Welcome to Derry Episode 5, “Neibolt Street,” is undoubtedly the most exciting episode since the first. After Dick Hallorann’s intrusive entry into Taniel’s mind to gather information on how to find It, the first real Pennywise confrontation occurs in the sewers, and not everyone makes it out alive. But in addition to the tunnel scenes, a major revelation about a character once thought minor will change everything.

Mrs. Kersh is a terrifying character who appears in Stephen King’s 1986 novel IT, the 1990 made-for-TV miniseries, and the 2019 film IT: Chapter Two. The scene of her in Beverly’s childhood apartment is one of the scariest and most memorable moments in the franchise. Welcome to Derry has now confirmed that Mrs. Kersh is not only in the show, but was actually secretly introduced in Episode 3, albeit in a very different way than anything fans have seen or read about before.

Who Is Mrs. Kersh in Stephen King’s IT Universe?

Image via Warner Bros.

Beverly Marsh’s father, Alvin Marsh, was known for being abusive and controlling toward his daughter. When she returns to Derry as an adult, she is unsure if he is still alive, since they lost touch over the years. In IT: Chapter Two, Beverly visits the apartment they once lived in, and hesitantly rings the bell on the door marked with the “Marsh” name. However, it isn’t her father who answers the door.

The apartment appears to be home to an elderly woman named Mrs. Kersh. When Beverly rechecks the name, the label she thought said “Marsh” now reads “Kersh.” Mrs. Kersh explains that Alvin has died and invites her inside for something to drink. Beverly accepts and takes the opportunity to explore the apartment, including the spot where she once hid a postcard from a secret admirer (the Losers’ Club’s Ben Hanscom).

As they drink tea, Beverly quickly becomes uneasy as Mrs. Kersh begins acting strangely. However, the elderly woman insists she stay a little longer while she goes into the kitchen to get cookies out of the oven. That is when Beverly notices an old photo on the wall of a little girl next to a circus performer named Robert ‘Bob’ Gray, also known as Pennywise the Dancing Clown. Mrs. Kersh reveals that her father had joined the circus when he arrived in America, just before a monstrous, nude version of the woman rushes out of the dark kitchen and chases Beverly.

There are fan theories that Bob Gray and his daughter were once real people, and Gray performed at the circus that came to Derry in 1908. It may have killed them both during that cycle, then taken on Gray’s Pennywise, now its most iconic form. Of course, It can take any form, and human figures don’t seem to depend on whether the person ever actually existed. Mrs. Kersh and her father may have always been illusions and nothing more, but neither has been confirmed.

Mrs. Kersh Was Secretly Introduced in Welcome to Derry Episode 3

Image via Brooke Palmer/HBO

Welcome to Derry Episode 3 begins with a flashback to 1908, where young Francis Shaw visits the circus with his father. As he walks through the crowd, he notices a young girl in the distance dressed as a clown, wearing makeup similar to Pennywise and holding red balloons. The girl has a concerned, almost sad look on her face as she gazes off into the surrounding carnival.

Based on the photo Beverly saw in the apartment, the girl might be young Mrs. Kersh. If she and Bob Gray were real people, she could have been worried about her missing father. Although everything is uncertain right now, a future season of Welcome to Derry will explore the 1908 cycle, so fans can look forward to learning more about them as the series progresses.

However, it is now confirmed that an adult Mrs. Kersh appeared later in the same episode. Lilly Bainbridge, who was sent to Derry’s Juniper Hill mental health facility after the grocery store pickle incident, is seen talking with the head of housekeeping, Ingrid. In Welcome to Derry Episode 5, it is revealed that Ingrid’s last name is indeed Kersh. The Juniper Hill scene follows the 1908 carnival scene and the opening credits, which is likely intentional.

Unlike the frightening version Beverly Marsh later encounters, Mrs. Kersh appears to Lilly as a gentle, caring woman who genuinely has her best interests at heart. She is the only adult Lilly trusts enough to share details about the sinister events happening in Derry. Ingrid never questions the girl’s judgment or stories and even makes Lilly promise not to go into the sewer to find the missing kids. This raises the question of why the entity would choose this persona.

One obvious answer is to earn Lilly’s trust and lure her and the other kids into the tunnels. Also, telling a kid not to do something can often have the opposite effect, as it did with Lilly, who went into the sewer. While down there, she comes face-to-face with Pennywise, who tells Lilly she got everyone to come down because she’s “such a good friend.” Whether Pennywise is talking about her being a good friend to It/Mrs. Kersh or her real friends is left open to interpretation.

Another interesting detail is that the doctor at Juniper Hill tells Lilly’s mom that the girl “forged quite the bond last summer with the head of our housekeeping staff.” Pennywise’s feeding cycle is known to last about a year, and it is nearing its end. This means It befriended Lilly right after hibernation. Maintaining the relationship for so long suggests there might be something bigger at play with Lilly.

During a Shokopiwah tribe meeting, a member explains that there are signs the cycle is ending, including residents becoming more aggressive. There will also be “One last big, bloody event that marks the end of a cycle.” Showrunners have confirmed that Episode 7 is titled “The Black Spot,” which should feature the deadly fire from the novel.

Lilly Isn’t Ingrid Kersh’s Only Victim

Image via Brooke Palmer/HBO

Another revelation in Episode 5 is Ingrid’s connection with Ronnie’s father, Hank Grogan. Accused of killing the missing kids from Episode 1, Hank is transferred from Derry jail to the notorious Shawshank Prison. However, on the way to the prison, something attacks the bus, allowing Hank to escape. He runs to his secret lover, Ingrid Kersh, for help.

Hank told Charlotte Hanlon earlier in the season that he couldn’t provide an alibi for the murders because he was with a married white woman. He was afraid that if the town found out, they would hang him, and her husband might hurt her. Inflicting fear, anger, and violence is what Pennywise does best, and framing Hank for horrific crimes during a time of intense racial chaos accomplishes just that.

At the end of the episode, Mrs. Kersh visits Charlotte at the Derry Army Base to talk about their “mutual friend.” At this point, Charlotte is the only member of the Hanlon family who hasn’t had violent contact with It. However, that might soon change.

Welcome to Derry Dropped Clues About Ingrid All Along

Image via Brooke Palmer/HBO

Looking back at Mrs. Kersh’s appearances, there are clues about her connection to Pennywise. One of the most noticeable is the color red. Although Ingrid isn’t wearing red in her first scene with Lilly, she wears it often in later scenes, including when she sees Hank. Also, there is quite a bit of red at the butcher shop her husband, Stan Kersh, owns, which we see when Charlotte Hanlon stops in.

Aside from Lilly, Hank, Stan, and Charlotte, Ingrid has not been seen talking to anyone else. And, although the doctor at Juniper Hill mentioned Lilly’s relationship with her, Ingrid’s name wasn’t brought up. Of course, the doctor might even be one of It’s illusions.

The biggest clue, however, is her role at Juniper Hill. In Stephen King’s IT novel, Mrs. Kersh tells Beverly, “At the hospital I worked…Many years—from 1925 I worked there. I rose to the position of head housekeeper.” The early revelation of Ingrid’s job undoubtedly confirmed the character’s true identity to die-hard fans.

Following Welcome to Derry Episode 5, there are even more unanswered questions and a lot to process. Mrs. Kersh has always been one of the most interesting side characters in this Stephen King universe, and it will be exciting to finally learn more about her and Bob Gray.

It: Welcome to Derry airs every Sunday on HBO, leading up to the season finale on December 14.