IT: Welcome to Derry Reveals Periwinkle’s Mrs. Kersh Twist

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In Episode 6 of “Welcome to Derry,” we finally learn the true identity of Ingrid Kersh, a revelation that could drastically alter our understanding of both Periwinkle and Pennywise. A key mystery throughout the HBO Max prequel series is who Periwinkle really is. Episode 3 offered a brief look at the young clown in a flashback featuring a young Francis Shaw, who may be in danger as the 1962 events of “Welcome to Derry” unfold.

There’s a theory that the new young clown character might actually be Pennywise’s daughter, Periwinkle, disguised as Ingrid Kersh. Ingrid is the housekeeper at Juniper Hill Asylum and has been secretly helping Lilly Bainbridge (Clara Stack) understand the mysteries of Derry, Maine.

Mrs. Kersh’s Pennywise Connection Confirmed In Welcome to Derry

In the latest episode of ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’, a significant reveal connects Ingrid Kersh to Pennywise. It’s confirmed that she’s the daughter of Bob Gray, who was previously Pennywise’s human guise and fell under the control of the ancient evil back in 1908.

After narrowly escaping Pennywise in episode 5, Lilly Bainbridge was searching through Mrs. Kersh’s belongings in episode 6 when she found old photos of herself with her father, who was a clown, dating back to 1908. These photos helped her understand the connection between herself, the Kersh family, and Pennywise.

Interestingly, Kersh had a secret life as a carnival performer called Periwinkle, working with her father. But she was convinced that a powerful, ancient evil was responsible for his disappearance in 1908.

Ingrid Kersh: “I know you don’t understand, but you brought him back. It’s my old costume.”

Lilly Bainbridge: “You followed us?”

Ingrid Kersh said she had a feeling he might show up at the cemetery that night. She was concerned because the children were riding their bikes around, and she didn’t want to miss seeing him if he appeared to them instead of her.

Lilly Bainbridge: “So that was you? But why?”

My dad was a clown in the carnival – he went by the name Pennywise the Dancing Clown. I loved him very much, but he’s gone now. The carnival left town, but I stayed in Derry. I always felt like something kept me here.

I was absolutely shocked to learn the truth about what happened in 1962! It all clicked when I realized it wasn’t Pennywise the kids photographed, but Ingrid herself, disguised as Periwinkle. It’s heartbreaking to see just how far her determination to bring her father back went – following Lilly and her friends in the cemetery was a truly disturbing act, and now we know she was the one behind it all.

The episode showed that Periwinkle was the one who stalked Will Hanlon – a relative of the characters from the IT movies – when she spied on him through his telescope in Episode 4. This act is unsettling coming from Kersh, and a significant breach of trust for Lilly, who had confided in Periwinkle.

Her continued connection to Derry, even after the frightening events of 1908 and 1935, explained why she still remembered everything Pennywise did there. This realization confirmed that she was the same Mrs. Kersh that Pennywise impersonated in IT: Chapter Two when he terrorized Beverly Marsh in 2016.

Why Mrs. Kersh Becomes Periwinkle, Explained In Welcome to Derry Episode 6

The sixth episode of “IT: Welcome to Derry” explained why Ingrid Kersh resumed her role as Periwinkle in 1962. She was driven by a desperate hope to resurrect her father, fueled by the conviction that Bob Gray’s spirit remained trapped inside the entity that haunted Derry.

A flashback revealed Ingrid Kersh’s initial encounter with Pennywise, showing his cruel enjoyment of tormenting and killing children. Kersh realized these children were the key to drawing out her “father,” which is why she obsessively followed them – even resorting to frightening them herself.

As a viewer, I’m left wondering if Kersh realizes Pennywise doesn’t just kill kids randomly – that fear itself is the real lure. The way the flashback ends, with Pennywise – disguised as Bob Gray – letting Kersh speak to him, strongly suggests she might be figuring out how her father operates, and the crucial role fear plays in his attacks. It’s a subtle clue, but a powerful one, hinting at a deeper understanding developing within her.

Additionally, something Ingrid said strongly suggested she thinks her father and Pennywise are the same being. She pointed out that her description of him acknowledged he seemed different, maybe altered by his experiences or travels:

It was definitely him. He seemed different, maybe altered by his experiences, but I knew it was him immediately. As a daughter, I just knew. And for the first time since that terrible day, I felt complete again. But whenever he came back, a darkness would take my father from me.

Ingrid admitted that the only way she can feel close to him again is by dressing up as Periwinkle, hoping it will bring back memories of their relationship.

I was determined to rescue him, and I did whatever it took to get back to his side. If I could just see him one last time, as the person he knew and loved – his Periwinkle – I believed it would remind him of our connection and help him escape.

Ingrid trying to stop her father from being involved with Pennywise might be the beginning of her own troubles. She doesn’t realize that the clown is just one of the many terrifying forms this ancient evil uses to haunt the people of Derry, Maine.

This discovery also makes her relationship with Hank Grogan even more puzzling – especially since he was mysteriously released in Welcome to Derry Episode 5. It’s possible she started the affair with Hank to get closer to Ronnie and use her to draw Pennywise out into the open.

Is Mrs. Ingrid Kersh Bad in Welcome to Derry?

The latest episode of IT: Welcome to Derry revealed a disturbing truth: Ingrid is a villain. This became clear during her conversation with Lilly, where she admitted she wouldn’t hesitate to harm her friends if it meant defeating Pennywise and resurrecting her father.

Ingrid said she didn’t want to upset Lilly, especially considering everything Lilly had been through after her father’s death. However, Ingrid’s friends – Marge, Rich, Ronnie, and Will – were worried, as she was fixated on finding a way to reconnect with her own father.

Lilly Bainbridge: “Please don’t hurt me.”

Ingrid Kersh: “Hurt you? I would never let anything hurt you.”

Lilly Bainbridge: “And my friends?”

Lilly, it just doesn’t seem like she gets it. Ingrid was saying, if I had the chance to see my dad again, to just be held by him like when I was little, wouldn’t I do absolutely anything to make that happen? It felt like Ingrid was really trying to help Lilly understand what she was feeling.

Lilly Bainbridge: “My father is dead.”

Ingrid Kersh: “You know what they say about Derry, dear. No one who dies here ever really dies.”

You know, I’ve been thinking about the history of Pennywise and Periwinkle, and it hits me that maybe they struck a deal after Ingrid witnessed Mabel’s awful death back in 1935. It’s possible Pennywise – disguised as Bob Gray, of course – offered Ingrid a twisted bargain: he’d let her father’s soul go free if she delivered a certain number of kids to IT. It’s a dark thought, but it explains a lot about why Ingrid seemed to… cooperate, even when she clearly didn’t want to.

As a film buff, I’ve been thinking about this deal Ingrid made, and it seems like either it could have fallen through, or she didn’t deliver enough kids back in 1935. That might explain why she’s so determined to get these children to Pennywise in the 1962 timeframe. It’s chilling to realize that by pretending to be Periwinkle, she’s actively messing with their heads, making their trauma even worse – and essentially setting them up as easy targets for that ancient evil.

Ingrid is a major unpredictable element in IT: Welcome to Derry due to her close connection with Pennywise. This also suggests she’ll return in future seasons, as the show’s creator, Andy Muschietti, intends to explore the events of 1935 and 1908 in later installments.

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2025-12-01 06:38