Welcome to Derry May Have Solved a Lingering Pennywise Mystery

The clown's influence on the young residents of the Derry series molds them throughout their adult lives, twisting them into the exact individuals who keep the community's cycle of animosity alive. It preys most easily on kids from broken households — children who frequently grow up to replicate the identical behaviors as their guardians. But, the Hanlon household distinguishes itself as a rare example of a family unit that remains intact, which may explain why Mike, even after choosing to stay in the town, persists as the only Loser who never fully falls under Pennywise's sway.

Hanlon Household's Unique Resistance

In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy Hanlon at last grows increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces surrounding the community, particularly when the entity starts haunting his son, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family consists of a small number of adults who are aware that things are not right with the town, especially Leroy, who was revealed to be sensitive to psychic abilities when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's employment of it in episode 3. Subsequently, Leroy spots one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his residence. This gift, alongside his failure to feel fear, along with the base of his family, may be why he's able to see the entity's manifestations. However, consider if that shining is generational, and a key factor Mike is one of the only adults in the town who resisted succumbing to the town's malevolence?

The boy is part of the group of children at his school being tormented by Pennywise. All his school friends come from dysfunctional families, with caregivers who don't believe they're being haunted. The reason Will is being haunted is due to the viciousness of the town, paired with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are ultimately strangers in the town during the early sixties, which contributes towards the household feeling anomalies exist about the locality from the onset. They also have a good foundation that remains unbroken, unlike the residents who originate in the town, with relationships that have deteriorated within.

Historical Context

Drawing from the It novel, we know the young Will will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where Hallorann will rescue him from a blaze that the town bigots of the community will cause. In the 2017 film, we see that Will has a son named Mike and that the father eventually perishes in a fire, with his father surviving his own son and adopting his grandchild. The public account in the film is that Mike's parents were on drugs, but now that we see Will in Welcome to Derry, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the timid boy, once he became an adult, leaned into alcohol to free himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the corrupt town got to him initially, with the hate group eventually completing the job it started years ago. Whether through the terror of Pennywise or via the cruelty of the town, seeded by It, the creature eventually gets the last laugh on him.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would explain how the elder Hanlon transforms so drastically from what we see in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his later years, he seems bitter and much stricter with his discipline. Since he survived his own son, it's comprehensible to see such a profound shift. Nonetheless, his statements hold greater significance since we are aware he's seen the clown's activities and the effects they had on his child. In the opening scene of the movie, we observe the boy hesitate to use a bolt gun on a sheep at Leroy's farm. Leroy chastises him for hesitating and offers an metaphor that results in a kill-or-be-killed situation.

“There are two places you can be in this world. You can be out here like we are, or you can be trapped inside,” he states as he gestures to the creature. “You waste time indecisive, and someone is going to decide for you. Except you will be unaware it until you feel that bolt in your head.”

Looking back, this could represent a piece of prediction, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own son. Perhaps he wishes he had acted differently in his youth, but for certain factors, he couldn't resist the repellent allure of Derry.