Who starts the Black Spot fire? It: Welcome to Derry killings explained

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The series ‘Welcome to Derry’ delves into the town’s history as much as it does Pennywise’s origins. The first season builds towards the ‘Black Spot’ massacre – an event mentioned in the novel but never fully explained. A key question the show explores is who initiated this terrible event, and what their motives were.

The show has cleverly evolved into a backstory for The Shining, focusing on Dick Hallorann (Chris Chalk). He has the ability to read minds and see ghosts, which is why he understands Danny Torrance’s special powers when they cross paths at the Overlook Hotel.

Stephen King’s novel IT mentions that Dick Hallorann visited the Black Spot, a nightclub frequented by Black airbase workers. The TV series expands on this, revealing Hallorann was a founder of the club, alongside Leroy Hanlon (played by Jovan Adepo).

The latest episode concluded with masked townspeople, armed with rifles, searching for Hank Grogan at the club. The preview for the next episode suggests Pennywise was also present when the club went up in flames… but the real question is: who actually set the fire?

Who starts the Black Spot fire?

In the story, members of the Maine Legion of White Decency committed a racist act by setting fire to the Black Spot. During the blaze, Hallorann used his special abilities to locate people still inside. He specifically helped Will Hanlon escape by instructing him to climb out a window, as the doorway was blocked.

Although the racist group actually started the fire, the story suggests Pennywise manipulated them into doing it. This isn’t the first time he’s driven people to commit terrible violence, and it won’t be the last.

Okay, so in the IT movies directed by Andy Muschietti, they really went dark with Henry Bowers. They showed him actually killing his own dad before he even tries to mess with us, the Losers Club. It was a seriously messed up moment, and it explained a lot about why he was so unhinged.

It’s still unclear how the show will depict the fire in the seventh episode of ‘It: Welcome to Derry,’ but many believe Pennywise will manipulate the townspeople into burning down the Black Spot while people are trapped inside. However, a new idea suggests there might be another, hidden force at work controlling things.

Welcome to Derry theory suggests Mrs. Kersh is to blame

A popular fan theory on Reddit proposes that Mrs. Kersh (Madeleine Stowe) deliberately informs the mafia about the Black Spot, intending to offer it – and everyone inside – to Pennywise. The motive? She hopes to be reunited with her father, Bob Gray.

The theory suggests Chief Bowers was tipped off right before being removed from the case, and that this could be Ingrid Kersh’s doing. We actually see her preparing to act again, which supports this idea.

It seems like she called the police on purpose to create a situation – a kind of setup – that would lead to a major, even fatal, outcome, potentially involving someone she loved, all in order to reach her father.

Mrs. Kersh likely didn’t mean for the fire to happen, but she understands the town is on edge. People believe her partner, Hank Grogan, was responsible for the deaths at the theater, and tensions are high. She also seems to know where Grogan is hiding, giving her the power to inform the angry and prejudiced crowd.

The latest episode of ‘It: Welcome to Derry’ showed that Mrs. Kersh has been searching for Pennywise for years, hoping to reunite with her father, who was taken by the creature when she was a child. However, a preview suggests her plan could backfire, and she might become Pennywise’s next victim.

Someone on Reddit joked that the line ‘I always wondered how you’d taste’ probably wasn’t something Dick Hallorann would say.

Considering everything, Mrs. Kersh appears to be the one who started the Black Spot fire, but she’ll face the consequences directly – and in a rather unexpected way.

As you anticipate further reveals about Pennywise’s terrifying history, find out why the show is exploring the past, which moment genuinely frightened Stephen King, and a potential oversight that could have helped the military capture Pennywise.

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2025-12-04 19:20