Welcome to Derry May Have Solved a Longstanding It Mystery

The clown's influence on the young residents of Welcome to Derry shapes them long into adulthood, twisting them into the very adults who perpetuate the town's pattern of animosity alive. It finds easy targets on kids from fractured households — youngsters who often mature to replicate the identical behaviors as their parents. But, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as a rare example of a households that remains intact, which may explain why Mike Hanlon, even after choosing to stay in the town, remains the sole member who never fully falls under the clown's influence.

Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resistance

In the fourth installment of the series, Leroy finally becomes more aware of the supernatural forces surrounding the community, particularly when It starts haunting his son, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan consists of some of the few grown-ups who are cognizant that things are not right with the municipality, especially Leroy, who was shown to be receptive to psychic abilities when he was able to detect a fellow psychic's employment of it in the third episode. Later, he spots one of the clown's trademark inflated orbs outside his house. This gift, alongside his failure to experience terror, along with the foundation of his household, could be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. However, consider if that psychic sensitivity is hereditary, and one of the reasons Mike Hanlon is one of the only individuals in Derry who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?

Will is a member of the group of kids at his educational institution being terrorized by the clown. His classmates come from dysfunctional families, with caregivers who refuse to accept they're being haunted. The reason he is being haunted is because of the viciousness of the community, combined with his likely receptiveness to shine, which renders him vulnerable. This family are ultimately outsiders in the town during the early sixties, which contributes towards the household feeling something is off about the locality from the beginning. Additionally, they possess a good foundation that remains unbroken, in contrast to the residents who originate in the area, with relationships that have deteriorated within.

Historical Context

Drawing from the original book, we know the juvenile Will Hanlon will find himself at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will save him from a fire that the town bigots of the community will ignite. In the recent film, we observe that he has a boy named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a fire, with Leroy surviving his own child and adopting his grandchild. The public account in the motion picture is that Mike's parents were on drugs, but given our current view of Will in the series, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the timid youth, once he grew up, turned to drink to free himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the rotten environment affected him initially, with the hate group ultimately completing the task it began long before. Whether through the fear of the entity or via the malice of the town, instigated by It, the creature eventually achieves the last laugh on Will.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would clarify how the elder Hanlon transforms so drastically from what we see in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his older age, Leroy seems bitter and much stricter with his parenting. Because he survived his own son, it's understandable to observe such a profound shift. Nonetheless, his words carry more weight since we are aware he's seen the clown's activities and the impacts they wrought upon his son. In the initial sequence of It, we see Mike hesitate to use a bolt gun on a animal at Leroy's farm. Leroy reprimands him for delaying and offers an metaphor that results in a survival-of-the-fittest situation.

“You have two options you can be in this existence. You can be out here like us, or you can be trapped inside,” he says as he gestures to the creature. “You dawdle indecisive, and someone is going to decide for you. Except you won't know it until you feel that projectile between your eyes.”

Looking back, this could be a bit of foreshadowing, something he regrets not imparting to his own son. Maybe he wishes he had done something in his youth, but for certain factors, he couldn't resist the repellent allure of Derry.