rose is crushed; you can tell she’s done with Derry after that, ready to pack up and find somewhere to breathe again.

General Shaw thinks he’s the big mastermind the whole season, right? Comes back to town obsessed with controlling the entity after some childhood trauma he barely remembers. On the ice, he struts up like they’re buddies, promising no harm. Pennywise just looks at him, sees the scared kid from way back, and… yeah, chomp. Eats him on the spot. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.

Plenty of side characters and random townsfolk get it too – those early theater kids, folks in the fire, soldiers, you name it. Derry’s body count is always high.

Now the survivors – most of the core group pulls through, but nobody’s coming out clean.

Will Hanlon gets deadlighted hard, along with a bunch of high school kids Pennywise rounds up. His friends – Lilly, Ronnie, Marge – grab the shard dagger and chase him down to the lake. Will’s dad Leroy pulls in Dick and Rose for backup. Dick uses his shine to lock Pennywise in a mental cage long enough to snap the spell. Will shakes it off and helps finish the ritual. The whole Hanlon family sticks around afterward, taking over as pillar guardians. Leroy gets a quiet kick from the military to stay silent, but they’re committed to watching the town.

Lilly and Marge both make it, though Pennywise messes with Marge’s head big time. Drags her aside and drops that she’ll grow up, marry a Tozier, and have a son named Richie who’s part of the group that finally ends him years later. Because the clown sees time all jumbled, Marge panics he’ll start targeting family lines early. Lilly just holds her together – says that’s a problem for the next bunch of kids.

Ronnie survives the fight, but her life’s flipped upside down. Her dad Hank gets blamed for some of the killings (he was actually with his secret girlfriend that night – complicated story). Rather than rot in jail or face worse from the town, he breaks out and they skip the country together, with a little help from Charlotte. It’s tough for Ronnie leaving her friends and that little thing with Will, but she finally gets out from under Derry’s shadow with her dad.

Dick Hallorann hangs on through all the psychic overload – Rose’s special tea helps him get a grip. He does the heavy lifting mentally against the clown, then heads out for a fresh start cooking at some hotel in London. King fans know where that’s headed.

Rose loses Taniel, sells everything to the Hanlons, and figures it’s time to move on and heal somewhere else.

And Pennywise? Back in the cage, sleeping it off for the next round in 27 years.

The ending feels earned – scary as hell, but those kids banding together (and Rich from beyond) is what saves the day. The future teases about the Losers’ Club era land without feeling forced. If you’ve seen it, which loss hit you hardest? Rich got me, hands down. Season nailed that mix of terror and heart.