Welcome to Derry Could Have Solved a Longstanding Pennywise Enigma
Pennywise's influence on the children of Welcome to Derry shapes them throughout their adult lives, transforming them into the exact individuals who keep the community's cycle of hatred ongoing. The creature finds easy targets on children from fractured homes — youngsters who often mature to replicate the same patterns as their guardians. However, the Hanlon household stands apart as a rare example of a family unit that never splinters, which may explain why Mike, even after electing to remain in the town, remains the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under Pennywise's sway.
The Hanlon Family's Distinctive Resilience
In the fourth installment of the series, Leroy Hanlon at last grows increasingly conscious of the paranormal entities surrounding the community, particularly when It starts haunting his son, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon clan consists of some of the few grown-ups who are cognizant that things are not right with the municipality, notably the father, who was shown to be receptive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's employment of it in episode 3. Later, Leroy spots one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his residence. This gift, coupled with his failure to experience terror, combined with the foundation of his household, may be why he's capable of perceiving the entity's manifestations. But what if that psychic sensitivity is generational, and one of the reasons Mike is one of the only adults in the town who resisted succumbing to its cruelty?
Will is part of the collective of children at his school being terrorized by Pennywise. All his school friends hail from broken homes, with caregivers who refuse to accept they're being haunted. The reason Will is being haunted is because of the viciousness of the town, paired with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. This family are fundamentally strangers in the town during the early sixties, which contributes towards the family sensing something is off about the locality from the onset. They also have a good foundation that remains unbroken, in contrast to the folks who come from the town, with bonds that have deteriorated within.
Historical Context
Drawing from the It novel, we know the juvenile Will Hanlon will end up at the infamous nightclub, where Hallorann will rescue him from a blaze that the local KKK members of Derry will cause. In the recent movie, we observe that he has a boy named Mike and that the father eventually perishes in a configration, with his father outliving his own child 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 Welcome to Derry, that's hard to believe. Maybe the shy boy, once he grew up, leaned into drink to free himself of the torments, or maybe the corrupt environment got to him initially, with the hate group ultimately finishing the task it began years ago. Be it via the terror of the entity or via the malice of the town, instigated by Pennywise, the creature eventually gets the last laugh on him.
Leroy's Transformation
These occurrences would clarify how the elder Hanlon changes so drastically from what we witness in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, Leroy seems bitter and much harsher with his parenting. Because he survived his own offspring, it's understandable to see such a profound shift. Nonetheless, his statements hold greater significance now that we know he's witnessed the clown's activities and the effects they wrought upon his child. In the opening scene of It, we see Mike hesitate to use a bolt gun on a sheep at the family property. His grandfather chastises him for delaying and offers an analogy that results in a kill-or-be-killed situation.
“You have two options 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 hemming and hawing, and someone is going to decide for you. But you will be unaware it until you feel that bolt between your eyes.”
In hindsight, this could represent a bit of prediction, something he wishes he had told his own son. Perhaps he desires he had acted differently in his past, but for certain factors, he couldn't resist the repellent attraction of Derry.