Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday that the country’s Left-wing government stands “prepared” to pass more restrictive gun laws after two gunmen killed at least 15 people and wounded dozens more at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney on Sunday. Albanese responded to the terrorist attack by cracking down even more on gun ownership, saying the country must “take whatever action is necessary,” the Associated Press reported. “Included in that is the need for tougher gun laws,” Albanese added. Australia already has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the world after the government enacted a mandatory buyback program following the 1996 mass shooting in Port Arthur, where a gunman killed 35 people. Australia bans citizens from owning semi-automatic rifles and pump-action shotguns. The Australian government maintains strict oversight of legal firearms, including mandatory background checks and a 28-day waiting period for gun purchases. Australia’s Firearms Act of 1996 also requires citizens to provide a “genuine reason” for owning a gun, such as hunting, farming, sport shooting, or historical collections. Personal protection is not considered a “genuine reason” for owning a firearm, according to the Australian government. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said on Monday that the state’s gun laws would change following the terrorist attack. “If you’re not a farmer, you’re not involved in agriculture, why do you need these massive weapons that put the public in danger and make life dangerous and difficult for New South Wales Police?” Minns asked. Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships Australian leaders have proposed a new measure that would limit the number of guns a person could own, according to the Associated Press. The suspected gunmen in Sunday’s attack are 50-year-old Sajid Akram and his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram. The father-son duo appeared to use bolt-action rifles to target Jewish people observing Hanukkah, according to videos. Police also reportedly recovered shotguns at the scene of the shooting, but authorities have yet to confirm what firearms were used by the attackers to fire upon the Jewish people. Officials said at a press conference that Sajid possessed firearms legally. Sajid was killed at the scene by responding police officers, while his 24-year-old son was wounded and is currently in a coma. One video showed a man charging one of the gunmen and wrestling his gun away. The man who jumped into action to confront the shooter was identified as Ahmed al Ahmed, an immigrant from Syria. Ahmed was shot in the shoulder and underwent surgery on Monday. The gunmen were “clearly” motivated by extremism, according to officials, who have described the shooting as antisemitic terrorism. Naveed was on Australian authorities’ radar in 2019 when he was investigated over alleged ties to ISIS, but authorities eventually ruled that he was not a threat at the time. “He was examined on the basis of being associated with others and the assessment was made that there was no indication of any ongoing threat or threat of him engaging in violence,” said Albanese. Sajid immigrated to Australia in 1998 on a student visa and became a permanent resident after marrying an Australian citizen. Australian officials did not say which country he moved from. His son Naveed was born in Australia.

One of the shooters of the antisemitic terror attack at Bondi Beach in Australia on Sunday was previously investigated by authorities for his ties to an Islamic State terror cell. Naveed Akram, who killed 15 people with his 50-year-old father Sajid Akram at a “Chanukah by the Sea” event Sunday, was investigated by Australia’s domestic intelligence agency, ASIO, six years ago, according to Australian media. Police say the attack was inspired by the pair’s allegiance to ISIS, with two ISIS flags reportedly discovered in their vehicle, according to ABC Australia.  Police reportedly first took an interest in the 24-year-old terrorist after they foiled an ISIS attack that was planned by a man who declared himself the Australian commander of an ISIS cell in Australia. He was under investigation for six months before being deemed to pose no ongoing threat. ASIO director-general Mike Burgess confirmed on Sunday that one of the terrorists was known to law enforcement. “One of these individuals was known to us, but not in an immediate-threat perspective, so we need to look into what happened here,” he said. The younger Akram is in critical condition at a hospital where he is under police guard. His father was shot dead by officers at the scene.  “Based on his medical condition, it is likely that this person may face criminal charges,” Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon of the New South Wales Police said. Police raided the Akram home in Bonnyrigg, as well as an Airbnb they were staying at in Campsie. The older terrorist was a lawful gun owner who legally possessed six firearms. Commissioner Lanyon noted that, despite Australia’s strict gun laws, he was able to legally own the weapons because he was a member of a gun club and held a recreational hunting license. Six firearms were recovered from the scene, along with two active improvised explosive devices. Fifteen individuals are confirmed dead during the roughly 20-minute-long terrorist attack at the Jewish event, where about 1,000 were in attendance. Another 40 people were taken to the hospital, including two police officers and four children. Victims named so far include Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who helped organize the event, a 10-year-old girl named Matilda, Peter Meagher, who was the photographer of the event, Tibor Weitzen, Dan Elkayam, Reuven Morrison, Yaakov Levitan, and Holocaust survivor Alexander Kleytman. According to Israel’s Channel 12, Schlanger directly addressed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese — who has frequently criticized Israel — in a letter urging him not to betray the Jewish people. “As a rabbi in Sydney, I beg you not to betray the Jewish people and not God Himself,” Schlanger wrote. “Jews have been torn from their land again and again by leaders who are now remembered with contempt in the pages of history.” Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships The letter came after Australia recognized a Palestinian state, and the United Nations General Assembly voted to recognize Palestinian statehood. Antisemitism in Australia has surged following the October 7, 2023, massacre in Israel, which left more than 1,000 people dead, including just days after, when about 1,000 anti-Israel protesters in Sydney chanted antisemitic slogans, including “gas the Jews.”

The newest episode of Taylor Sheridan’s show “Landman” includes a dig mocking “The View,” which is getting a lot of attention on social media. During Episode 5 of the second season, which is titled “The Pirate Dinner,” Tommy (Billy Bob Thornton) suggests that his father, T.L. (Sam Elliott), should waste time at home by watching a TV show. Tommy suggests “The View” as an option of what to put on. T.L. responds that he’s not familiar with the program, prompting Tommy to give a brief synopsis. “A bunch of p****ed-off millionaires bitching about how much they hate millionaires and Trump and men and you and me and everybody else they got a bee up their a** about. It’s pretty funny,” he says. T.L. responds, “Don’t sound funny.” “Well, it ain’t joke funny, it’s like ‘fart in church’ funny, you know what I mean?” Tommy answers. T.L. replies, “That don’t sound funny, either,” to which Tommy quips, “Well, it depends on your proximity to the fart.” Some commenters noted it was an interesting scene because “Landman” doesn’t usually include references to real-life pop culture. They also pointed out how Thornton was on “The View” in 2024 to promote the series. Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships “The world is healing,” one response said. “Couldn’t have put it better,” another commenter agreed. “Think he summed it up pretty well,” echoed a third. The Paramount Plus show “Landman” follows Tommy, a crisis manager in West Texas, as he navigates the world of the oil and gas industry and the conflicts that arise from it. Sheridan is great at making hit shows, as evidenced in part by the enormously popular “Yellowstone” and subsequent spinoffs. While plenty of fans attempted to prove “Yellowstone” promoted conservative values, Sheridan pushed back, saying that was never his intention. “They refer to it as ‘the conservative show’ or ‘the Republican show’ or ‘the red-state Game of Thrones,’ ” Sheridan said of “Yellowstone” in 2022. “And I just sit back laughing. I’m like, ‘Really?’ The show’s talking about the displacement of Native Americans and the way Native American women were treated and about corporate greed and the gentrification of the West, and land-grabbing. That’s a red-state show?”

