Welcome to Derry May Have Unraveled a Longstanding Pennywise Mystery

Pennywise's influence on the children of Welcome to Derry molds them long into adulthood, transforming them into the exact individuals who perpetuate the community's cycle of hatred alive. The creature finds easy targets on children from broken homes — youngsters who frequently grow up to repeat the same patterns as their guardians. However, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as one of the few households that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike, even after choosing to stay in Derry, persists as the sole member who doesn't completely succumb under Pennywise's sway.

Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resistance

In the fourth installment of Welcome to Derry, Leroy finally becomes increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces enveloping the neighborhood, particularly when the entity starts haunting his son, Will, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon clan comprises a small number of grown-ups who are aware that something is amiss with the municipality, especially the father, who was shown to be sensitive to the Shining when he was able to detect Dick Hallorann's use of it in episode 3. Later, Leroy spots one of Pennywise's signature balloons outside his residence. This gift, alongside his failure to experience terror, combined with the foundation of his household, may be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. However, consider if that psychic sensitivity is generational, and a key factor Mike is one of the only individuals in the town who resisted succumbing to the town's malevolence?

The boy is a member of the collective of children at his school being tormented by Pennywise. His classmates hail from dysfunctional families, with caregivers who refuse to accept they're being targeted. The reason he is being pursued is due to the cruelty of the community, paired with his potential sensitivity to shine, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are ultimately strangers in the town during 1962, which contributes towards the family feeling anomalies exist about the town from the beginning. Additionally, they possess a solid base that remains unbroken, unlike the folks who originate in the area, with bonds that have deteriorated within.

Historical Context

Drawing from the It novel, we understand the juvenile Will will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where the psychic will save him from a blaze 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 ultimately dies in a configration, with his father outliving his own son and taking his grandson in. The official story in the film is that Mike's parents were on substances, but now that we see Will in Welcome to Derry, that's hard to believe. Maybe the timid boy, once he became an adult, leaned into drink to free himself of the torments, or maybe the corrupt town got to him initially, with the hate group ultimately completing the task it began long before. Be it via the fear of the entity or through the cruelty of the community, seeded by Pennywise, It in the end 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 witness in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his later years, he appears bitter and much harsher with his parenting. Because he outlived his own offspring, it's understandable to see such a profound shift. However, his statements carry more weight now that we know he's witnessed the clown's activities and the impacts they wrought upon his son. In the opening scene of It, we observe the boy pause to use a stunning device on a animal at the family property. Leroy chastises him for hesitating and offers an analogy that results in a survival-of-the-fittest situation.

“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 says as he gestures to the sheep. “You waste time indecisive, and someone is going to decide for you. But you will be unaware it until you experience that projectile in your head.”

Looking back, this could represent a bit of foreshadowing, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own child. Maybe he wishes he had done something in his youth, but for certain factors, he was unable to avoid the repellent allure of Derry.