Welcome to Derry Could Have Solved a Lingering Pennywise Mystery
The clown's impact on the young residents of Welcome to Derry shapes them throughout their adult lives, twisting them into the very adults who keep the town's pattern of hatred alive. The creature preys most easily on kids from broken homes — youngsters who often grow up to replicate the identical behaviors as their parents. But, the Hanlon household stands apart as one of the few households that never splinters, which could clarify why Mike Hanlon, even after electing to remain in Derry, remains the sole member who never fully falls under Pennywise's sway.
The Hanlon Family's Unique Resilience
In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy at last grows more aware of the supernatural forces surrounding the neighborhood, especially when the entity starts haunting his son, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon family consists of some of the few grown-ups who are cognizant that things are not right with the town, especially Leroy, who was shown to be receptive to psychic abilities when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's use of it in the third episode. Subsequently, Leroy spots one of the clown's trademark balloons outside his house. This gift, coupled with his failure to experience terror, along with the base of his household, may be why he's able to see the entity's manifestations. But what if that psychic sensitivity is hereditary, and one of the reasons Mike Hanlon is one of the only individuals in the town who resisted succumbing to its cruelty?
Will is a member of the group of children at his educational institution being tormented by Pennywise. His classmates come from dysfunctional families, with caregivers who don't believe they're being haunted. The reason he is being haunted is because of the viciousness of the town, paired with his potential sensitivity to shine, which renders him vulnerable. The Hanlons are fundamentally strangers in Derry during the early sixties, which contributes towards the family sensing something is off about the town from the beginning. Additionally, they possess a good foundation that isn't fractured, unlike the residents who come from the town, with bonds that have deteriorated internally.
Historical Context
Drawing from the original book, we understand the juvenile Will Hanlon will find himself at the Black Spot, where the psychic will save him from a fire that the town bigots of Derry will ignite. In the recent film, we observe that he has a son named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a configration, with Leroy surviving his own son and adopting his grandchild. The public account in the motion picture is that the parents were on drugs, but now that we see him in Welcome to Derry, that's hard to believe. Perhaps the timid youth, once he became an adult, turned to drink to rid himself of the torments, or perhaps the corrupt town got to him initially, with the KKK ultimately finishing the task it began years ago. Whether through the fear of Pennywise or via the malice of the community, instigated by It, the creature eventually gets the last laugh on Will.
The Father's Evolution
This chain of events would clarify how the elder Hanlon transforms so drastically from what we see in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his later years, Leroy seems bitter and much harsher with his parenting. Because he outlived his own offspring, it's comprehensible to see such a profound shift. However, his statements carry more weight now that we know he's seen Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they had on his son. In the initial sequence of the movie, we observe Mike pause to use a bolt gun on a sheep at the family property. Leroy reprimands him for delaying and offers an analogy that leads to 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 points to the creature. “You dawdle hemming and hawing, and someone is going to make that choice. But you won't know it until you experience that projectile between your eyes.”
Looking back, this could represent a bit of prediction, something he wishes he had told his own son. Perhaps he wishes he had done something in his past, but for certain factors, he couldn't resist the sickening allure of Derry.