Two students were fatally shot during the Saturday attack at Brown University, including the 19-year-old vice president of the campus Republicans’ club. University College Republicans Vice President Ella Cook was killed in the attack, as well as Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, 18, another Brown student, authorities have confirmed. Nine others were injured. Cook was reportedly attending a review session in an engineering building at the time she was shot. College Republicans of America said in a statement that the sophomore was known for her “bold, brave, and kind heart.” “Our prayers are with her family, our Brown CRs, and the entirety of the campus as they heal from this tragedy,” the statement added. Official Statement on the loss of Brown University College Republicans Vice President, Ella Cook. pic.twitter.com/IJoQsvyOsI — College Republicans of America (@uscollegegop) December 15, 2025 It’s unclear whether Cook was targeted because of her political affiliation on campus. Notably, the suspect in the attack remains at large, and authorities have yet to reveal details about a potential motivation. However, William Branson Donahue, the founder and chairman of the College Republicans of America, said on X that he believes Cook was likely targeted. Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships “I am filled with rage and sadness to learn that our Brown College Republicans VP, Ella Cook, has been identified as one of the victims from the attack. I’m told she was allegedly targeted for her conservative beliefs, hunted, and killed in cold blood,” he said. “Losing Charlie three months ago rocked our worlds,” Donahue added, referring to the live-streamed assassination of conservative powerhouse Charlie Kirk back in September. “The entire College Republicans community is weeping this evening learning of the news. This was an attack on our family.” I am filled with rage and sadness to learn that our Brown College Republicans VP, Ella Cook, has been identified as one of the victims from the attack. I’m told she was allegedly targeted for her conservative beliefs, hunted, and killed in cold blood. Losing Charlie three months… pic.twitter.com/Efwo1wpfFY — William Branson Donahue (@realwilldonahue) December 15, 2025 In a follow-up post, Donahue said it’s difficult to find leaders for College Republicans chapters due to constant threats.  “It’s near impossible finding good leaders for our College Republicans chapters on these campuses. Our Brown chapter is very small at a super left school. It’s difficult being one of the only students at your school to stand up and fight for your values,” he wrote. “As a sophomore, Ella Cook was brave enough to join chapter leadership.” “I too was a sophomore when I started CRs at LMU (Loyola Marymount University),” Donahue said. “I was attacked constantly. I know first hand how hard it is to stay in the fight when you’re hated for just existing. We face constant pressures from the left. We’ve had chapter presidents assaulted, their kneecaps broken, and their lives ruined by those who disagree with us. College campuses are cesspools.” “Charlie tried to facilitate conversations,” he added. “They killed him for it. We’re all just next on the list. I think the time for conversations might be over.” It’s near impossible finding good leaders for our College Republicans chapters on these campuses. Our Brown chapter is very small at a super left school. It’s difficult being one of the only students at your school to stand up and fight for your values. As a sophomore, Ella Cook… — William Branson Donahue (@realwilldonahue) December 15, 2025 Vice President JD Vance reacted to the loss on X, writing, “This beautiful young girl was one of the murdered students at Brown University. It takes special courage to lead an organization of conservatives on a left wing campus, and I am very sorry our country has lost one of its bright young stars. Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord.” This beautiful young girl was one of the murdered students at Brown University. It takes special courage to lead an organization of conservatives on a left wing campus, and I am very sorry our country has lost one of its bright young stars. Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord. https://t.co/icGrwJAAlX — JD Vance (@JDVance) December 15, 2025 Umurzokov, who was also fatally shot, was studying neuroscience at Brown. He’s been described by those who knew him as a “ball of joy” and extremely smart. The American Uzbekistan Association said in a statement that Umurzokov “was known for his sharp intellect, kind heart, and quiet willingness to help anyone in need.” “He carried himself with humility and compassion, earning the respect and affection of those around him,” the statement added. “His curiosity, discipline, and generosity reflected both his character and the values of the community that raised him.” Related: FBI’s Patel Promises ‘All Out 24/7 Campaign’ To Deliver Justice After Brown University Shooting

Members of a pro-Palestinian radical leftist organization who allegedly planned to carry out a series of bombings in California beginning on New Year’s Eve also plotted to attack Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, according to an affidavit obtained by The Daily Wire. Authorities arrested Audrey Illeene Carroll, Zachary Aaron Page, Dante Gaffield, and Tina Lai around December 12 in Lucerne Valley, California, where they were allegedly planning to test explosive devices in preparation for their future attacks. They now each face charges of conspiracy and possession of a destructive device. Both Page and Carroll allegedly discussed plans to target ICE agents and their vehicles with pipe bombs starting in January or February, according to the affidavit. Their future attack plans “would take some of them [ICE agents] out and scare the rest of them,” Carroll said. The four accused are alleged members of the “Turtle Island Liberation Front,” which officials describe as anti-government and anti-capitalist. They allegedly planned to simultaneously bomb five sites in Los Angeles and Orange County at midnight on New Year’s Eve. The group arranged to place backpacks with improvised explosive devices (IEDs) inside them at the various locations, which included two American companies, according to the court documents. “After an intense investigation, the Department of Justice, working with our @FBI, prevented what would have been a massive and horrific terror plot in the Central District of California (Orange County and Los Angeles),” Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on X Monday. Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships “This was an incredible effort by our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the @FBI to ensure Americans can live in peace. We will continue to pursue these terror groups and bring them to justice,” she added. Since the Trump administration commenced its mass deportation campaign, ICE has faced an 8,000% surge in death threats and a more than 1,100% jump in assaults, according to the Department of Homeland Security. A shooter opened fire on a Texas ICE facility in September, killing two detainees and himself as he tried to target federal officers. A group of alleged Antifa anarchists lured federal agents outside of a nearby facility on July 4 using fireworks before firing off bullets, resulting in one local officer being injured.

