It: Welcome To Derry Finally Explains Why Pennywise Took The Form Of Bob Gray

It: Welcome to Derry has finally explained why the creature took the shape of Pennywise the Dancing Clown and made it its preferred form, and it’s a disturbing story. After the success of Andy Muschietti’s It movies, this universe is expanding with the prequel series It: Welcome to Derry, set in 1962.

Welcome to Derry follows a new group of kids who are being haunted by the evil shapeshifting creature best known as It. Along with the kids’ story is one following some of the adults in Derry, as the military has disturbing plans for It.

Welcome to Derry has gone deeper into the backstory of the creature and its presence in Derry, and the show finally explained why it takes the form of Pennywise, who was a real person.

Who Bob Gray Was Before Becoming Pennywise’s Human Form

It: Chapter Two gave a brief look at the person It took its Pennywise form from. When adult Bev visits her childhood home, she’s welcomed by an old Mrs. Kersh, who is actually It preparing to attack. When trying to escape, Bev comes across It in the form of Bob Gray.

It’s a brief moment where Bob Gray is putting the white makeup on and torments Bev, but it was enough to spark curiosity about him. Welcome to Derry has already had a couple of shocking twists, such as the nurse Lily trusted being Ingrid Kersh, and she being none other than the daughter of the real Bob Gray.

Bob Gray was a circus clown who performed as Pennywise the Dancing Clown, and Ingrid accompanied him, even showing him her clown makeup to, one day, perform together. One night, It, in the form of a child, lured Bob Gray into the woods, and Ingrid never saw her father again.

It Targeted Bob Gray Because Of Pennywise’s Popularity With Children

It targeting Bob Gray and choosing his Pennywise form as its go-to shape was carefully planned. It noticed how popular Bob Gray’s Pennywise was with kids, and as everyone knows, It prefers to feed on children and their fears, as their fears are less complex than those of adults, and thus it can terrorize them more easily.

Through the form of Pennywise, It can attract children much more easily, as seen with Georgie in It and other kids in the sequel, thus getting a consistent supply of children to feed on. Another advantage of taking Pennywise’s form is that many adults are scared of clowns too, so It can easily feed on them as well.

Why It Took The Form Of A Child To Lure Bob Gray

If there’s something that has to be recognized about It is its creativity, and Welcome to Derry has made sure to seize that and has brought to life some truly unexpected and wild forms of the creature. However, It also knows when to keep it simple to be effective, and that’s exactly how it caught Bob Gray.

Bob Gray was on a break, smoking a cigarette, when a kid approached him for help to find his parents. This kid had already been shown watching Pennywise’s show from a distance, and the audience knew it was It as the kid’s eyes were yellow and bright. Although hesitant at first, Bob Gray ended up following the kid into the woods.

Adults would usually help a kid in need, which is most likely why It chose to pose as a young boy at the carnival and ask Bob Gray for help. Welcome to Derry had already shown the kid trying to blend in at the circus, and It was most likely looking for its next victim while there.

Bob Gray’s Pennywise the Dancing Clown was originally a circus favorite and a loving father, and It turned him into a living nightmare and a legend in the most horrifying way possible.