IT: Welcome To Derry Just Beat The Movies With A Major Character Death

This article contains spoilers for "IT: Welcome to Derry" season 1, episode 7, "The Black Spot."

Since the very first episode, "IT: Welcome to Derry" has emphasized that no character is safe. However, that sentiment is driven home and then some in episode 7, which features the demise of young Rich Santos (Arian S. Cartaya) — arguably the most heartbreaking death of the entire season thus far. Heck, it might even be the most devastating moment in the entire "IT" franchise, including the movies.

Bill Skarsgård's Pennywise doesn't show up until "IT: Welcome to Derry" episode 5, but his presence has been felt since the beginning, and his evil chokehold has turned some of the Derry townsfolk into villains. This brings us to "The Black Spot," which sees a flame-engulfed shootout commence between an all-white mob and the Black residents, the latter of whom are trapped in a burning building. Unfortunately, Rich gets caught in the middle of it and dies while saving Marge Truman (Matilda Lawler), becoming the atrocity's most heartbreaking casualty.

Not only is Rich's death tragic, but it also makes a powerful statement that is way more emphatic than any tragedy that happens in the films (which are disturbing in their own right). The character is emblematic of this entire franchise's heroes' greatest qualities, so it feels like a blow to everything that makes us root for the Losers Club. Let's dig into it.

"IT: Welcome to Derry" episode 7 is a disturbing outing that hammers home the point that humans can be more wicked than supernatural clowns (although Pennywise makes a strong case for why he's just as bad). The sequence that leads to Rich Santos' demise is full of racially motivated horror that showcases "Welcome to Derry" channeling real-world history to create terror. This is arguably the bigger point the show's creators wanted to make with this turn of events. Killing off Rich is merely the exclamation mark.

That said, this death feels like a kick in the teeth, as Rich is just so likable and everything a Losers Club member should be. He boasts the romantic qualities of Ben Hanscom (Jeremy Ray Taylor) and the wit of Richie Tozier (Finn Wolfhard) and Eddie Kaspbrak (Jack Dylan Grazer), making him a familiar franchise archetype. With that in mind, Rich is the type of character who should emerge as the ultimate hero once the nightmare is over, so the decision to kill him off is truly shocking. 

More importantly, it's another reminder that no one is safe, so expect more horror as we reach the end of "IT: Welcome to Derry" season 1. Heartbreaking or not, deaths of this magnitude add real stakes and unpredictability to the story, which is quite exciting from a viewers' perspective. Plus, let's look at the upside — this might not be the last we see of Rich. Pennywise may yet resurrect him as nightmare fuel to torment the other kids, so that's something to potentially look forward to (and dread, albeit in a good way).

"IT: Welcome to Derry" is currently streaming on HBO Max.