A brave individual’s actions at Bondi Beach have sparked discussions about personal bravery versus evil in today’s world. See the video. Bystander Heroism at Bondi Beach Shooting Recently, a mass shooting erupted at Bondi Beach, Sydney, where an unarmed bystander courageously wrestled a firearm from one of the attackers. The incident unfolded as two gunmen targeted a Hanukkah event, causing chaos and tragedy. The bystander’s intervention is credited with preventing further casualties, earning praise from law enforcement and government officials. This act of bravery has become a focal point in discussions surrounding civilian courage in the face of terror. Anti-Semitic Terrorism and Its Impacts The attack was marked as anti-Semitic terrorism, a disturbing trend that has seen a global rise in recent years. The gunmen, a father and son duo, targeted Jewish community members attending the “Chanukah by the Sea” event. This incident is a stark reminder of the persistent threat of hate-fueled violence. The Australian Prime Minister condemned the attack as an “act of evil,” reinforcing the nation’s stance against division and hatred. The shooting has prompted discussions on security and the resilience of communities targeted by such violence. The rarity of mass shootings in Australia, attributed to strict gun control laws, makes this event particularly shocking. The Bondi Beach shooting has reignited debates on gun laws and anti-terror measures, despite Australia’s already stringent regulations. Community and Government Response In the wake of the attack, the response from law enforcement and government officials has been swift. The New South Wales Police have been leading the investigation, ensuring community safety and gathering evidence to understand the full scope of the attack. The heroic actions of the bystander have been hailed as a significant factor in limiting the casualties, showcasing the power of individual bravery against terrorism. The government has emphasized unity and resilience, standing firm against any form of hatred that seeks to divide the nation. This event has left a lasting impact on the local community, particularly among the Jewish population who were the primary targets. As the investigation continues, there is a collective call for vigilance and solidarity to prevent future attacks and promote peace. Sources: Dramatic video shows man wrestle, disarm gunman during Bondi shooting

Giving them the (blue) slip

Brian Walshe is expected to be sentenced Wednesday

News Hokum Adam Scott Is on a Terrible Irish Vacation in the Teaser Trailer for Hokum Ding, dong, there’s a witch and she’s definitely not entirely dead By Molly Templeton | Published on December 15, 2025 Screenshot: Neon Comment 0 Share New Share Screenshot: Neon It is hard to know which part of the too-short teaser for Hokum, the new film from writer-director Damian McCarthy, to focus on first. Adam Scott playing a reclusive novelist? Adam Scott playing a reclusive novelist who is going to Ireland to scatter his parents’—yes, parents, plural—ashes? The witch haunting his inn’s honeymoon suite, which is, you know, very suggestive, quite different from a witch haunting the kitchen or lobby? Or the promise of Scott’s character’s dark past? Personally I’m stuck on “Adam Scott, reclusive novelist,” but of course I am, being a fan of both writing and Adam Scott. Hokum is the third feature film from Oddity director McCarthy. Here’s the synopsis: When reclusive novelist Ohm Bauman (Scott) retreats to a remote Irish inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, the staff’s tales of an ancient witch haunting the honeymoon suite take hold of his mind. Soon, disturbing visions and a shocking disappearance draw him into a nightmarish confrontation with the darkest corners of his past. Along with Scott, Hokum stars Peter Coonan, David Wilmot, Florence Ordesh, Will O’Connell, and Michael Patric. But the trailer is mostly Scott, when it’s not creepy and indistinct flashes of nightmarish stuff. (If there is one thing I know about horror stories, it’s that when there is a white line on the floor—salt, paint, sugar, whatever—you do not step over it.) The slightly fuzzy audio over the whole thing is a bit reminiscent of the poem recited over the first trailer for 28 Years Later, though I am fairly sure there are no zombies here. Hokum is in theaters May 1st, 2026.[end-mark] The post Adam Scott Is on a Terrible Irish Vacation in the Teaser Trailer for <i>Hokum</i> appeared first on Reactor.

