The Derry Chronicles Could Have Solved a Lingering It Mystery

Pennywise's influence on the young residents of the Derry series shapes them throughout their adult lives, transforming them into the exact individuals who keep the town's pattern of animosity ongoing. The creature finds easy targets on kids from broken homes — youngsters who often grow up to replicate the identical behaviors as their parents. However, the Hanlon household distinguishes itself 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 only Loser who never fully falls under Pennywise's sway.

The Hanlon Family's Distinctive Resilience

In the fourth installment of the series, Leroy finally becomes increasingly conscious of the paranormal entities enveloping the community, particularly when It begins tormenting his child, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family consists of some of the few adults who are aware that things are not right with the town, especially Leroy, who was revealed to be sensitive to the Shining when he was able to detect Dick Hallorann's employment of it in episode 3. Subsequently, Leroy spots one of the clown's trademark inflated orbs outside his house. This gift, coupled with his failure to experience terror, combined with the base of his household, may be why he's able to see the entity's manifestations. However, consider if that shining is hereditary, and a key factor Mike Hanlon is among the few adults in the town who didn't lose themselves to its cruelty?

Will is part of the group of children at his school being tormented by Pennywise. His classmates hail from broken homes, with caregivers who refuse to accept they're being targeted. The reason he is being haunted is due to the viciousness of the town, paired with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are fundamentally outsiders in Derry during the early sixties, which lends itself towards the household feeling anomalies exist about the locality from the beginning. Additionally, they possess a solid base that isn't fractured, in contrast to the folks who originate in the area, with relationships that have deteriorated internally.

Backstory Connections

Based on the It novel, we understand the young Will Hanlon will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where the psychic will save him from a blaze that the local KKK members of Derry will cause. In the recent film, we observe that Will has a boy named Mike and that the father ultimately dies in a fire, with his father surviving his own son and taking his grandson in. The official story in the motion picture is that the parents were on substances, 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 torments, or perhaps the corrupt environment affected him first, with the hate group ultimately completing the job it started years ago. Be it via the fear of the entity or via the cruelty of the community, instigated by It, It eventually gets the last laugh on Will.

Leroy's Transformation

This chain of events would clarify how the elder Hanlon transforms so drastically from what we see in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his later years, Leroy seems resentful and much stricter with his discipline. Because he survived his own son, it's comprehensible to observe such a profound shift. However, his words hold greater significance since we are aware he's witnessed the clown's activities and the impacts they had on his child. In the opening scene of It, we observe the boy pause to use a bolt gun on a sheep at the family property. His grandfather chastises him for hesitating and provides an analogy that results in a survival-of-the-fittest situation.

“There are two places you can be in this world. You can be out here like we are, or you can be trapped inside,” Leroy states as he points to the sheep. “You dawdle indecisive, and another is going to decide for you. Except you won't know it until you feel that projectile in your head.”

Looking back, this could be a bit of foreshadowing, something he wishes he had told his own son. Maybe he desires he had done something in his past, but for some reason, he couldn't resist the sickening allure of Derry.