Welcome to Derry Could Have Solved a Lingering Pennywise Mystery

Pennywise's impact on the young residents of Welcome to Derry shapes them throughout their adult lives, transforming them into the exact individuals who keep the town's pattern of animosity alive. It preys most easily on children from fractured households — children who often grow up to replicate the same patterns as their parents. But, the Hanlon household stands apart as a rare example of a family unit that never splinters, which could clarify why Mike Hanlon, even after choosing to stay in the town, persists as the sole member who never fully falls under Pennywise's sway.

Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resilience

In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy finally becomes increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces surrounding the community, especially when It begins tormenting his child, Will, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon clan comprises some of the few adults who are cognizant that something is amiss with the municipality, notably the father, who was shown to be receptive to psychic abilities when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's use of it in episode 3. Later, he spots one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his house. This gift, coupled with his inability to experience terror, combined with the foundation of his family, may be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. However, consider if that shining is generational, and one of the reasons Mike Hanlon is one of the only individuals in the town who resisted succumbing to the town's malevolence?

Will is a member of the group of children at his school being terrorized by Pennywise. All his school friends hail from broken homes, with parents who refuse to accept they're being targeted. The cause he is being haunted is because of the viciousness of the town, paired with his potential sensitivity to shine, which makes him susceptible. This family are ultimately strangers in the town during the early sixties, which lends itself towards the household sensing something is off about the town from the beginning. They also have a good foundation that remains unbroken, unlike the folks who come from the town, with bonds that have decayed internally.

Historical Context

Based on the It novel, we know the juvenile Will will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where the psychic will rescue him from a blaze that the local KKK members of the community will ignite. In the recent film, we see that Will has a son named Mike and that the father ultimately dies in a configration, with Leroy outliving his own child and taking his grandson in. The public account in the film is that Mike's parents were on substances, but now that we see him in Welcome to Derry, that's difficult to accept. Maybe the timid boy, once he became an adult, leaned into drink to free himself of the hauntings, or maybe the rotten town affected him first, with the hate group ultimately completing the job it started long before. Whether through the terror of Pennywise or via the cruelty of the town, instigated by It, the creature in the end achieves the last laugh on Will.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would explain how the elder Hanlon changes so drastically from what we see in the first film and the prequel. In his older age, he seems bitter and much harsher with his parenting. Because he survived his own offspring, it's comprehensible to observe such a drastic change. However, his statements hold greater significance now that we know he's seen the clown's activities and the effects they wrought upon his child. In the opening scene of the movie, we observe the boy hesitate to use a bolt gun on a animal at Leroy's farm. Leroy chastises him for delaying and provides an analogy that results in a survival-of-the-fittest situation.

“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 states as he points to the sheep. “You waste time hemming and hawing, and another is going to decide for you. But you won't know it until you feel that projectile between your eyes.”

Looking back, this could be a bit of foreshadowing, something he wishes he had told his own son. Perhaps he wishes he had done something in his past, but for some reason, he was unable to avoid the sickening attraction of Derry.