The Derry Chronicles Could Have Unraveled a Longstanding Pennywise Mystery
The clown's impact on the children of the Derry series molds them long into adulthood, transforming them into the exact individuals who keep the town's pattern of hatred ongoing. The creature finds easy targets on children from fractured homes — youngsters who frequently mature to repeat the identical behaviors as their parents. However, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as one of the few households that never splinters, which could clarify why Mike Hanlon, even after choosing to stay in Derry, persists as the sole member who never fully falls under Pennywise's sway.
The Hanlon Family's Unique Resistance
In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy at last grows more aware of the supernatural forces surrounding the community, particularly when It starts haunting his child, Will, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan comprises a small number of adults who are cognizant that things are not right with the municipality, especially Leroy, who was revealed to be receptive to psychic abilities when he was able to detect Dick Hallorann's use of it in episode 3. Later, Leroy sees one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his residence. This gift, alongside his inability to experience terror, combined with the foundation of his household, could be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. But what if that shining is hereditary, and one of the reasons Mike Hanlon is one of the only individuals in Derry who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?
The boy is a member of the group of kids at his school being tormented by the clown. His classmates come from broken homes, with caregivers who refuse to accept they're being targeted. The cause Will is being pursued is due to the viciousness of the community, paired with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. This family are ultimately outsiders in the town during the early sixties, which contributes towards the household sensing something is off about the locality from the beginning. Additionally, they possess a solid base that remains unbroken, in contrast to the folks who originate in the town, with bonds that have decayed within.
Backstory Connections
Based on the original book, we understand the young Will Hanlon will end up at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will save him from a blaze that the local KKK members of the community will cause. In the 2017 film, we see that he has a boy named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a configration, with Leroy outliving his own child and adopting his grandchild. The official story in the motion picture is that the parents were on drugs, but given our current view of Will in the series, that's difficult to accept. Maybe the timid youth, once he grew up, leaned into alcohol to free himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the rotten environment affected him initially, with the hate group ultimately completing the task it started long before. Be it via the fear of the entity or through the malice of the community, seeded by Pennywise, the creature in the end gets the final victory on him.
Leroy's Transformation
This chain of events would explain how the elder Hanlon transforms so drastically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, he seems resentful and much harsher with his discipline. Because he outlived his own son, it's comprehensible to see such a drastic change. Nonetheless, his words carry more weight since we are aware he's witnessed the clown's activities and the impacts 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 Leroy's farm. His grandfather chastises him for delaying and offers an metaphor that leads to a survival-of-the-fittest situation.
“You have two options you can be in this existence. You can be out here like us, or you can be in there,” Leroy states as he gestures to the creature. “You waste time indecisive, and someone is going to make that choice. Except you won't know it until you experience that projectile between your eyes.”
Looking back, this could represent a bit of prediction, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own child. Maybe he desires he had acted differently in his past, but for certain factors, he couldn't resist the repellent attraction of Derry.