What the Introduction of That Legendary Stephen King Character Means for IT: Welcome to Derry

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After the tragic shooting at the Capitol Theatre during the premiere of IT: Welcome to Derry, the second episode of the HBO prequel series gave viewers a better idea of the show’s overall direction for the first season.

I just finished watching the second episode of ‘The Thing in the Dark,’ and wow, it was intense! It dropped on HBO Max a couple days early for Halloween, which was a nice treat. We see the kids in Derry back in the early 60s still getting terrorized by some seriously scary versions of It. But this time, the story also follows Major Leroy Hanlon, a new guy in town and a Korean War vet – he’s actually Mike Hanlon’s future grandfather! He gets pulled into this top-secret military operation called ‘Precept.’ Apparently, there’s some kind of weapon buried in Derry that can create overwhelming fear, and the military thinks they can use it to win the Cold War. They brought Leroy in because they believe he’s fearless, which is pretty cool. But honestly, watching it, I have a feeling this mission isn’t going to go smoothly at all.

Within the first hour of “Operation Precept,” investigators discovered a car filled with skeletons at a muddy excavation site, leading soldier Dick Hallorann (Chris Chalk) to believe they were getting close to what they were searching for. While the premiere offered quick shots of Dick, Episode 2 delved deeper into his character, showing him enjoying a night out at Derry’s Falcon Tavern with fellow airmen. The next morning, still recovering from a hangover, Dick continued to insist to an increasingly frustrated colonel that they were on the verge of a breakthrough, claiming he could feel it. For viewers unfamiliar with Stephen King’s work, this sequence might seem mildly interesting. However, for dedicated Stephen King fans, Dick’s appearance is likely to be one of the most captivating aspects of Welcome to Derry so far.

Dick Hallorann, best known as the chef from The Shining and appearing again in Doctor Sleep, shares a psychic ability called “the shine” with Danny Torrance. This allows both of them to see ghosts, read minds, and foresee the future. In Stephen King’s 1986 novel IT, a younger Dick is briefly mentioned as a cook stationed in Derry around the same time as Mike Hanlon’s father. However, the new series Welcome to Derry follows the timeline of the IT movies, not the book. Therefore, in the show, Dick’s time in Derry happens about 30 years later than in the original story and overlaps with a different character, Leroy, instead of Will Hanlon.

Considering director Andy Muschietti has stated the first season will focus on the devastating fire at Derry’s Black Spot nightclub – a tragic event where a safe haven for Black servicemen was burned by a white supremacist group while It was awakening – the show appears to be following a similar path to the novel for the character of Dick Halverson. In the book, Dick is one of the few adults in Derry who can perceive It’s various forms and uses his special ability to save people trapped in the Black Spot fire, including Will Hanlon. While it’s likely Leroy Hanlon will be the one Dick rescues this time, his courageous actions will likely still initiate the events that eventually lead to the Losers Club defeating It decades later.

According to actor Joseph Chalk, his character, Dick, will face his biggest fears throughout the eight-episode season. He told ScreenRant that Dick is most afraid of being trapped – either mentally or physically – and the show will explore both scenarios. He’ll be stuck inside his own mind and in a place where he doesn’t fit in, and the season will focus on his struggle to overcome these challenges.

Seems pretty par for the course in Derry.

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2025-10-31 19:06