Welcome to Derry May Have Solved a Lingering It Mystery

Pennywise's impact on the children of Welcome to Derry shapes them throughout their adult lives, twisting them into the very adults who perpetuate the community's cycle of hatred ongoing. It finds easy targets on children from broken households — youngsters who often grow up to repeat the same patterns 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 only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under Pennywise's sway.

The Hanlon Family's Distinctive Resistance

In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy at last grows more aware of the supernatural forces enveloping the neighborhood, particularly when the entity starts haunting his child, Will Hanlon, 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 receptive to the Shining when he was able to detect Dick Hallorann's use of it in episode 3. Later, he sees one of the clown's trademark balloons outside his house. The ability, coupled with his inability to feel fear, combined with the foundation of his household, could be why he's able to see Pennywise's hauntings. But what if that shining is hereditary, and one of the reasons Mike is among the few adults in the town who didn't lose themselves to its cruelty?

The boy is part of the group of kids at his school being terrorized by the clown. His classmates come from broken homes, with caregivers who don't believe they're being targeted. The reason he is being haunted is because of the cruelty of the town, paired with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are ultimately outsiders in Derry during the early sixties, which lends itself towards the household feeling something is off 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 area, with relationships that have deteriorated within.

Historical Context

Based on the original book, we understand the juvenile Will Hanlon will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where Hallorann will rescue him from a blaze that the local KKK members of the community will cause. In the recent movie, we observe that Will has a boy named Mike and that Will eventually perishes in a fire, with his father surviving his own son and adopting his grandchild. The public account in the motion picture is that Mike's parents were on substances, but given our current view of Will in the series, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the timid boy, once he became an adult, turned to drink to rid himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the rotten town got to him initially, with the KKK eventually finishing the task it started years ago. Whether through the fear of Pennywise or via the cruelty of the town, instigated by It, It in the end achieves the final victory on him.

The Father's Evolution

This chain of events would clarify how the elder Hanlon changes so drastically from what we see in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his later years, he appears bitter and much stricter with his discipline. Since he survived his own son, it's comprehensible to see such a drastic change. Nonetheless, his statements carry more weight 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 Mike hesitate to use a bolt gun on a sheep at the family property. Leroy reprimands him for hesitating and offers an analogy that results in a kill-or-be-killed scenario.

“You have two options you can be in this world. You can be out here like us, or you can be trapped inside,” he states as he gestures to the creature. “You waste time indecisive, and someone is going to decide for you. 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 son. Maybe he desires he had acted differently in his past, but for certain factors, he couldn't resist the sickening attraction of the town.