Welcome to Derry Could Have Unraveled a Lingering Pennywise Enigma

The clown's impact on the children of Welcome to Derry shapes them throughout their adult lives, twisting them into the exact individuals who keep the town's cycle of hatred ongoing. It finds easy targets on kids from broken homes — youngsters who frequently grow up to replicate the same patterns as their parents. However, the Hanlon family stands apart as one of the few households that remains intact, which may explain why Mike, even after electing to remain in the town, remains the only Loser who never fully falls under Pennywise's sway.

Hanlon Household's Unique Resistance

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy at last grows increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces surrounding the community, particularly when It begins tormenting his child, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon family consists of some of the few adults who are cognizant that things are not right with the town, notably Leroy, who was revealed to be receptive to the Shining when he was able to detect Dick Hallorann's employment of it in episode 3. Subsequently, Leroy spots one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his house. This gift, coupled with his failure to feel fear, combined with the foundation of his household, may be why he's able to see the entity's manifestations. But what if that shining is hereditary, and a key factor Mike Hanlon is among the few individuals in the town who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?

The boy is part of the collective of children at his school being terrorized by Pennywise. His classmates come from broken homes, with parents who don't believe they're being haunted. The cause he is being haunted is due to the viciousness of the community, combined with his likely receptiveness to shine, which renders him vulnerable. The Hanlons are ultimately strangers in Derry during 1962, which lends itself towards the family feeling something is off about the locality from the onset. Additionally, they possess a solid base that remains unbroken, in contrast to the residents who originate in the area, with relationships that have deteriorated internally.

Backstory Connections

Based on the original book, we know the juvenile Will Hanlon will find himself at the Black Spot, where the psychic will rescue him from a fire that the town bigots of the community will cause. In the 2017 movie, we see that Will has a son named Mike and that Will eventually perishes in a configration, with his father outliving his own son and adopting his grandchild. The public account in the film is that the parents were on drugs, but given our current view of him in the series, that's hard to believe. Maybe the shy boy, once he became an adult, leaned into drink to free himself of the torments, or perhaps the corrupt environment got to him initially, with the KKK eventually finishing the job it began years ago. Whether through the terror of the entity or via the malice of the town, seeded by Pennywise, the creature eventually gets the final victory on him.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would explain how Leroy transforms so drastically from what we see in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, Leroy appears resentful and much harsher with his discipline. Because he outlived his own offspring, it's understandable to see such a profound shift. However, his statements hold greater significance since we are aware he's witnessed Pennywise's hauntings and the impacts they wrought upon his son. In the initial sequence of the movie, we see the boy pause to use a stunning device on a animal at the family property. His grandfather 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 in the open like we are, or you can be trapped inside,” Leroy says as he points to the creature. “You dawdle indecisive, and another is going to decide for you. Except you will be unaware it until you experience that bolt in your head.”

In hindsight, this could be a bit of foreshadowing, something he wishes he had told his own son. Perhaps he desires he had acted differently in his youth, but for some reason, he was unable to avoid the repellent attraction of Derry.