This week’s episode of IT: Welcome to Derry may have debuted early for Halloween, but the little HBO treat ended with a bit of a trick. Specifically, and spoilers past this point, the second episode of the season ended with the reveal that Operation Precept, aka the military’s plan to weaponize Pennywise (Bill Skårsgard), had unearthed a… Car full of skeletons? And while this is mysterious enough, if you’re a fan of the books you know exactly what this is: the Bradley Gang. The trick part? TV viewers may not find out more about it until Season 2.
…Unless of course you read this article which explains the ending of IT: Welcome to Derry Episode 2, I guess! So let’s get into it.
What’s Up With The Car Full Of Skeletons In IT: Welcome To Derry? That’s The Remains Of The Bradley Gang
One of the neat things about the novel IT by Stephen King is that it doesn’t just jump between the childhood and adulthood of The Losers Club, it also includes interludes that take place at other points in Pennywise’s 27-year cycle of horror. Each time Pennywise emerges, he kills a bunch of kids, and then ends with a grand guignol that usually targets the adults of the town, pushing them to do something absolutely awful themselves.
One of those? The massacre of The Bradley Gang. Or rather, this is a guignol that kicked the cycle off. Run by two brothers named Al and George Bradley, they and their gang cut a wave of crime across America throughout the early 1900s. Unfortunately for them, they ended up in Derry in 1929 towards the beginning of Pennywise’s cycle. While they mostly laid low, one day they decided to go hunting, and ordered a ton of ammunition. When they came to pick it up, 50-60 men were laying in wait, and the gang was brutally gunned down by the townspeople. We know Pennywise was behind it because he showed up as a clown in a farmer’s overalls, casting no shadow — because he can not not be dramatic.
To the outside world, it seemed like the Bradley Gang was killed by law enforcement officials because of the murky memory magic around Pennywise’s appearances. But the story is remembered by some, and recounted to Mike Hanlon (one of the Losers Club) in the book.
In the show, that’s clearly who they are – the Bradley Gang, buried in their car. Whether that was the town covering it up or not is unknown at this time. And mild non-spoiler, but you won’t find out any more about the car, the skeletons, or the Bradley Gang in the first five episodes of the series.
Here’s Why The Bradley Gang Won’t Show Up Until IT: Welcome To Derry Season 2
…In fact, I’d take it a step further and say you likely won’t see anymore on this car until Season 2 of IT: Welcome to Derry. The show has yet to be renewed, but there were strong ratings for the first episode, and in fact, they’ve already got a plan for more.
“There is an intentional bigger arc that will open,” show developer, director, and executive producer Andy Muschietti told Deadline. “My intention with this was to create a story that is a little bit like an iceberg under the water all through Seasons 1, 2 and 3. There will be an expansion in the mythology and more answers to the big questions… The second season will be in 1935. At the end of Season 1, we are hinting at the reason why we are going to tell the story in two more seasons and backwards.”
You may notice that Muschietti said “1935” and not “1929.” There’s a good reason for that, and we need to get into a little timeline wonkiness. In IT the novel, the Bradley Gang massacre happens during the 1929-1930 cycle, and then 27 years later the Losers Club first encounters Pennywise in 1957-1958. They then fight him again as adults in 1984-1985.
However, IT: Welcome to Derry takes place in the continuity of the 2017 and 2019 movies, which moved up the timeline… Working backward, IT: Chapter Two with the adult Losers takes place in 2016. IT takes place in 1988-1989. That leaves a gap that’s been filled by Welcome to Derry, which takes place during the 1961-1962 cycle. Meaning the Bradley Gang massacre now takes place during 1934-1935. This is actual info that was in a mural on a wall in the 2017 movie, in the scene where the Losers are trying to help Ben (Jeremy Ray Taylor) who has just had his stomach slashed… They’re in an alleyway, and behind them is a picture of the Bradley Gang car, Pennywise hiding underneath, and even mug shots of Al and George.
So yeah, you wouldn’t find out what happened or why there’s skeletons in the car until Season 2, because we’re in a different time period. Unless you read everything I wrote above, in which case… You already know!
IT: Welcome To Derry Premiere Dates And Episode Guide:
New episodes of IT: Welcome To Derry premiere on Sundays on HBO and HBO Max at 9pm ET.
Here’s the full list of episodes in IT: Welcome to Derry Season 1 with premiere dates:
- Sunday, October 26, 2025: IT: Welcome To Derry, Season 1, Episode 1
- Sunday, November 2, 2025: IT: Welcome To Derry, Season 1, Episode 2
- Sunday, November 9, 2025: IT: Welcome To Derry, Season 1, Episode 3
- Sunday, November 16, 2025: IT: Welcome To Derry, Season 1, Episode 4
- Sunday, November 23, 2025: IT: Welcome To Derry, Season 1, Episode 5
- Sunday, November 30, 2025: IT: Welcome To Derry, Season 1, Episode 6
- Sunday, December 7, 2025: IT: Welcome To Derry, Season 1, Episode 7
- Sunday, December 14, 2025: IT: Welcome To Derry, Season 1, Episode 8 *Season Finale*
Where To Watch IT: Welcome To Derry
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