Welcome to Derry May Have Solved a Lingering It Enigma
The clown's influence on the young residents of Welcome to Derry molds them throughout their adult lives, transforming them into the exact individuals who perpetuate the town's pattern of hatred ongoing. The creature finds easy targets on children from fractured households — youngsters who often mature to repeat the identical behaviors as their guardians. However, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as one of the few households that never splinters, which may explain why Mike, even after electing to remain in Derry, remains the sole member who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.
Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resilience
In episode 4 of the series, Leroy Hanlon at last grows more aware of the supernatural forces enveloping the neighborhood, particularly when It begins tormenting his child, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon family consists of a small number of grown-ups who are cognizant that things are not right with the municipality, notably the father, who was shown to be sensitive to psychic abilities when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's employment of it in episode 3. Later, he spots one of the clown's trademark balloons outside his house. This gift, alongside his failure to feel fear, along with the foundation of his household, may be why he's able to see the entity's manifestations. But what 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?
The boy is a member of the group of kids at his school being tormented by Pennywise. All his school friends hail from broken homes, with parents who refuse to accept they're being targeted. The reason he is being haunted is due to the viciousness of the community, combined with his likely receptiveness to shine, which makes him susceptible. This family are ultimately outsiders in Derry during the early sixties, which lends itself towards the household sensing anomalies exist about the town from the beginning. Additionally, they possess a good foundation that isn't fractured, in contrast to the folks who come from the town, with relationships that have decayed within.
Backstory Connections
Drawing from the It novel, we understand the young Will Hanlon will end up at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will save him from a fire that the local KKK members of Derry will cause. In the recent film, we observe that he has a boy named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a fire, with Leroy 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 difficult to accept. Perhaps the shy youth, once he grew up, leaned into alcohol to free himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the corrupt environment affected him initially, with the KKK eventually completing the job it began years ago. Whether through the terror of Pennywise or through the cruelty of the town, instigated by Pennywise, the creature eventually gets the final victory on him.
The Father's Evolution
These occurrences would clarify how Leroy transforms so drastically from what we see in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his later years, Leroy seems resentful and much harsher with his parenting. Because he outlived his own son, it's understandable to see such a profound shift. Nonetheless, his words hold greater significance now that we know 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 animal at the family property. His grandfather chastises him for hesitating and offers an analogy that results in a kill-or-be-killed situation.
“You have two options you can be in this world. You can be out here like we are, or you can be trapped inside,” Leroy states as he gestures to the sheep. “You waste time hemming and hawing, and someone is going to decide for you. But you won't know it until you experience that bolt in your head.”
Looking back, this could be a bit of foreshadowing, a lesson he wishes he had told his own son. Perhaps he desires he had done something in his past, but for some reason, he was unable to avoid the sickening attraction of the town.
