Fear plot hole in It: Welcome to Derry Episode 5 could’ve saved the military’s plan

Bill Skarsgard’s Pennywise finally rears his pasty white head in It: Welcome to Derry Episode 5, but there’s a surprising plot hole around the idea of fear that could’ve saved the military’s plan. Spoilers ahead!

The fifth episode of the horror TV show revolved around both the kids and a military squad led by Leroy Hanlon (Jovan Adepo) heading underground to try stop It, which goes just as well as you might imagine. For starters some of the soldiers get snatched away by a demonic version of Uncle Sam, but we’ll leave you to read the subtext on that one.

Leroy even questions if the kids are real when they cross paths — and almost shoots his own son, but Captain Russo (Rudy Mancuso) steps in the way of the bullet instead. It’s a tragic loss for Leroy, who will also have to deal with the guilt of nearly killing Will.

But there’s a glaring tool the military could’ve used to help the soldiers survive against the inter-dimensional killer clown.

Why didn’t the military use drugs to help their soldiers feel fearless against Pennywise?

Brooke Palmer/HBO

The kids in It: Welcome to Derry Episode 5 use Lily’s mother’s anxiety medication so they don’t feel scared, thus not attracting Pennywise… So why didn’t the military use drugs for their soldiers for the same effect?

Obviously, the argument can be made that the tablets didn’t actually stop the kids feeling fear, since Pennywise still tried to attack Lily at the end of the episode and was only stopped by the meteorite shard. But even a few seconds might have given the soldiers a momentary advantage over Pennywise that could’ve helped them trap him using the meteorite shard, or at least escape.

General Shaw (James Remar) and the rest of the military in the Derry base already know about Pennywise’s hunger for fear. Remember, they recruited Leroy because his amygdala (the part of the brain which manages our fight or flight response) was damaged during the Korean war.

Brooke Palmer/HBO

Considering the military has used drugs in real-world scenarios to regulate their soldiers’ state of mind or bodily functions, it seems surprising that Shaw hasn’t considered doing the same in Derry. It would also mean Shaw would have more people to actively hunt for Pennywise, not just Leroy.

Since Pennywise still exists in the IT movies and the military is nowhere to be seen, it seems highly likely that their goal of controlling the clown is going to fail with disastrous consequences.

Until we learn more about Pennywise in It: Welcome to Derry, take a look at how it might tie into The Mist, discover which scene scared Stephen King the most, and check out the best horror movies of 2025.