Welcome to Derry Could Have Unraveled a Lingering It Enigma

Pennywise's impact on the young residents of Welcome to Derry molds them long into adulthood, transforming them into the very adults who perpetuate the town's pattern of hatred ongoing. It preys most easily on kids from broken homes — children who frequently grow up to replicate the same patterns as their guardians. However, the Hanlon household distinguishes itself as a rare example of a family unit that never splinters, which may explain why Mike, even after electing to remain in Derry, persists as the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under Pennywise's sway.

The Hanlon Family's Distinctive Resistance

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy finally becomes more aware of the supernatural forces surrounding the community, particularly when the entity starts haunting his child, Will, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon family consists of some of the few adults who are aware that things are not right with the municipality, especially Leroy, who was shown to be sensitive to the Shining when he was able to detect Dick Hallorann's employment of it in the third episode. Subsequently, he spots one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his residence. This gift, alongside his inability to feel fear, combined with the foundation of his family, may be why he's capable of perceiving the entity's manifestations. However, consider if that psychic sensitivity is hereditary, and a key factor Mike is among the few adults in Derry who resisted succumbing to the town's malevolence?

Will is a member of the group of kids at his educational institution being tormented by the clown. All his school friends hail from dysfunctional families, with caregivers who refuse to accept they're being haunted. The reason he is being pursued is due to the cruelty of the community, combined with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. This family are ultimately strangers in Derry during the early sixties, which lends itself towards the household feeling anomalies exist about the locality from the onset. Additionally, they possess a solid base that remains unbroken, in contrast to the residents who originate in the area, with bonds that have decayed within.

Backstory Connections

Drawing from the original book, we know the juvenile Will Hanlon will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where the psychic will rescue him from a fire 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 eventually perishes in a configration, with Leroy surviving his own child and adopting his grandchild. The public account in the motion picture is that the parents were on substances, but given our current view of him in the series, that's difficult to accept. Maybe the timid boy, once he grew up, leaned into alcohol to rid himself of the torments, or maybe the rotten environment got to him initially, with the hate group eventually completing the job it began long before. Be it via the fear of the entity or through the malice of the community, instigated by Pennywise, It eventually achieves the final victory on Will.

Leroy's Transformation

This chain of events would clarify how the elder Hanlon transforms so radically from what we witness in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his later years, he appears resentful and much harsher with his discipline. Since he outlived his own son, it's comprehensible to see such a drastic change. However, his words hold greater significance now that we know he's witnessed Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they had on his son. In the opening scene of It, we see the boy hesitate to use a stunning device on a animal at the family property. Leroy chastises him for delaying and offers an metaphor that results in a kill-or-be-killed scenario.

“There are two places you can be in this world. You can be in the open like us, or you can be trapped inside,” he says as he gestures to the creature. “You dawdle indecisive, 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 represent a bit of prediction, something he regrets not imparting to his own son. Perhaps he wishes he had done something in his youth, but for some reason, he was unable to avoid the sickening attraction of the town.