The Derry Chronicles May Have Solved a Lingering It Enigma
Pennywise's influence on the children of Welcome to Derry molds them throughout their adult lives, transforming them into the very adults who keep the community's pattern of hatred alive. It finds easy targets on children from fractured homes — children who frequently mature to repeat the same patterns as their guardians. But, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as a rare example of a family unit that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike Hanlon, even after choosing to stay in the town, persists as the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.
The Hanlon Family's Unique Resistance
In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy Hanlon finally becomes more aware of the supernatural forces enveloping the neighborhood, especially when It begins tormenting his son, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family consists of a small number of adults who are aware that things are not right with the town, notably Leroy, who was shown to be sensitive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's use of it in the third episode. Later, Leroy spots one of the clown's trademark inflated orbs outside his residence. This gift, coupled with his failure to experience terror, 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 generational, and one of the reasons Mike is one of the only adults in Derry who resisted succumbing to its cruelty?
Will is a member of the group of children at his educational institution being terrorized by Pennywise. His classmates hail from broken homes, with parents who don't believe they're being haunted. The reason he is being haunted is due to the viciousness of the community, paired with his potential sensitivity to shine, which renders him vulnerable. The Hanlons are ultimately strangers in Derry during 1962, which lends itself towards the household feeling something is off about the town from the onset. Additionally, they possess a good foundation that remains unbroken, unlike the residents who originate in the area, with bonds that have deteriorated within.
Historical Context
Drawing from the original book, we understand the juvenile Will will end up at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will save him from a blaze that the local KKK members of Derry will ignite. In the 2017 film, we see that Will has a son named Mike and that the father eventually perishes in a fire, with Leroy surviving his own child and taking his grandson in. The public account in the motion picture is that the parents were on drugs, but given our current view of him in the series, that's difficult to accept. Maybe the shy boy, once he became an adult, leaned into drink to rid himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the corrupt environment affected him initially, with the hate group ultimately completing the task it started years ago. Be it via the terror of the entity or via the malice of the town, seeded by Pennywise, It eventually achieves the final victory on him.
Leroy's Transformation
These occurrences would explain how the elder Hanlon transforms so drastically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his later years, he seems 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 witnessed Pennywise's hauntings and the impacts they wrought upon his child. In the initial sequence of It, we observe Mike pause to use a stunning device on a sheep at Leroy's farm. Leroy reprimands him for delaying and provides an analogy that results in a survival-of-the-fittest scenario.
“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 dawdle hemming and hawing, and another is going to make that choice. Except you will be unaware it until you experience that bolt between your eyes.”
In hindsight, this could be a piece of foreshadowing, a lesson he wishes he had told his own son. Perhaps he desires he had acted differently in his youth, but for certain factors, he was unable to avoid the repellent attraction of the town.