Movies & TV It: Welcome to Derry IT: Welcome to Derry’s Season Finale Is Chaotic, But Mostly Satisfying Plus there’s an appearance by a Very Special Ghost. By Leah Schnelbach | Published on December 15, 2025 Credit: Brooke Palmer/HBO Comment 0 Share New Share Credit: Brooke Palmer/HBO This week’s season finale of IT: Welcome to Derry, “Winter Fire”, was written by Jason Fuchs and directed once again by Andy Muschietti. The episode manages to wrap a lot of the plot points up into a surprisingly satisfying ending, given how much story they had to get through. As Brief a Recap as a King Adaptation Will Allow A sinister grey fog rolls over Derry. Townsfolk, all the ones who were so calm yesterday after the white supremacist hate crime, are thrown into a frenzy, running into shops, slamming doors—even though they’re not sure what these clouds are. The leaves on the trees shrivel and the grass turns brown, but there are no monsters hiding in the fog. But that’s because the monster is already at the school. A totally normal sounding announcer tells the kids that classes are cancelled for the day, that upperclassmen are dismissed, but underclassmen should report to the auditorium for an assembly. Once all the kids are milling about a teacher walks stiffly out and tells them there’s going to be a special performance. The teach transforms into the principal, and then there’s Pennywise, ripping his head off and punting it out the door, throwing the man’s blood-spurting body at the students, and locking them all in as he does his crazed dance and Deadlights them. As the clouds become thicker, Pennywise trundles away in his circus wagon, almost all the children of Derry floating in a hypnotized line behind him. He’s playing a tuba, and whacking a pedal drum that has a severed hand chained to it. I love this fuckin’ clown, man. Margie, Lilly, and Ronnie are up on the Tower when they see the cloud. When they come down, they find “Missing” posters for every kid in town, and understandably freak out—but then they find a poster for Will. Then, they find the principal’s decapitated corpse at the otherwise-empty school “I wanna kill that fuckin’ clown,” Margie says. The kids spot a milk truck, and Margie, who has really blossomed in the last few days of horror, decides she can drive it. And she does! For a while. The kids give chase until a nefarious pothole throws them off the road and Lilly drops the dagger. Lilly then Gollums the fuck out over the dagger, they realize it’s driving her mad, and after some screaming and wrestling they agree to pass it between them so no one loses their mind. Meanwhile, the adults are having their own problems. Pennywise calls the Major and puts “Will” on the phone. Leroy isn’t afraid, but he is furious, promising “I’ll rip your fucking heart out!” as the line goes dead. I think Pennywise may have taunted the wrong adult. Leroy goes straight to Dick Hallorann’s quarters. Dick is not doing well. The ghosts are everywhere, they won’t stop whispering to him. As Leroy pounds on the door, Dick puts his gun in his mouth. Leroy breaks the door in just in time, and looks around wildly as Dick screams “Shut up! Shut up!” at the ghosts surrounding him. Dick points the gun at Leroy, and says “You got my mind all fucked up,” but he pauses when Leroy breaks down. “Please, please, it’s got Will. I’m begging you to help me find him. I’ll do everything in my power to help you, but help me find my baby.” Dick, slowly, puts the gun down. Unfortunately the General and his underlings gets the report that the two men have escaped pretty quickly. Who the hell was supposed to be keeping Hanlon on base, anyway? Wasn’t that a direct order from the General? We cut to Charlotte at Rose’s, pounding on Leroy’s chest and slapping his face as she learns what’s happened. He promises they’ll get him back, but Rose, initially, thinks it’s a lost cause. Leroy says that Dick can find them, and Rose throws a plan together: if Dick can mentally link with the dagger, as he did before, he can lead them to the children. They just have to do it before IT manages to walk through the bounds of ITs old cage. And then maybe, maybe, the dagger can replace the destroyed pillar and act as a new lock. They give Dick a tea made with maturin root, and