The series reveals the parents of the film’s protagonists, but leaves the biggest mystery of 1962 unsolved
The end of the first season of This: Welcome to Derry It was a treat of revelations for Stephen King fans. In a conclusion marked by visceral horror and direct links to the films of Andy Muschietti, the series has settled the details which connect the past of 1962 to the future of 1989. We now know, without a shadow of a doubt, that Margarine will carry the future joker in his belly Richie Tozier and that the survival of Will guarantees the existence of the librarian Mike Hanlon.
However, amidst the fulfilled prophecies and confirmed lineages, one question remains glaring: What is Lily’s fate and how (or if) does she connect to the Losers’ Club of the future? This is the one major answer that the series has chosen not to offer on set, generating a heated debate that seems to have been designed on purpose by the showrunners. Jason Fuchs and Brad Caleb Kane.
Silence on Lily’s parentage
While Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård) explicitly teases Marge about her future child, the clown does not offer the same prophetic clarity to Read. At the end of the last episode, Read survives the confrontation on the ice and ends the season by visiting his father’s grave, seeking closure to his grief.
Unlike its peers, whose narrative DNA is now irrevocably linked to the heroes of the films, Read ends up as a “spare part”. This left fans with two main theories, neither of which have been made official by the HBO or by the creators to date.
Theory A: Beverly Marsh’s mother?
The most popular (and tragic) theory is that Read will grow to become Elfrida Marshthe mother of Beverly Marais.
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The proof: In the films and the book, the mother of Bev is an absent or passive figure, who suffers from mental problems and eventually dies (in some versions, suicide; in others, illness), leaving Bev alone with her violent father, Alvin.
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The connection: Given the serious trauma that Read suffered and her proximity to the madness of Derry, many believe she could end up hospitalized Juniper Hill (the psychiatric asylum mentioned in the series and the books), in connection with the tragic fate of Ms. Marsh. The epilogue of the series, which features a young Beverly Marais finding his mother dead in the retirement home (with the elderly version of Ingrid Kersh on site), reinforces this possibility, but the series No names the deceased mother as “Read”.
Theory B: The Forgotten Survivor
The second possibility is that Read being an anomaly in the canon: a survivor who simply escaped. Contrary to Margarine And Willwho must remain in Derry (or have children who come back) so that the wheel of destiny turns, Read It can represent those who manage to break the cycle. While she’s not the mother of any “loser,” her destiny is a blank canvas that, in King’s universe, can be both a blessing and a curse.
Why didn’t the answer come?
The decision not to compromise the future of Read contrasts with the heavy confirmation concerning Richie Tozier. This suggests that the creators could keep this asset for future seasons. With confirmation that the series will explore other eras (like the 1930s), the story of Read the adult can be informed in a non-linear way or revealed as a twist devastating in the future.
For now, Read remains the last great mystery of 1962. Is she the mother of a hero, a forgotten patient of Juniper Hill, or the only one who really won Pennywise by disappearing from history?
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