Welcome to Derry Could Have Solved a Longstanding It Mystery

Pennywise's influence on the young residents of the Derry series shapes them throughout their adult lives, twisting them into the exact individuals who perpetuate the community's pattern of animosity ongoing. The creature finds easy targets on children from fractured households — youngsters who frequently grow up to repeat the same patterns as their guardians. However, the Hanlon family stands apart as one of the few family unit that never splinters, which could clarify why Mike, even after choosing to stay in the town, persists as the only Loser who never fully falls under the clown's influence.

Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resistance

In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy Hanlon finally becomes increasingly conscious of the paranormal entities surrounding the community, particularly when It starts haunting his son, Will, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon family comprises some of the few adults who are aware that things are not right with the town, especially the father, who was revealed to be sensitive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's use of it in episode 3. Later, Leroy sees one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his residence. The ability, coupled with his failure to feel fear, along with the base of his household, could be why he's capable of perceiving the entity's manifestations. However, consider if that shining is hereditary, and one of the reasons Mike is among the few adults in the town who didn't lose themselves to its cruelty?

Will is part of the group of kids at his educational institution being tormented by Pennywise. His classmates hail from dysfunctional families, with caregivers who don't believe they're being targeted. The cause Will is being pursued is due to the cruelty of the town, combined with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. The Hanlons are fundamentally outsiders in Derry during 1962, which lends itself towards the household feeling anomalies exist about the locality from the onset. They also have a good foundation that isn't fractured, in contrast to the residents who originate in the town, with relationships that have deteriorated within.

Backstory Connections

Based on the original book, we know the young Will Hanlon will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where Hallorann will save him from a blaze that the local KKK members of the community will cause. In the recent film, we see that he has a son named Mike and that Will eventually perishes in a configration, with Leroy outliving his own son and taking his grandson in. The official story in the film is that the parents were on substances, but given our current view of him in the series, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the shy boy, once he grew up, turned to drink to rid himself of the torments, or perhaps the rotten environment affected him initially, with the hate group ultimately finishing the job it began long before. Whether through the fear of Pennywise or through the malice of the community, seeded by It, the creature eventually gets the final victory on him.

The Father's Evolution

This chain of events would clarify how the elder Hanlon transforms so radically from what we see in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his later years, he appears resentful and much harsher with his parenting. Since he survived his own offspring, it's comprehensible to see such a drastic change. Nonetheless, his words carry more weight now that we know he's seen Pennywise's hauntings and the impacts they wrought upon his son. In the opening scene of It, we observe Mike pause to use a stunning device on a animal at Leroy's farm. Leroy reprimands him for hesitating and provides an analogy that results in a kill-or-be-killed scenario.

“You have two options you can be in this existence. You can be out here like we are, or you can be trapped inside,” Leroy states as he points to the sheep. “You dawdle hemming and hawing, and someone is going to make that choice. But you won't know it until you feel that bolt in your head.”

In hindsight, this could be a bit of prediction, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own son. Perhaps he wishes he had acted differently in his past, but for some reason, he couldn't resist the repellent allure of the town.