faced with the possibility of shutting the ghosts up, he drinks it in one gulp. It works almost instantly, to the extent that he doesn’t hear whatever Rose is trying to warn him about because time stretches and she becomes unintelligible. They throw Dick in Taniel’s van, and everyone piles in to find the kids. They strategize as they go, following Dick’s directions, and asking if he could try to get into Pennywise’s mind again. The kids, meanwhile, have found Pennywise and his wagon, rolling up the now-frozen river, headed right out of his unlocked mystical cage. They try to wake Will up from his Deadlighted sleep, until Pennywise comes down from the circus wagon. “You’ve decided to join the circus! The fool, the freak, the failure. But… who’s who? It doesn’t matter, there a spot for you all!” Ronnie wields the dagger and Pennywise backs off, but darts around them cackling and shrieking. He grabs Margie and drags her away from the others. And here’s where something that should have been obvious to me comes to light. Pennywise looms over her. “Margie Tozier! But not Tozier yet!” he screams. OH. Oh. He waves the future Richie Tozier’s missing poster in her face. “His friends bring me my death! Or is that death a birth???” He babbles about past present and future all being the same to him as Margie freaks out and tries to understand what he’s saying. “Beep, beep, Margie!” he howls, lunges at her, all his teeth out. And then he freezes. Stops dead, right above her. She scrambles away. The kids all fall to the ice and begin to wake up. The New Old Losers embrace Will, just in time for the adults to reach them. They load them into the van and Taniel tells the rest of the children to run to the North shore. He and the Major set out to bury the dagger in the blasted tree that marks the edge of IT’s cage. But then. General Shaw and his men appear on the shore, and both Taniel and the Major are shot. The Major holds Taniel while he bleeds out from a neck wound, and they’re surrounded, the General ordering another soldier to go get Halloran. The General himself? He spots Pennywise, still as death on the ice, and decides it’s a fabulous idea to walk on over there and say hello. We go inside ITs mind, where Pennywise is woken up inside the wagon by the other circus folk. They’re all calling him Robert Crane. “Who else might you be, Peter Rabbit?” When Pennywise tells the boss that he’s a “god” the boss smacks him and tells him he must have hit his head harder than he thought. Pennywise is very confused. Will has reached his dad, and the Major gives his son the dagger. When Will protests that he can’t get the dagger to the tree because he’s too scared, the Major replies, “You don’t have to be me. Just be you. I love you. I love YOU.” The kids wrestle the dagger to the tree as it fights with them every step of the way. The General is standing directly in front of Pennywise now. “All these years wondering if you were real…whatever Halloran’s done to you, we’re gonna fix it.” Wow. Just… wow. Inside ITs mind, the cracks start to show. IT is able to peel Dick’s mask off and reveal the terrified man inside, just as in the outside world, we see him being thrown onto the ice by one of the soldiers. Pennywise wakes up. The General tells him he’s free to go. Pennywise recognizes in the General the smell of the terrified boy at the circus, transforms into the old monster and screams “NOW YOU SEE IT!” as the General yells at him to stand down, and then Pennywise eats his head. As the screams drift over the ice, the adults try to convince the soldiers that maybe they have a bigger enemy. As Pennywise slow motion runs past them toward the kids, giggling, they use the distraction to launch themselves at the soldiers and wrestle their guns away. Major Hanlon goes after IT and shoots him, which succeeds in knocking him down at least, but then IT deadlights him. The kids can’t force the dagger into the base of the tree—it’s simply too strong for them. The adults, watching, start to break down in despair. Until… Dick sees the Necani on the ice. And she’s brought… Rich??? Rich’s ghost??? “What do you see?” Rose asks. “A mutherfuckin miracle,” Dick breathes. The ghost runs across the ice, gleefully flicking IT off as he passes, and helps the kids