🔗 Share this article

Pennywise's impact on the children of the Derry series molds them long into adulthood, twisting them into the very adults who perpetuate the town's pattern of animosity ongoing. It preys most easily on children from fractured homes — children who often grow up to repeat the same patterns as their guardians. But, the Hanlon household stands apart as one of the few family unit that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike Hanlon, even after choosing to stay in Derry, remains the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.

The Hanlon Family's Distinctive Resistance

In the fourth installment of Welcome to Derry, Leroy finally becomes more aware of the supernatural forces surrounding the neighborhood, particularly when the entity starts haunting his son, Will, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family consists of some of the few grown-ups who are aware that something is amiss with the town, notably the father, who was shown to be receptive to psychic abilities when he was capable of sensing Dick Hallorann's employment of it in the third episode. Later, Leroy spots one of Pennywise's signature balloons outside his house. The ability, coupled with his inability to experience terror, along with the base of his family, could be why he's able to see the entity's manifestations. But what if that psychic sensitivity is generational, and one of the reasons Mike Hanlon is one of the only individuals in Derry who resisted succumbing to its cruelty?

Will is a member of the collective of kids at his school being tormented by Pennywise. His classmates come from broken homes, with caregivers who don't believe they're being targeted. The reason he is being pursued is because of the viciousness of the town, combined with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. This family are fundamentally outsiders in the town during 1962, which contributes towards the family feeling something is off about the locality from the onset. They also have a solid base that isn't fractured, in contrast to the residents who come from the area, with relationships that have deteriorated within.

Historical Context

Based on the original book, we understand the juvenile Will will end up at the Black Spot, where the psychic will rescue him from a fire that the town bigots of Derry will ignite. In the 2017 film, we observe that he has a son named Mike and that Will eventually perishes in a configration, with his father outliving his own child and taking his grandson in. The public account in the film is that the parents were on drugs, but given our current view of Will 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 torments, or perhaps the rotten town affected him first, with the KKK ultimately completing the task it began long before. Be it via the fear of the entity or through the malice of the community, instigated by Pennywise, It in the end gets the final victory on Will.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would explain how the elder Hanlon changes so drastically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his later years, Leroy seems resentful and much harsher with his parenting. Since he outlived his own son, it's comprehensible to observe such a profound shift. Nonetheless, his statements carry more weight since we are aware he's seen Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they had on his child. In the opening scene of It, we see Mike hesitate to use a stunning device on a animal at the family property. His grandfather 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 out here like us, or you can be in there,” Leroy states as he gestures to the creature. “You waste time indecisive, and someone is going to decide for you. But you will be unaware it until you experience that projectile between your eyes.”

Looking back, this could represent a piece of prediction, something he wishes he had told his own child. Maybe he desires he had acted differently in his youth, but for some reason, he couldn't resist the repellent allure of Derry.