The Derry Chronicles May Have Solved a Lingering It Mystery

Pennywise's influence on the young residents of Welcome to Derry shapes them throughout their adult lives, twisting them into the exact individuals who keep the town's pattern of hatred ongoing. It preys most easily on children from fractured homes — youngsters who often mature to repeat the same patterns as their parents. However, the Hanlon household distinguishes itself as a rare example of a family unit that never splinters, which may explain why Mike, even after choosing to stay in Derry, remains the sole member who never fully falls under Pennywise's sway.

The Hanlon Family's Distinctive Resistance

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy Hanlon at last grows increasingly conscious of the paranormal entities surrounding the neighborhood, particularly when It starts haunting his son, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan comprises a small number of grown-ups who are aware that things are not right with the town, especially 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 the third episode. Subsequently, he spots one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his house. The ability, alongside his failure to experience terror, along with the base of his household, may be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. But what if that shining is generational, and a key factor Mike Hanlon is one of the only adults in Derry who didn't lose themselves to its cruelty?

Will is part of the collective of kids at his educational institution being terrorized by Pennywise. His classmates come from dysfunctional families, with caregivers who refuse to accept they're being targeted. The cause he is being haunted is because of the viciousness of the community, paired with his likely receptiveness to shine, which renders him vulnerable. This family are fundamentally strangers in the town during the early sixties, which contributes towards the family sensing anomalies exist about the locality from the onset. Additionally, they possess a solid base that remains unbroken, in contrast to the folks who come from the area, with relationships that have decayed within.

Historical Context

Based on the original book, we know the juvenile Will will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where the psychic will rescue him from a fire that the town bigots of the community will ignite. In the recent movie, we see that Will has a boy named Mike and that the father ultimately dies in a configration, with his father surviving his own child and adopting his grandchild. The official story in the film is that Mike's parents were on substances, but given our current view of him in the series, that's hard to believe. Maybe the shy youth, once he became an adult, turned to drink to free himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the corrupt environment got to him initially, with the hate group eventually completing the task it started long before. Be it via the terror of the entity or through the cruelty of the community, seeded by It, It eventually gets the last laugh on him.

The Father's Evolution

This chain of events would clarify how Leroy transforms so radically from what we witness in the first film and the prequel. In his later years, he seems resentful and much harsher with his discipline. Because he outlived his own offspring, it's comprehensible to observe such a drastic change. Nonetheless, his words carry more weight now that we know he's witnessed the clown's activities and the effects they wrought upon his child. In the opening scene of the movie, we see Mike pause to use a bolt gun on a sheep at the family property. His grandfather chastises him for hesitating and offers an metaphor that leads to a survival-of-the-fittest scenario.

“There are two places you can be in this existence. You can be in the open like we are, or you can be in there,” Leroy says as he gestures to the creature. “You dawdle hemming and hawing, and someone is going to decide for you. Except you will be unaware it until you feel that bolt between your eyes.”

Looking back, this could represent a bit of prediction, something he regrets not imparting to his own child. Perhaps he desires he had done something in his youth, but for certain factors, he couldn't resist the repellent attraction of Derry.