IT Chapter Two tries to spin the reveal of Stan’s suicide note into a touching moment, but in doing so, fails the character and sends a bad message. While the first IT movie and its sequel IT Chapter Two changed many aspects of Stephen King’s book on which they’re based, one plot point that remained the same was that the Losers’ Club doesn’t return to Derry at full strength.
The Losers’ Club - or as they’re sometimes referred to, the Lucky Seven - all head back to Derry as adults, nearly 30 years after seemingly vanquishing IT’s titular creature. Of course, Pennywise actually isn’t dead, so much as weakened enough that it returned to hibernation. Having had 27 years to plot its revenge, Pennywise can’t wait to claim ultimate victory over the now grown kids that once proved its superior. Of course, before the Losers even arrive for round two, they’ve already lost one of their own, Stan Uris.
Tragically, Stan opts to take his own life instead of revisiting his childhood horrors. Retaining this plot point was expected, where IT Chapter Two went wrong was drastically changing Stan’s motivation for dying by suicide, in a way that ruined his character.
In the IT Book and Miniseries, Stan’s Suicide Is a Rash Decision Motivated by Fear
In both Stephen King’s IT book and the 1990 miniseries adaptation, the Losers’ Club “lighthouse keeper” Mike Hanlon phones all his old friends to let them know Pennywise is back, and remind him of their promise to return if it did. Stan is the last to get his call, and hearing from Mike causes a rush of terrifying childhood memories to flood back. Overcome with fear and emotionally shattered, Stan quietly sets off to take a bath, during which he cuts his wrists and bleeds to death. This is not portrayed as a calculated act, and is instead the method of escape utilized by a desperately fearful man. Stan’s suicide is both tragic and sudden, and it gives Pennywise emotional ammunition to use against the Losers. However, in IT Chapter Two, Stan’s suicide note reveals his demise to be a cold, logical calculation, made after much thought, utterly betraying his original character arc.
IT Chapter Two Portrays Stan’s Suicide as The Right Decision, An Irresponsible Message
In 2019, a time where awareness of depression and other mental health conditions is much higher than it used to be, the way IT Chapter Two presents Stan’s suicide note is quite irresponsible. Instead of presenting Stan’s death as the final act of a desperate man, Stan’s suicide note paints his sad end as an act of friendship, and courage. Stan says he knew he’d be the weak link of the Losers’ Club when battling Pennywise, so he took himself out of the equation. Stan leaves behind a wife and family that will presumably never understand why Stan did what he did, since it’s doubtful he saw fit to sit his spouse down and explain that he simply had to die so his friends can properly fight an ancient shape-shifting clown. Even worse, the other Losers react to Stan’s note as if the information revealed is heartwarming, when they should instead be horrified and angry. Presenting suicide as Stan’s best option in IT Chapter Two is both upsetting and negligent, and Stephen King fans deserved better.
More: IT Chapter Two Tries To Fix Stephen King’s Ending Problem (But Can’t)
