How IT: Welcome to Derry finale post-credit scene connect the series to the movies, explained

IT: Welcome to Derry aired its eighth episode, titled Winter Fire, on December 14, 2025. This series is a prequel to the IT movies. It shows how Pennywise, the evil force that haunts the town of Derry, began and how the famed Losers' Club was formed.

In 1988, the post-credit scene brings the audience to Juniper Hill Asylum, where an old Ingrid Kersh, played by Joan Gregson, who played Mrs. Kersh in IT Chapter Two, links the movie's events.

The sequence depicts Beverly Marsh's mother, Elfrida Marsh's, terrible demise, which was alluded to but never completely explored in the movie. More than a cameo. It introduces Beverly's terrible event that shapes her future interactions with Pennywise, deepening the relationship between IT: Welcome to Derry and the IT movies.

Elfrida Marsh’s tragic death in the post-credit scene of IT: Welcome to Derry

All about IT: Welcome to Derry finale post-credit scene (Image via YouTube/HBO Max)

In IT: Welcome to Derry's post-credit scene, Joan Gregson plays Ingrid Kersh in Juniper Hill Asylum in 1988. This is a clear reference to IT: Chapter Two, where she played the creepy Mrs. Kersh.

After hearing screams in the hallway, Ingrid goes to the next room and finds a terrible scene. Elfrida Marsh, Beverly's mother, probably took her own life. The camera focuses on Elfrida's middle-aged husband and his worried teenage daughter, Beverly.

The moment is deeply unsettling, marking a significant event in Beverly’s life that will haunt her for years. Ingrid, in a moment of twisted comfort, speaks to the grieving Beverly with the ominous words,

“You know what they say about Derry? No one who dies here ever really dies.”

This line echoes its earlier use in IT: Chapter Two, when the grown-up Beverly (Jessica Chastain) encounters Mrs. Kersh, and it highlights Derry’s uncanny ability to hold onto its ghosts.

This post-credit scene connects the prequel series to the films by showing Beverly's mother's haunting death, which was alluded to but not fully addressed in the movies. Through Beverly's suppressed memories of her mother's suicide, Pennywise became Mrs. Kersh in IT: Chapter Two.

Also Read: IT: Welcome to Derry creators react to Stephen King's praise

Ingrid Kersh’s role and the unsettling legacy of Derry

Ingrid Kersh’s role in the show is crucial. She is a key figure in Pennywise’s nefarious operations, having been manipulated by the entity to assist in the collection of children for its gruesome feast.

Tragically, she is institutionalized in Juniper Hill in the post-credit scene, forcing her to face her fate. The sequence is significant because it reflects Beverly's background and Derry's pain and cyclical horror. Evil persists in Derry, and its horrible past shapes future generations.

The physicians learn more about Ingrid and Pennywise as she relates her warped memories of the wolves that ate her father. She lives in Derry's cycle of violence and horror, like the creature.

Through her bloodline and as Pennywise's "familiar," she sets the stage for the town's recurring evil. This mirrors the show's idea of cyclical tragedies, suggesting that Pennywise may be restrained yet still affecting Derry.

Also Read: How many episodes will there be in IT: Welcome to Derry season 1? Episode count, release schedule, and more

The connection to Beverly Marsh and the future of Derry’s horror

Beverly Marsh's suffering, especially her complicated relationship with her parents, is highlighted in the post-credit scene. Beverly, a little girl, struggles to accept her mother's suicide, which affects her mental health. This tragedy shapes Beverly's character in IT and IT: Chapter Two.

Now that people know Mrs. Kersh is Pennywise exploiting Beverly's greatest fears, the incident makes sense. The scenario shows that Beverly's vivid recollections of her mother are tied to her terrible meeting.

To watch IT: Welcome to Derry, stream it on HBO.

Edited by Rajan Bhattacharya