The Derry Chronicles May Have Solved a Longstanding It Mystery

The clown's influence on the children of Welcome to Derry molds them long into adulthood, transforming them into the exact individuals who keep the community's cycle of hatred alive. It preys most easily on kids from broken homes — youngsters who frequently mature to repeat the identical behaviors as their parents. But, the Hanlon family stands apart as a rare example of a households that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike, even after electing to remain in the town, remains the sole member who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.

Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resistance

In the fourth installment of Welcome to Derry, Leroy Hanlon at last grows more aware of the supernatural forces enveloping the neighborhood, particularly when the entity begins tormenting his child, Will, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan comprises a small number of grown-ups who are cognizant that something is amiss with the municipality, notably Leroy, who was shown to be receptive to the Shining when he was able to detect a fellow psychic's use of it in the third episode. Later, Leroy sees one of the clown's trademark balloons outside his residence. This gift, alongside his inability to feel fear, along with the base of his family, could be why he's capable of perceiving the entity's manifestations. However, consider if that shining is generational, and a key factor Mike is one of the only adults in the town who resisted succumbing to its cruelty?

The boy is part of the collective of kids at his school being tormented by the clown. His classmates hail from dysfunctional families, with parents who don't believe they're being targeted. The reason Will is being pursued is because of the viciousness of the community, paired with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. This family are fundamentally strangers in Derry during 1962, which lends itself towards the household sensing anomalies exist about the town from the beginning. They also have a good foundation that remains unbroken, unlike the residents who come from the town, with bonds that have decayed within.

Historical Context

Based on the It novel, we know the young Will Hanlon will end up at the Black Spot, where the psychic will rescue him from a fire that the local KKK members of the community will ignite. In the 2017 film, we see that Will has a son named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a configration, with Leroy outliving his own child and taking his grandson in. The official story in the motion picture is that the parents were on substances, but now that we see him in the series, that's hard to believe. Perhaps the shy youth, once he grew up, leaned into alcohol to rid himself of the torments, or perhaps the rotten environment got to him initially, with the KKK eventually finishing the job it began years ago. Whether through the fear of the entity or through the cruelty of the town, instigated by It, the creature in the end gets the last laugh on him.

The Father's Evolution

This chain of events would explain how Leroy changes so radically from what we see in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, he seems resentful and much stricter with his discipline. Since he outlived his own offspring, it's understandable to see such a drastic change. Nonetheless, his words carry more weight now that we know he's witnessed Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they wrought upon his son. In the opening scene of It, we see the boy pause to use a stunning device on a animal at Leroy's farm. Leroy chastises him for hesitating and offers an analogy that leads to a survival-of-the-fittest situation.

“There are two places you can be in this world. You can be out here like us, or you can be trapped inside,” he says as he points to the sheep. “You dawdle indecisive, and someone is going to make that choice. But you will be unaware it until you experience that projectile between your eyes.”

Looking back, this could be a piece of prediction, something he regrets not imparting to his own child. Maybe he wishes he had acted differently in his youth, but for some reason, he was unable to avoid the sickening attraction of Derry.