shove the dagger in the rest of the way. As the dagger finally goes into the base of the tree, beams of light from all the pillars shoot up into the sky. IT molts through a series of forms. “Lively crowd,” IT mutters, before turning into light and shooting back down toward the sewers. Leroy wakes up, Rose collapses sobbing next to Taniel’s body, and sings to him, and the kids embrace each other and agree that they all felt another pair of hands helping them. Credit: Brooke Palmer/HBO We cut to Rich’s funeral. Margie gives a brief eulogy about how even though they weren’t friends for very long, some people “build houses in your heart”. She leaves a pair of drumsticks on his casket. Walking down Main Street after the funeral, she sees one of his balsa flyers in a tree—one of them made it! Lilly visits her father’s grave for the first time in a long time, and tells him that she’s made some new friends. And Dick sees Rich’s spirit standing with his parents by the graveside, plucks up his courage, and sits beside them to tell them what he sees. It seems to help. “Who are you, sir?” Rich’s father asks. “I’m still working on that,” Dick replies. Back at the tower later, Margie tells Lilly about what Pennywise said to her—that she’d have a son that would kill IT. She worries that if time is truly meaningless to IT, IT could go back and kill their parents so they’d never exist at all. Lilly meets this worry with some stellar philosophy: “It’ll be someone else’s fight, then.” The Hanlons are packing their house up. Charlotte and Leroy share an actual kiss, and he actually smiles after her as she goes up to get Will, and the two of them seem better than they have all season. These two crazy kids might just make it, if they steer clear of evil space clowns. Dick Hallorann slouches into the doorway, giving Leroy an only slightly sarcastic salute. The former Major is getting an honorable discharge as long as he keeps his mouth shut about…everything… and Dick is going to London to try out as a cook at his friend’s fancy hotel. “How much trouble can a hotel be?” he asks, and I groan, but who am I kidding, I’ve been waiting all season for a joke like that. The two men hug, and Dick asks Leroy to stay in touch let him know how Charlotte and Will are. He reluctantly admits that maybe he does care—just don’t tell anybody. As they pack cars over at Rose’s place, Charlotte tells Hank Grogan how to meet with Rose’s people at the border, so it seems like at least one family is getting a happy ending. Mostly. Rose invites Leroy and Charlotte to join the circle of people who watch over IT and protect Derry. She’s selling the farm—it’s too much without Taniel—and she thinks they’re the perfect people to take it over from her. But the Hanlons think maybe they need to get out of Derry while they can. Ronnie and Will sit on a bench a few yards away from the house. They talk about how they might forget each other when they leave, and go back and forth on whether that’s a good thing. But then Ronnie grabs Will and finally kisses him. That complicates things. Once everyone’s in the car, Charlotte suddenly raises the idea of taking Rose’s offer. “Maybe the next damn fool mission needs to be together,” she says to Leroy. As the two of them tease each other about who’ll take care of the sheep, Will leaps out of the car and immediately begins a letter to Ronnie. Maybe if he writes to her all the time she won’t forget? But when we see a carefree Ronnie in the car with her dad and grandmother, two lollipops in her mouth, well, it seems like forgetting might be inevitable, and young love or no, it might be for the best. We cut to Juniper Hill. Ingrid is straitjacketed, screaming about wolves at the two orderlies who are attending her. They drop the needle on her favorite old-time record and she calms down. We fade out and back in to the same music playing in October 1988, as a much older Ingrid paints a clown on a canvas—still in the asylum. There’s screaming down the hall, and Ingrid shuffles over to find Alvin and Beverly Marsh, sobbing on the floor at the feet of Elfrida Marsh, who has, apparently, hanged herself. Alvin, ever the charmer, shoves Bev away, and she locks eyes with Ingrid, who tells her not to worry. “You know what they say about Derry. No