Dick Hallorann, a character first seen in Stephen King’s The Shining, is playing a significant part in the It: Welcome to Derry series. While he made a brief appearance in King’s original It novel from 1986, the HBO series greatly expands his role, with Chris Chalk portraying him. The fifth episode, “Neibolt Street,” reveals connections between the TV series character and details of his past that were initially explored in King’s 2013 novel Doctor Sleep, which continued the story of The Shining and was later adapted into a film.
The fifth episode of Welcome to Derry shows the U.S. military, led by General Shaw, entering the tunnels beneath Derry, Maine. Their plan is to capture Pennywise and weaponize him. However, Pennywise is an incredibly old and powerful being, impossible to control easily. He can invade anyone’s thoughts, even those with psychic abilities like Dick Hallorann. When Dick confronts Pennywise in the tunnels, Pennywise enters his mind, giving us a disturbing glimpse into Pennywise’s history.
The story delves into Dick’s troubled past, revealing a childhood filled with abuse at the hands of his cruel grandfather, Andy. We witness Andy verbally and physically tormenting Dick, specifically for secretly communicating telepathically with his grandmother, Rose, who also possesses psychic abilities. This infuriates Andy, who is revealed to be a manifestation of Pennywise, and he threatens Rose’s life unless Dick unlocks a locked metal box. This box holds Dick’s hidden power, and feeling he has no other option to protect Rose, Dick reluctantly opens it.
The idea of a ‘mental box’ first appeared in Doctor Sleep as a way for people with psychic abilities (‘shine’) to protect themselves. After Andy Hallorann’s death, Dick’s grandmother, Rose, discovered the extent of the abuse he had suffered and taught him how to trap harmful psychic entities – essentially restless spirits – inside this mental box. Dick then passed this skill on to young Danny Torrance in Doctor Sleep, and it proved crucial during the novel’s final confrontation. In Mike Flanagan’s film adaptation, we see adult Danny use the mental box to defeat a dangerous, vampire-like cult.
After his terrifying experience with Pennywise, Dick emerges from the tunnels in a daze. His special box, which usually contains his psychic abilities, is now open, and he sees the ghost of the soldier Randy Mancuso. This means he can no longer control or contain his powers. While we know he’ll regain this control later, during the events of The Shining, it’s currently unclear how Pennywise will exploit Dick’s now-open box. Could it be connected to the fire at the Black Spot, as described in Stephen King’s novel? We’ll find out as the rest of Welcome to Derry unfolds.
It: Welcome to Derry is currently streaming on HBO Max.
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2025-11-24 06:04