The Derry Chronicles Could Have Unraveled a Longstanding It Enigma

Pennywise's impact on the children of the Derry series molds them long into adulthood, transforming them into the very adults who perpetuate the town's cycle of animosity ongoing. It finds easy targets on children from fractured households — youngsters who often grow up to repeat the identical behaviors as their guardians. But, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as a rare example of a family unit that never splinters, which could clarify why Mike, even after choosing to stay in the town, remains the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under Pennywise's sway.

The Hanlon Family's Unique Resistance

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy Hanlon finally becomes more aware of the supernatural forces surrounding the community, particularly when the entity starts haunting his child, Will, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family comprises a small number of adults who are aware that something is amiss with the municipality, especially Leroy, who was revealed to be sensitive to psychic abilities when he was capable of sensing Dick Hallorann's use of it in episode 3. Subsequently, he sees one of the clown's trademark inflated orbs outside his house. The ability, coupled with his inability to feel fear, along with the base of his family, may be why he's able to see Pennywise's hauntings. But what if that psychic sensitivity is hereditary, and one of the reasons Mike Hanlon is among the few adults in the town who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?

The boy is a member of the group of children at his school being tormented by the clown. His classmates come from broken homes, with caregivers 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 fundamentally outsiders in the town during the early sixties, which contributes towards the household feeling something is off about the locality from the onset. Additionally, they possess a good foundation that remains unbroken, in contrast to the folks who originate in the town, with bonds that have deteriorated within.

Backstory Connections

Based on the It novel, we know the juvenile Will Hanlon will end up at the infamous nightclub, where the psychic will save him from a blaze that the local KKK members of Derry will ignite. In the recent movie, we see that Will has a son named Mike and that Will eventually perishes in a configration, with Leroy surviving his own child and adopting his grandchild. The public account in the motion picture is that Mike's parents were on drugs, but now that we see him in Welcome to Derry, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the shy boy, once he grew up, leaned into drink to free himself of the torments, or perhaps the rotten environment affected him initially, with the hate group eventually completing the job it started long before. Be it via the fear of the entity or through the cruelty of the town, seeded by It, the creature in the end gets the final victory on Will.

Leroy's Transformation

This chain of events would clarify how Leroy transforms so drastically from what we see in the first film and the prequel. In his later years, Leroy appears resentful and much stricter with his discipline. Because he outlived his own offspring, it's understandable to observe such a profound shift. However, his words hold greater significance since we are aware he's seen the clown's activities and the effects they had on his child. In the opening scene of It, we see the boy hesitate to use a bolt gun on a sheep at the family property. Leroy chastises him for delaying and provides an analogy that leads to a kill-or-be-killed situation.

“There are two places you can be in this existence. You can be in the open like us, or you can be in there,” Leroy says as he points to the creature. “You dawdle indecisive, and another is going to make that choice. But you will be unaware it until you experience that projectile between your eyes.”

In hindsight, this could represent a bit of foreshadowing, something he wishes he had told his own child. Perhaps he wishes he had done something in his youth, but for certain factors, he couldn't resist the repellent allure of Derry.