Welcome to Derry May Have Solved a Longstanding It Mystery
The clown's impact on the young residents of Welcome to Derry shapes them long into adulthood, twisting them into the exact individuals who keep the community's cycle of hatred ongoing. It preys most easily on children from fractured homes — children who often grow up to replicate the same patterns as their parents. However, the Hanlon family stands apart as one of the few households that never splinters, which could clarify why Mike Hanlon, even after choosing to stay in the town, remains the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.
Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resistance
In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy at last grows more aware of the supernatural forces enveloping the community, especially when It begins tormenting his son, Will, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon clan consists of some of the few adults who are cognizant that something is amiss with the municipality, notably the father, who was shown to be sensitive to psychic abilities when he was capable of sensing Dick Hallorann's employment of it in episode 3. Later, Leroy spots one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his residence. The ability, coupled with his failure to feel fear, combined with the base of his household, could be why he's able to see Pennywise's hauntings. However, consider if that shining is generational, and a key factor Mike is one of the only individuals in Derry who didn't lose themselves to its cruelty?
The boy is part of the collective of kids at his educational institution being tormented by Pennywise. His classmates come from broken homes, with parents who refuse to accept they're being targeted. The reason Will is being haunted is due to the cruelty of the town, paired with his likely receptiveness to shine, which renders him vulnerable. This family are fundamentally outsiders in the town during the early sixties, which contributes towards the family feeling something is off about the locality from the onset. Additionally, they possess a solid base that isn't fractured, in contrast to the folks who come from the town, with relationships that have deteriorated within.
Backstory Connections
Based on the It novel, we know the juvenile Will Hanlon will end up at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will rescue him from a fire that the town bigots of Derry will cause. In the 2017 movie, we observe that he has a son named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a fire, with his father 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 hard to believe. Maybe the timid boy, once he grew up, turned to drink to rid himself of the torments, or perhaps the rotten town got to him first, with the KKK ultimately finishing the job it started long before. Whether through the terror of Pennywise or via the cruelty of the community, instigated by It, the creature eventually gets the final victory on Will.
Leroy's Transformation
These occurrences would clarify how the elder Hanlon changes 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 parenting. Because he outlived his own son, it's comprehensible to observe 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 wrought upon his child. In the opening scene of the movie, we see the boy pause to use a bolt gun on a animal at Leroy's farm. His grandfather chastises him for hesitating and offers an analogy that results in a kill-or-be-killed scenario.
“There are two places you can be in this existence. You can be in the open like we are, or you can be trapped inside,” Leroy says as he gestures to the creature. “You waste time hemming and hawing, and another is going to make that choice. But you will be unaware it until you feel that projectile between your eyes.”
In hindsight, this could be a piece of prediction, something he wishes he had told his own child. Perhaps he desires he had acted differently in his youth, but for certain factors, he couldn't resist the repellent allure of the town.
