🔗 Share this article

Pennywise's influence on the children of Welcome to Derry shapes them long into adulthood, twisting them into the exact individuals who perpetuate the town's pattern of hatred ongoing. The creature finds easy targets on kids from broken homes — children who often mature to replicate the same patterns as their parents. But, the Hanlon household stands apart as a rare example of a family unit that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike Hanlon, even after electing to remain in the town, persists as the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under Pennywise's sway.

The Hanlon Family's Unique Resilience

In the fourth installment of Welcome to Derry, Leroy finally becomes more aware of the paranormal entities enveloping the neighborhood, especially when the entity begins tormenting his son, Will, 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 Leroy, who was revealed to be receptive to psychic abilities when he was able to detect a fellow psychic's use of it in episode 3. Later, he spots one of the clown's trademark balloons outside his residence. This gift, coupled with his inability to experience terror, combined with the base of his family, could be why he's able to see the entity's manifestations. However, consider if that shining is generational, and a key factor Mike is among the few individuals in the town who didn't lose themselves to its cruelty?

Will is part of the collective of children at his school being terrorized by the clown. His classmates hail from dysfunctional families, with parents who refuse to accept they're being targeted. The cause Will is being pursued is due to the cruelty of the town, paired with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. This family are ultimately outsiders in the town during 1962, which contributes towards the family sensing something is off about the town from the onset. They also have a solid base that remains unbroken, in contrast to the folks who come from the town, with bonds that have decayed internally.

Historical Context

Drawing from the It novel, we understand the young Will will end up at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will save him from a fire that the town bigots of Derry will ignite. In the recent movie, we observe that Will has a boy named Mike and that the father eventually perishes in a configration, with Leroy surviving his own son 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 him in the series, that's hard to believe. Maybe the shy youth, once he grew up, leaned into drink to free himself of the hauntings, or maybe the rotten town affected him first, with the KKK ultimately completing the job it started long before. Be it via the fear of the entity or via the malice of the town, instigated by It, the creature eventually gets the last laugh on him.

The Father's Evolution

This chain of events would clarify how the elder Hanlon changes so drastically from what we witness in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his later years, Leroy appears resentful and much stricter with his discipline. Since he survived his own son, it's understandable to see such a drastic change. However, his statements hold greater significance now that we know he's seen the clown's activities and the effects they wrought upon his child. In the initial sequence of It, we observe the boy hesitate to use a stunning device on a sheep at the family property. Leroy chastises him for delaying and offers an analogy that results in a survival-of-the-fittest scenario.

“There are two places you can be in this existence. You can be out here like us, or you can be trapped inside,” he states as he points to the creature. “You dawdle indecisive, and someone is going to decide for you. But you will be unaware it until you feel that projectile between your eyes.”

In hindsight, this could represent a bit of prediction, something he wishes he had told his own child. Maybe he desires he had done something in his past, but for certain factors, he was unable to avoid the sickening attraction of Derry.