The Derry Chronicles May Have Solved a Lingering Pennywise Mystery

The clown's impact on the children of Welcome to Derry molds them throughout their adult lives, twisting them into the very adults who perpetuate the town's pattern of hatred alive. The creature preys most easily on children from fractured homes — children who frequently mature to repeat 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 Hanlon, even after electing to remain in the town, persists as the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under Pennywise's sway.

Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resilience

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy Hanlon at last grows more aware of the supernatural forces enveloping the community, particularly when It starts haunting his son, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon clan consists of some of the few adults who are aware that things are not right with the municipality, notably the father, who was revealed to be sensitive to psychic abilities when he was capable of sensing Dick Hallorann's employment of it in episode 3. Later, Leroy spots one of the clown's trademark inflated orbs outside his residence. The ability, coupled with his inability to experience terror, combined with the base of his household, could be why he's capable of perceiving the entity's manifestations. But what if that psychic sensitivity is generational, and one of the reasons Mike is one of the only adults in the town who didn't lose themselves to its cruelty?

Will is part of the group of kids at his school being terrorized by Pennywise. All his school friends come from broken homes, with parents who don't believe they're being haunted. The reason he is being pursued is due to the cruelty of the town, paired with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are ultimately outsiders in the town during 1962, which contributes towards the family feeling something is off about the town from the onset. They also have a solid base that remains unbroken, unlike the folks who originate in the area, with relationships that have decayed internally.

Backstory Connections

Based on the original book, we understand the young Will Hanlon will end up at the infamous nightclub, where the psychic will save him from a blaze that the town bigots of the community will cause. In the 2017 film, we observe that Will has a son named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a configration, with Leroy surviving his own child and adopting his grandchild. The official story in the motion picture is that the parents were on substances, but now that we see Will in the series, that's difficult to accept. Maybe the timid youth, once he grew up, turned to drink to rid himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the rotten town affected him first, with the hate group ultimately finishing the job it started long before. Be it via the terror of Pennywise or through the malice of the community, seeded by It, the creature in the end gets the final victory on him.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would explain how the elder Hanlon transforms so radically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, he appears resentful and much stricter with his parenting. Since he survived his own son, it's comprehensible to see such a drastic change. However, his statements carry more weight since we are aware he's witnessed Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they wrought upon his child. In the opening scene of the movie, we observe the boy pause to use a bolt gun on a sheep at Leroy's farm. His grandfather chastises him for hesitating and offers an metaphor that leads to a kill-or-be-killed scenario.

“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 points to the creature. “You waste time indecisive, and another is going to make that choice. But you will be unaware it until you experience that projectile in your head.”

In hindsight, this could represent 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 was unable to avoid the sickening allure of the town.