The Derry Chronicles Could Have Solved a Longstanding Pennywise Enigma
Pennywise's impact on the young residents of Welcome to Derry molds them throughout their adult lives, transforming them into the exact individuals who perpetuate the town's cycle of animosity ongoing. It finds easy targets on kids from broken households — children who often mature to replicate the same patterns as their parents. However, the Hanlon household distinguishes itself as one of the few family unit that never splinters, which could clarify why Mike, even after electing to remain in the town, persists as the only Loser who never fully falls under Pennywise's sway.
The Hanlon Family's Distinctive Resistance
In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy Hanlon at last grows more aware of the supernatural forces surrounding the neighborhood, particularly when It starts haunting his son, Will, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan comprises a small number of adults who are aware that something is amiss with the municipality, especially the father, who was revealed to be receptive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing Dick Hallorann's employment of it in the third episode. Later, he sees one of the clown's trademark inflated orbs outside his residence. The ability, coupled with his inability to experience terror, combined with the base of his household, could be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. But what if that psychic sensitivity is hereditary, and a key factor Mike is among the few adults in the town who resisted succumbing to its cruelty?
The boy is part of the group of kids at his school being tormented by the clown. His classmates come from broken homes, with parents who refuse to accept they're being targeted. The cause he is being haunted is due to the viciousness of the community, paired with his likely receptiveness to shine, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are ultimately outsiders in the town during the early sixties, which contributes towards the family sensing anomalies exist about the town from the onset. They also have a good foundation that isn't fractured, unlike the folks who come from the area, with relationships that have decayed within.
Historical Context
Based on the It novel, we understand the juvenile Will Hanlon will find himself at the Black Spot, where the psychic will save him from a fire that the local KKK members of Derry will ignite. In the 2017 movie, we observe that he has a son named Mike and that Will eventually perishes in a fire, with Leroy surviving his own son and adopting his grandchild. The official story in the motion picture is that the parents were on substances, but given our current view of Will in Welcome to Derry, that's hard to believe. Perhaps the timid boy, once he became an adult, leaned into alcohol to rid himself of the torments, or perhaps the rotten town affected him initially, with the KKK ultimately finishing the task it started years ago. Whether through the terror of Pennywise or via the malice of the community, seeded by It, It eventually achieves the last laugh on him.
The Father's Evolution
These occurrences would explain how the elder Hanlon transforms so radically from what we witness in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, he seems bitter and much stricter with his parenting. Because he outlived his own offspring, it's understandable to observe such a drastic change. However, his words carry more weight since we are aware he's witnessed Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they had on his child. In the initial sequence of It, we see Mike hesitate to use a stunning device on a sheep at Leroy's farm. His grandfather chastises him for hesitating and provides an analogy that leads to a kill-or-be-killed situation.
“You have two options you can be in this world. You can be in the open like we are, or you can be trapped inside,” he says as he points to the creature. “You waste time hemming and hawing, and someone is going to decide for you. Except you will be unaware it until you feel that bolt between your eyes.”
In hindsight, this could represent a bit of prediction, a lesson he wishes he had told his own child. Maybe he wishes he had acted differently in his past, but for some reason, he was unable to avoid the repellent allure of Derry.
