Masked men stormed the Black Spot in search of Hank. Lives were put at risk, and as fear rose, Pennywise found its next victim in IT: Welcome to Derry episode 7.
IT: Welcome to Derry episode 7 aired on December 7, 2025 via HBO and HBO Max. Episode 7, titled The Black Spot, shows how the military and a group of masked men arrived at the Black Spot looking for Hank. Even though Hank revealed himself, the men still burned the place down. This cost many lives, including Rich’s—one of Will’s friends. Dick, guided by the voices, managed to find one of the pillars.
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Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers about the series. Read at your own risk.
Vanishing Clown and a Night of Fire in IT: Welcome to Derry Episode 7
IT: Welcome to Derry episode 7 begins in 1908 with Bob Gray—better known as Pennywise the Dancing Clown—working the circus crowd. Kids cheer as he performs and closes with his trademark dance. But when they rush the stage, Bob has no choice but to run backstage.
There, a young Ingrid proudly shows off her Periwinkle costume, her mother’s old stage persona. She freezes for a moment when her father calls her “Periwinkle” for the first time.
Later that night, a strange child cloaked in darkness approaches Bob and comments that kids seem to love him. The boy then asks for help finding his parents, leading Bob away from the lights and into the forest.
He never comes back. All the circus finds is a blood-soaked kerchief, and they assume wolves killed him. In the present day, the townsfolk storm the Black Spot and demand Hank surrender himself. Dick tries to shield him, but Hank steps forward anyway, leaving Ronnie devastated. Things get worse fast.
The mob locks the group inside the building and starts hurling Molotovs, determined to burn everyone alive. Dick’s visions blur with reality as he keeps seeing corpses among the living.
In the middle of the chaos, Pennywise shows up—mocking Dick and feeding on the panic. Despite the flames, most of the main characters escape or survive. But Rich doesn’t make it out. He shoves Marge into a trunk to shield her from the fire, sacrificing himself in the process.
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Ingrid Met the Real Pennywise
Outside the burning Black Spot, Ingrid—still dressed as Periwinkle—approaches Stanley after his car breaks down. But before she can do anything, Pennywise strikes first. Ingrid watches in horror.
The shock finally jolts her out of the spell she has been under, and she sees Pennywise for what it truly is. But the realization comes too late. Pennywise’s face splits open, and Ingrid is lifted into the air, trapped in a trance she can’t escape. She survives, but her mind doesn’t.
After the fire, rescuers pull Marge from the wreckage while Dick spirals. Leroy meets him outside and tries to talk him down, but Dick is surrounded by ghosts only he can see. As he rocks back and forth, he insists that Pennywise has gone dormant after the massacre.
With the creature asleep, he believes he can help track down one of the pillars. He doesn’t know its exact location, but he only needs to follow “her”—the spirit of a Native girl that only he can see.
Meanwhile, Derry moves quickly to control the narrative. Radio reports claim the Black Spot tragedy was caused by an electrical fire during an illegal speakeasy. They also list Hank among the dead, which conveniently takes the pressure off him. For now, that might be a blessing, especially since Leroy plans to keep Hank hidden with them.
The Truth Behind the Pillars
Charlotte suits Hank up in military gear while Leroy supervises the dig site alongside Dick. They quickly locate one of the pillars and carefully pry it from its turtle shell. The pillar is made of the same mysterious material as the magical dagger.
Instead of moving it to a safer spot in Derry, General Shaw orders the team to examine the pillar and gather data, hoping it will help locate the others faster. Leroy worries this leaves them exposed, with Pennywise free to roam the town.
From the treeline, Taniel spots the activity and rushes to warn his mother. Leroy arrives at the lab just as the pillar is about to be destroyed.
Shaw explains that his goal isn’t Russia—it’s to prevent a civil war. Operation Precept, he claims, uses fear to control the nation and stop chaos from spreading. Despite Leroy’s protests, Shaw continues with the experiment and burns the pillar entirely, leaving Derry wide open.
Even in the middle of its sleep cycle, Pennywise awakens and immediately targets Will, attacking him at his home in IT: Welcome to Derry episode 7.
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IT: Welcome to Derry Episode 7 Review
With one of the pillars destroyed, chaos has fully descended on Derry. General Shaw’s plan, driven by greed and a hunger for control, clearly backfires, leaving the town wide open to Pennywise. The attack from the past has clearly taken a toll on Shaw’s mind, and he’s far from sane.
The tension around the Black Spot reaches its peak this episode. The building burns to the ground, and Rich meets a tragic end. Of course, given how dangerous everything is in this show, it’s no surprise most characters are constantly on the edge of death.
The episode does overdo some exposition. Multiple characters repeat that Pennywise’s feeding cycle is over, which feels unnecessary and a bit repetitive.
There’s a lot of Pennywise this time, which makes sense with the season drawing to a close. The episode also dives deeper into Ingrid and her father’s history, giving more context to her past and her connection to the clown.
The episode works well. The later chapters of the season have been stronger than the early ones, and this episode keeps the tension high. Everything is left hanging on a knife-edge, setting the stage perfectly for the season finale next week.
Catch the next episode of IT: Welcome to Derry on December 14, 2025. New episodes come out every Sunday at 9 PM ET on HBO and HBO Max.
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