Welcome to Derry May Have Solved a Lingering Pennywise Enigma

Pennywise's impact on the children of Welcome to Derry molds them long into adulthood, transforming them into the very adults who keep the town's cycle of hatred alive. It finds easy targets on children from broken households — children who often grow up to replicate the identical behaviors as their guardians. However, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as one of the few households that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike Hanlon, even after choosing to stay in Derry, persists as the only Loser who never fully falls under Pennywise's sway.

The Hanlon Family's Unique Resilience

In the fourth installment of Welcome to Derry, Leroy at last grows increasingly conscious of the paranormal entities surrounding the neighborhood, particularly when the entity starts haunting his child, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family consists of a small number of grown-ups who are cognizant that something is amiss with the municipality, notably the father, who was revealed to be receptive to the Shining when he was able to detect a fellow psychic's employment of it in the third episode. Subsequently, he spots one of Pennywise's signature balloons outside his house. The ability, coupled with his inability to feel fear, combined with the foundation of his household, could be why he's able to see Pennywise's hauntings. However, consider if that shining is hereditary, and one of the reasons Mike is among the few individuals in Derry who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?

Will is part of the collective of kids at his educational institution being tormented by Pennywise. His classmates come from dysfunctional families, with parents who don't believe they're being haunted. The reason Will is being pursued is due to the cruelty of the community, combined with his likely receptiveness to shine, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are ultimately strangers in Derry during 1962, which lends itself towards the family sensing something is off about the town from the onset. Additionally, they possess a solid base that isn't fractured, in contrast to the residents who originate in the town, with bonds that have decayed internally.

Backstory Connections

Based on the original book, we understand the young Will Hanlon will end up at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will rescue him from a blaze that the local KKK members of the community will ignite. In the recent movie, we see that he has a boy named Mike and that Will eventually perishes in a configration, with his father outliving his own son and taking his grandson in. The official story in the film is that Mike's parents were on substances, but given our current view of Will in the series, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the timid boy, once he became an adult, leaned into alcohol to rid himself of the torments, or perhaps the corrupt town affected him initially, with the hate group ultimately completing the task it began long before. Be it via the fear of the entity or via the cruelty of the town, instigated by Pennywise, the creature eventually achieves the final victory on Will.

The Father's Evolution

This chain of events would clarify how the elder Hanlon transforms so drastically from what we see in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his later years, he appears resentful and much harsher with his parenting. Because he survived his own son, it's comprehensible to observe such a drastic change. However, 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 opening scene of It, we observe Mike pause to use a stunning device on a animal at Leroy's farm. Leroy chastises him for delaying and provides an metaphor that results in a survival-of-the-fittest scenario.

“There are two places you can be in this world. You can be out here like we are, or you can be in there,” Leroy says as he points to the sheep. “You waste time indecisive, and another is going to make that choice. But you won't know it until you experience that bolt between your eyes.”

Looking back, this could represent a bit of prediction, something he wishes he had told his own child. Maybe he wishes he had done something in his past, but for some reason, he was unable to avoid the sickening allure of Derry.