Welcome to Derry Could Have Solved a Lingering Pennywise Enigma

Pennywise's impact on the young residents of the Derry series shapes them throughout their adult lives, transforming them into the exact individuals who keep the town's pattern of hatred ongoing. It finds easy targets on kids from fractured homes — children who often mature to replicate the identical behaviors as their guardians. However, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as a rare example of a households that never splinters, which may explain why Mike Hanlon, even after electing to remain in Derry, remains the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.

The Hanlon Family's Unique Resilience

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy at last grows more aware of the supernatural forces enveloping the community, particularly when It starts haunting his son, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon family comprises some of the few adults who are cognizant that things are not right with the town, notably the father, who was shown to be receptive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing Dick Hallorann's employment of it in the third episode. Later, he spots one of the clown's trademark inflated orbs outside his house. This gift, coupled with his inability to feel fear, along with the base of his household, could 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 the town who didn't lose themselves to its cruelty?

The boy is a member of the collective of children at his educational institution being tormented by Pennywise. His classmates hail from dysfunctional families, with caregivers who refuse to accept they're being haunted. The reason Will is being haunted is because of the cruelty of the community, combined with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. This family are ultimately strangers in the town during 1962, which lends itself towards the household sensing anomalies exist about the locality from the beginning. They also have a good foundation that isn't fractured, unlike the folks who come from the area, with bonds that have decayed internally.

Historical Context

Drawing from the It novel, we understand the juvenile Will will end up at the infamous nightclub, where Hallorann will rescue him from a blaze that the town bigots of the community will ignite. In the 2017 movie, we observe that he has a boy named Mike and that Will eventually perishes in a fire, with his father surviving his own child and taking his grandson in. The official story in the film is that Mike's parents were on drugs, but now that we see him in Welcome to Derry, that's hard to believe. Maybe the timid boy, once he grew up, turned to drink to rid himself of the torments, or maybe the corrupt environment got to him initially, with the hate group eventually completing the job it began long before. Be it via the terror of Pennywise or through the malice of the town, seeded by It, It in the end achieves the last laugh on Will.

The Father's Evolution

These occurrences would clarify how Leroy changes so radically from what we see in the first film and the prequel. In his older age, he seems resentful and much stricter with his discipline. Since he outlived his own offspring, it's understandable to see such a profound shift. However, his words carry more weight since we are aware he's witnessed Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they had on his son. In the initial sequence of the movie, we see Mike hesitate to use a stunning device on a sheep at Leroy's farm. His grandfather chastises him for delaying and provides an metaphor that leads to a survival-of-the-fittest situation.

“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 make that choice. Except you won't know it until you feel that bolt between your eyes.”

Looking back, this could represent a piece of foreshadowing, something he regrets not imparting to his own child. Maybe he desires he had acted differently in his past, but for some reason, he couldn't resist the repellent attraction of Derry.