Welcome to Derry Could Have Unraveled a Longstanding Pennywise Enigma

Pennywise's impact on the children of the Derry series molds them long into adulthood, twisting them into the exact individuals who perpetuate the town's pattern of hatred ongoing. It finds easy targets on children from fractured homes — youngsters who often mature to replicate the same patterns as their parents. However, the Hanlon household distinguishes itself as a rare example of a households that never splinters, which could clarify why Mike, even after electing to remain in Derry, persists as the sole member who never fully falls under the clown's influence.

The Hanlon Family's Unique Resilience

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy Hanlon finally becomes increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces enveloping the neighborhood, especially when It starts haunting his son, Will, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon clan consists of some of the few adults who are cognizant that things are not right with the municipality, notably Leroy, who was revealed to be receptive to psychic abilities when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's use of it in the third episode. Later, he sees one of the clown's trademark inflated orbs outside his house. The ability, coupled with his failure to experience terror, along with the base of his family, may be why he's able to see the entity's manifestations. However, consider if that psychic sensitivity is generational, and a key factor Mike Hanlon is among the few individuals in Derry who didn't lose themselves to its cruelty?

Will is a member of the group of kids at his educational institution being terrorized by the clown. All his school friends come from broken homes, with caregivers who don't believe they're being haunted. The reason he is being pursued is due to the cruelty of the community, paired with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are fundamentally outsiders in the town during the early sixties, which contributes towards the family sensing anomalies exist about the locality from the beginning. They also have a good foundation that isn't fractured, unlike the folks who come from the town, with bonds that have decayed within.

Historical Context

Based on the original book, we understand the young Will will end up at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will save him from a fire that the town bigots of the community will cause. In the recent film, we see that Will has a boy named Mike and that the father ultimately dies in a configration, with his father surviving his own son and taking his grandson in. The public account in the motion picture is that Mike's parents were on drugs, but now that we see Will in Welcome to Derry, that's hard to believe. Perhaps the timid boy, once he grew up, turned to drink to free himself of the torments, or maybe the corrupt environment got to him initially, with the KKK ultimately completing the job it started years ago. Whether through the terror of Pennywise or through the malice of the town, instigated by Pennywise, It in the end gets the final victory on Will.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would clarify how the elder Hanlon changes so radically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, Leroy appears bitter and much harsher with his parenting. Because he survived his own son, it's comprehensible to see such a drastic change. However, his statements carry more weight since we are aware he's witnessed Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they wrought upon his son. In the initial sequence of It, we see Mike hesitate to use a bolt gun on a animal at Leroy's farm. His grandfather chastises him for delaying and provides an metaphor that results in a kill-or-be-killed situation.

“There are two places you can be in this world. You can be in the open like us, or you can be in there,” Leroy says 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 experience that bolt in your head.”

Looking back, this could be a piece of foreshadowing, something he regrets not imparting to his own son. Maybe he wishes he had acted differently in his youth, but for some reason, he was unable to avoid the sickening allure of Derry.