【Ireland】

The Irelandfirst half of Andy Muschietti's impeccable It adaptation hit theaters less than two years ago. But if you've already forgotten most of what happened, don't feel bad; six of the main characters did, too.

Debuting this weekend, IT Chapter Two takes the Losers' Club back to Derry for another face-off with Pennywise the Dancing Clown. Returning 27 years after their first battle with It, the group of now-grownup Losers aims to kill the ancient cosmic evil once and for all — but can't seem to recall how they did that the first time.

That's all part of Derry's mysterious curse, and the sequel's central plotline. Packed with narrative and visual references to the first installment,IT Chapter Two is as true of a companion film as it gets — practically begging to be watched double-feature style. Tonally, the two projects are stupendously similar and, as Mashable's Angie Han pointed out, the second relies heavily on the first to create a compelling universe.

That said, if you can't hit theaters for a rerelease screening of It and don't want to pay to rent it at home (it's on iTunes and Amazon Prime Video, just fyi), then we've got you covered.

Here's everything you need to remember from It before checking out IT Chapter Two.

Where did we leave The Losers?

We last saw the Losers' Club in 1989, with all seven of its unsung heroes seated along a riverbank. There they decompressed from their recent clash with the literal face of evil, and swore an oath to return to the sewers whenever (and if ever) It came back.

In IT Chapter Two, the group will make good on that promise, but details in this scene foreshadow why their second battle will prove more challenging than the first.

Describing her exposure to the Deadlights (glowing orbs of energy that in Itlore connect It to another dimension), Beverly explains her struggle to recall what exactly happened when she was kidnapped and taken to Pennywise's lair.

"I can only remember parts of it," she says. "I thought I was dead. That's what it felt like. I saw us, all of us, back together in the cistern. But, we were older. Like our parents' ages... I just remember how we felt. How scared we were. I don't think I can ever forget that."

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Beverly's hazy recollection of past events — as well as prediction of things yet to come — play a pivotal role inIT Chapter Two. The specifics behind this are complex and spoiler-heavy. So that said, just know that the Losers can't remember a whole lot about what happened to them back then, but that Beverly knows more than she's letting on. You'll sort out the rest as you go.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

What happened to the Bowers Gang?

Pennywise isn't the only villain in It. Henry Bowers and his greasy companion Patrick Hockstetter, the bullies who terrorized the Losers for much of the first film, met gruesome ends back in '89 — or at least, it would seem so.

SEE ALSO: 'IT Chapter Two' brings the Losers' saga to a mostly satisfying finish

Hockstetter died chasing Ben through the sewers with a lighter and a can of spray paint. Meanwhile, Bowers, under the influence of It, brutally murdered his father and then fell down a well thanks to a (deserved) push from Mike.

You don't need to remember much about these guys, except that they exist — er, exist-ed — and are just one small part of Derry's town-wide jerk contingent.

What's Pennywise been up to?

Turns out, even the Eater of Worlds needs a solid snooze.

The end of It doesn't make clear exactly what happens to It once defeated by the Losers, but we do have a general sense of the cycle It follows. As explained in the first film, It returns to Derry roughly every 27 to 30 years, taking different forms to instill fear in potential victims. It's presence is often heralded by a highly visible and gruesome act of violence.

Between appearances, It hibernates. During these periods, life is safer in Derry and folks previously terrorized by It are free to forget nightmares gone by — although Its presence is always felt.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

How can It be killed?

In It, the Losers were able to bring Pennywise's feeding season to a premature end. In IT Chapter Two, they're going to finally — and I quote — "kill this fucking clown."

Granted, how they're going to go about doing that is murky at best. The It mythos is ludicrously complex, as evidenced by the pages upon pages author Stephen King dedicated to explaining it in the original novel, and Muschietti's part onedoesn't begin to cover its nuances.

Here's what we do know per the first film: It can be defeated, or at least subdued, when its potential victims are not afraid. Simply put, belief in It is what makes It so powerful. And belief in yourself, well... you'll just have to see the movie to find out.

IT Chapter Twofloats into theaters Sept. 6.

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