It: Welcome to Derry star is “not happy” with character’s ending

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Taylour Paige, who starred in the ‘IT’ movies, has publicly shared her disappointment with the way a key plot point was handled in the final episode. Paige played Charlotte Hanlon, the grandmother of one of the main characters, Mike Hanlon, in both ‘IT’ films released in 2017 and 2019.

The show largely focuses on a group of children attempting to survive Pennywise’s attacks in 1962. A particularly shocking event in Episode 7 involves a racist mob setting fire to the Black Spot, killing everyone inside, including women and children. The group suspects Hank Grogan (played by Stephen Rider) of being responsible for the deaths at the theater, and Charlotte was actively trying to help him leave town.

The final chapter of It, titled Welcome to Derry, showed that Pennywise isn’t limited to one point in time – he exists across different eras at once. The book suggests his recurring hunts aren’t just about terrorizing people, but a desperate attempt to prevent the Losers’ Club from ultimately defeating him.

After the children trap Pennywise within the town using a piece of a meteorite, things calm down, and Charlotte is able to help Hank leave. However, Paige has expressed her dissatisfaction with how her character’s story concluded.

Taylour Paige is “not happy with the way this was written”

The finale of ‘It: Welcome to Derry’ shows Charlotte deciding to stay and fight Pennywise alongside her husband, Leroy, and Rose, rather than leaving town. However, knowing Pennywise won’t reappear for 27 years makes their decision seem pointless, particularly because the series begins with Charlotte deeply involved in the fight for civil rights – a cause that feels more impactful than endlessly delaying the inevitable.

She told Deadline she wasn’t pleased with how it was written, saying she found it unbelievable. While she understands the story suggests people forget things in Derry, she doesn’t find that explanation convincing.

She suggested that, for the social norms of 1962, it was perhaps expected that women would be quiet, return to domestic duties, and focus on being the center of their families.

Paige felt Charlotte deserved a happier ending where she remained authentic. She explained, ‘I hoped for a better outcome for Charlotte and her family, but it probably would have been too big a change for her to leave.’

In 1962, it was extremely uncommon for women to leave unhappy marriages. Most women of that era sacrificed their own happiness to maintain the family unit, and divorce simply wasn’t a frequent occurrence.

Okay, so it’s pretty rare to hear an actor actually criticize a show they were just on, and that’s what Paige did, which was a bit of a shock. But she also said she’d totally be up for coming back as Charlotte, though she doesn’t really think it’s going to happen. It’s a bummer, honestly, because I liked her on the show!

This makes sense, considering the director has already shared that the series will flashback to explore Pennywise’s earlier periods of activity in 1935 and 1908.

While you wait, explore other Stephen King series to enjoy after finishing ‘Welcome to Derry,’ learn about fan reactions to the Bob Gray flashback, and see how the finale evolved during its creation.

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2025-12-17 19:19