Welcome to Derry May Have Solved a Lingering Pennywise Enigma

Pennywise's impact on the young residents of the Derry series molds them long into adulthood, transforming them into the very adults who perpetuate the town's pattern of animosity ongoing. The creature finds easy targets on children from fractured homes — youngsters who frequently mature to replicate the identical behaviors as their parents. However, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as a rare example of a family unit that remains intact, which may explain why Mike Hanlon, even after choosing to stay in Derry, remains the sole member who never fully falls under Pennywise's sway.

Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resilience

In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy finally becomes more aware of the supernatural forces surrounding the neighborhood, especially when the entity starts haunting his child, Will, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family consists of a small number of grown-ups who are cognizant that things are not right with the town, notably the father, who was revealed to be receptive to psychic abilities when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's use of it in episode 3. Subsequently, he sees one of the clown's trademark balloons outside his residence. This gift, alongside his failure to experience terror, along with the foundation of his family, may be why he's able to see the entity's manifestations. However, consider if that shining is generational, and a key factor Mike Hanlon is among the few individuals in Derry who resisted succumbing to the town's malevolence?

Will is part of the group of kids at his school being tormented by Pennywise. His classmates hail from dysfunctional families, with caregivers who don't believe they're being targeted. The cause Will is being pursued is due to the viciousness of the community, combined with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. This family are ultimately strangers in Derry during the early sixties, which lends itself towards the household feeling anomalies exist about the locality from the beginning. They also have a good foundation that remains unbroken, in contrast to the residents who originate in the town, with bonds that have deteriorated within.

Historical Context

Based on the original book, we know the juvenile Will will find himself at the Black Spot, where the psychic will rescue him from a fire that the town bigots of the community will ignite. In the 2017 film, we observe that he has a son named Mike and that the father eventually perishes in a configration, with his father outliving his own child and adopting his grandchild. The official story in the motion picture is that the parents were on substances, but given our current view of him in Welcome to Derry, that's difficult to accept. Maybe the timid boy, once he grew up, turned to drink to rid himself of the torments, or perhaps the corrupt town affected him first, with the hate group eventually completing the job it began years ago. Whether through the terror of the entity or via the cruelty of the town, seeded by Pennywise, It in the end achieves the last laugh on him.

Leroy's Transformation

This chain of events would clarify how Leroy transforms so drastically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his later years, Leroy appears bitter and much stricter with his discipline. Because he survived his own offspring, it's understandable to observe such a profound shift. However, his statements carry more weight since we are aware he's seen the clown's activities and the effects they had on his child. In the initial sequence of the movie, we see Mike hesitate to use a stunning device on a animal at Leroy's farm. Leroy chastises him for delaying and offers an metaphor that leads to a kill-or-be-killed situation.

“There are two places you can be in this existence. You can be out here like we are, 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. Except you will be unaware it until you experience that projectile in your head.”

In hindsight, this could be a piece of foreshadowing, something he wishes he had told his own son. Maybe he desires he had done something in his youth, but for certain factors, he was unable to avoid the repellent attraction of the town.