one who dies here ever really dies.” Ingrid’s eyes widen in glee as Bev’s widen in horror. As the end titles come up, the words IT: Welcome to Derry—Chapter One appear, which I’m guessing is their super fun way of telling us to expect another season. Do We All Float? Credit: HBO This was kind of what I expected from the finale. There’s a lot of action and rushing so everyone can converge on a single point. Also, while Bill Skarsgård is impeccable in the role, IT has to work on your deepest, weirdest fears. Just seeing him out and about undercuts the terror. Having said that I still think they wrapped all the plot points up well, maneuvering everyone around to set up the rest of the story without showing the strings too often. The visual of the wagon rolling along through fog and ice, hypnotized children floating behind, was gorgeous. And as much as I’ve mentioned the diminishing returns of “IT runs at you really fast” I’ve never gotten sick of the Deadlights. I think the effect is so beautiful it actually captures how entrancing it would be. I feel ridiculous for not realizing that Richie was Margie’s future kid! But now it all makes sense. What I think the episode did extremely well was bring the relationship between Leroy Hanlon and Dick Hallorann to a perfect close. The scene between them is incredible—the two are in different worlds, emotionally. Dick, coiled into himself, eyes flickering constantly to take in every ghostly threat, as Leroy finally cracks open and sobs, realizing he may have sealed his child’s doom by bringing him to Derry. The two performances play off each other perfectly, and really underline the idea that these two men inhabit different worlds. Dick’s visions force him to be half in the spirit world at all times, and he simply has no real care for the world of the living. Until, finally, he does. It’s been lovely to watch him become the man we meet in The Shining. And Leroy finally throws off any loyalty he has to the U.S. military, and faces the fact that he needs to reprioritize everything if he wants his family to make it. #JustKingThings Credit: Brooke Palmer/HBO I’ve been telling people that the show is fixing a lot of what I didn’t like in IT: Chapter II, and I’m pleased to say that it mostly has. By centering the story on the Grogans, the Hanlons, and Hallorann, it showed a different side of Derry. It created enough context for the hate crime at the Black Spot that it feels like part of Derry’s terrible history, influenced by the evil of IT, but largely the work of white supremacists. It also adds more nuance and depth to the fictional Shokopiwah, fixing one of Stephen King’s clumsier attempts at inclusivity. It shows us the cycle of horror, how it carries forward into the Losers Club that will form in the 1980s, but it also shows us that people have been fighting IT the entire time. Turtles all the Way Down The tea Rose gives to Dick is Maturin root, presumably named for the mystical cosmic turtle who is trying to help humanity fight IT. Mike Hanlon’s Photo Album Credit: Brooke Palmer/HBO We learn that Margie is Richie’s future mom! Most of you probably already guessed that! Where have I been! And we see the future missing poster with Finn Wolfhard’s face. Later, we fully meet Bev Marsh, played by Sophia Lillis. Is she coming back for another season of this show? How will that work, given that people grow and age? Ridiculous Alien Spider, or Generationally Terrifying Clown? Credit: Brooke Palmer/HBO As I said, the Deadlights are excellent. The concept of the kids being trapped in the auditorium with Pennywise is great. All the moments when we’re trapped in ITs mind as it gets increasingly furious about how people are treating IT is hilarious. And the transformations as it chases the children are fun. Where I think I wanted more was in ITs confrontation with the General. After all the horror that man caused, I wanted IT to linger over eating him, and I wanted the camera to linger with IT. And, again, the threat of IT is always scarier than seeing IT. Spending so much time one the ice with IT as the rest of the plot roiled around kind of undercut the fear for me.[end-mark] The post <em>IT: Welcome to Derry</em>’s Season Finale Is Chaotic, But Mostly Satisfying appeared first on Reactor.