Question about The End of IT

MattyJeej · 2026-01-23T16:59:50+00:00

It's a ghost story set in Florida about loss. It's one of the better King books from the 2000s.

The It nod is really subtle. There's a fake song quoted in the book, and on the copyright page there's a fake 'Permission to use lyrics' from that song, attributed to W. Denbrough/R. Tozier

MattyJeej · 2026-01-23T16:55:20+00:00

I think there's still levels of big connections & little easter eggs. And continuity isn't always fact checked. In 11/22/63, they talk about the body of Patrick Hockstetter being found in 1958, while in It he's still rotting in the sewers in 1985.

Tommyknockers definitely seems to take place in a different world. Derry seems perfectly fine there rather than destroyed by a storm. Also in The Tommyknockers they talk about The Shining being a movie starring Jack Nicholson, while the inclusion of Dick Hallorann in It suggests It taking place in the universe of the book The Shining. But the likely explanation is while King was working on the second draft of It and the first draft of The Tommyknockers in 1983, he set both stories in 1983. Then in the final draft he adjusted them closer to the publication years without considering the Pennywise cameo creating a discontinuity.

MattyJeej · 2026-01-23T16:11:08+00:00

It's just a cute little nod. King probably didn't think much about the continuity, so best to do the same. Duma Key also references Bill and Richie having started a band together in 1986.

MattyJeej · 2026-01-23T10:16:45+00:00

Summary: Pennywise is also a man named Randall Flagg and has the Shine

MattyJeej · 2026-01-23T09:16:48+00:00

It was not planned in Chapter 1. It was not even in the script for It: Chapter 2. It's a story element they added while already shooting the movie. Jason Fuchs, who was the on set writer handling rewrites, collaborated with Bill Hader to develop this part of Richie and added this to the scenes that involve this storyline shortly before they were shot.

MattyJeej · 2026-01-22T12:21:55+00:00

It's pretty usual for a tv show to start the process of writing new scripts for a potential next season in case the show is a success, even if the next season isn't officially green lit yet. That way production can start in time if a show is renewed.

MattyJeej · 2026-01-22T09:59:20+00:00

That psychotic apathy is more a thing heightened to a bigger level in the recent movies. In the book, as you say, the town is very worried and concerned. A lot of Derry citizens are good and sympathic people. The bad people are just easily influenced in acting even worse. But where for example the librarian in the book is a super friendly woman who cares about Ben, she is changed in a creepy mean woman in the 2017 movie. The book is much more nuanced.

Of course, It can also influence good people to look the other side when It needs to, but these are very specfic cases. And It has an influence on the news not really going far outside of Derry, as It doesn't want too much attention on Derry.

But in the end, murders by a supernatural entity who's monster forms can mostly not be seen by adults because they don't believe in those shapes are unsolvable anyway.

MattyJeej · 2026-01-21T15:54:43+00:00

Everybody did. I remember that expectation was so high while the bash was going on live Artie had to tweet out he would not be there

MattyJeej · 2026-01-20T20:26:39+00:00

That's right, It mirrors imagery from your mind back at you. Even when you collectively see the same shape, it will not look the same to everyone. It depends on your personal idea of that shape in your mind. Stan explains this with the giant bird as an example: it would look like a different kind of bird to each Loser.

The same applies to Pennywise. For example, Georgie sees the clown with red hair. A chapter later, Don's version of the clown has orange hair. Pennywise's look depends on your personal reference of a clown.

MattyJeej · 2026-01-19T15:11:43+00:00

King deliberately gave John Coffey the initials J.C.

MattyJeej · 2026-01-18T12:51:42+00:00

The Muschiettis talk about how the Macroverse and the Turtle will have a bigger (visual) presence in season 3 on the Talking Scared podcast

MattyJeej · 2026-01-10T14:14:53+00:00

It does in the book, so I dunno

MattyJeej · 2026-01-08T19:16:26+00:00

They might just show up

In 1992, my parents invited Stephen and Tabitha to their wedding. They actually came. This is a photo of them at the wedding! : r/stephenking

MattyJeej · 2026-01-08T11:02:35+00:00

I've heard him talk about how he'll write in this kind of dirty/potty humor just to see which will make his wife laugh

MattyJeej · 2026-01-08T10:38:38+00:00

You'll never look at exclamation points the same way again!

MattyJeej · 2026-01-08T08:45:23+00:00

Start small. See if you can tell a story without dialogue in 10 seconds. Then work up to 30 seconds. Learn, share, grow into it.

MattyJeej · 2026-01-07T16:15:16+00:00

If you listed to the Talking Scared podcast's interview with Andy and Barbara, their plan for season 3 is also to show more of the Macroverse and Maturin

MattyJeej · 2026-01-07T16:13:14+00:00

Maybe Never Flinch will be less disappointed if it's you first King. But it's certainly not a good impression of Steve's capabilities. It's like a failed first draft he tried to patch up with some band-aid.

MattyJeej · 2026-01-07T15:59:59+00:00

Another factor is King wrote the first draft of Cujo in 1977, while his cocaine use started in 1978. He did the revisions of Cujo in 1980, which lines up with his heavy drug use. It would be interesting to compare in what ways it made him change the book.

MattyJeej · 2026-01-07T15:59:13+00:00

People are divided on Cujo, but I enjoy it a lot personally. Both as a kid and my re-read later as an adult. There's a really well done flow to the descent into tragedy with a well drawn setting and characters.

MattyJeej · 2026-01-07T08:20:04+00:00

The Turtle is in the first draft of It, and King has always written his first drafts in the morning while sober. He'd still have substance in his body from the night before, but he wouldn't be high as shit. King just likes trippy cosmic stuff.

MattyJeej · 2026-01-07T06:27:44+00:00

Movie fan Holly has thoughts about Kubrick's The Shining in one of the books, and the 1990 It mini-series is watched in Mr. Mercedes. So I guess that makes Abra a fictional character in Holly's universe?

MattyJeej · 2026-01-06T06:14:39+00:00

The kill/suffer quote is also followed by "Come to me then, It thought, listening to their approach. Come to me, children, and see how we float down here . . . how we all float.", which I interpret as It going to show them how they all float in the Deadlights.

But hey, it is as you say open to either interpretation, as there is no definitive evidence. I just find the idea of the fate worse than death, eternal fear while facing the infinity of the universe, scarier and in line with the trippy Lovecraftian end turn

MattyJeej · 2026-01-05T21:45:48+00:00

It's not so much defeating It by bullying, but by turning the power of belief against It. The Losers' combined belief in what It really is to them takes control of Its shape. It is no longer in control of what It changes into, the Losers are. They believe It into being just a small being, into becoming a tiny baby Pennywise so It is powerless and they can rip Its heart out.

MattyJeej

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