Tie-ins to a shared universe, when done wrong, can feel tedious. It: Welcome to Derry might be the exception to that rule. The prequel keeps finding clever ways to reference the Stephen King universe — and even improve on it — with its focus on characters like Dick Hallorann (Chris Chalk).
Hallorann is best known as a minor character in The Shining and its sequel, Doctor Sleep. He serves as a mentor to Danny Torrance, teaching him to hone his clairvoyant gifts (which he refers to as “the shine”). He’s also mentioned here and there in It, but Welcome to Derry beefs up his presence in the titular town. Hallorann is a major player in the ‘60s-set series: Here, he’s a high-ranking Airman in the U.S. Army who uses his abilities to search for a powerful weapon. Unbeknownst to him or any of his superiors, said weapon is “It,” a shapeshifting, reality-warping entity that’s roamed the Earth for millennia and typically takes the form of Pennywise the Clown (Bill Skarsgård).
