The Derry Chronicles Could Have Unraveled a Longstanding It Enigma
The clown's influence on the young residents of Welcome to Derry molds them throughout their adult lives, transforming them into the exact individuals who keep the community's pattern of animosity ongoing. It finds easy targets on children from fractured households — children who often grow up to repeat the same patterns as their parents. But, the Hanlon family stands apart as a rare example of a households that remains intact, which may explain why Mike Hanlon, even after electing to remain in Derry, persists as the only Loser who never fully falls under Pennywise's sway.
Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resistance
In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy Hanlon finally becomes more aware of the paranormal entities surrounding the neighborhood, particularly when the entity begins tormenting his child, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. 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 revealed to be sensitive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing Dick Hallorann's employment of it in episode 3. Subsequently, he spots one of the clown's trademark inflated orbs outside his residence. This gift, coupled with his inability to feel fear, combined with the base of his household, could be why he's capable of perceiving the entity's manifestations. However, consider if that shining is hereditary, and one of the reasons Mike Hanlon is among the few adults in the town who didn't lose themselves to its cruelty?
The boy is part of the group of children at his educational institution being terrorized by the clown. All his school friends come from broken homes, with caregivers who don't believe they're being targeted. The cause Will is being pursued is because of the viciousness of the community, paired with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. The Hanlons are ultimately strangers in the town during the early sixties, which lends itself towards the family feeling anomalies exist about the locality from the beginning. They also have a good foundation that remains unbroken, in contrast to the folks who originate in the area, with bonds that have deteriorated internally.
Historical Context
Based on the It novel, we understand the young Will Hanlon will find himself at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will save him from a fire that the local KKK members of Derry will cause. In the recent movie, we observe that Will has a son named Mike and that the father eventually perishes in a configration, with Leroy outliving his own child and taking his grandson in. The official story in the film is that Mike's parents were on drugs, but given our current view of Will in the series, that's difficult to accept. Maybe the shy boy, once he grew up, leaned into alcohol to rid himself of the hauntings, or maybe the rotten town got to him first, with the KKK ultimately finishing the job it began long before. Be it via the terror of the entity or via the cruelty of the town, instigated by It, It eventually achieves the last laugh on Will.
Leroy's Transformation
This chain of events would clarify how Leroy transforms so drastically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, he appears resentful and much harsher with his parenting. Since he outlived his own son, it's comprehensible to see such a drastic change. However, his words carry more weight now that we know he's seen Pennywise's hauntings and the impacts they had on his child. In the initial sequence of It, we see the boy pause to use a stunning device on a animal at Leroy's farm. His grandfather reprimands him for delaying and provides an analogy that results in a survival-of-the-fittest situation.
“You have two options you can be in this existence. You can be in the open like us, or you can be trapped inside,” he says as he points to the creature. “You dawdle indecisive, and another is going to decide for you. But you won't know it until you experience that projectile in your head.”
In hindsight, this could represent a bit of foreshadowing, something he wishes he had told his own child. Perhaps he wishes he had done something in his youth, but for certain factors, he couldn't resist the sickening attraction of Derry.