🔗 Share this article The Derry Chronicles May Have Solved a Longstanding It Enigma Pennywise's impact on the young residents of the Derry series shapes them throughout their adult lives, twisting them into the exact individuals who perpetuate the community's pattern of hatred alive. The creature preys most easily on children from broken homes — youngsters who frequently grow up to repeat the identical behaviors as their parents. But, the Hanlon household distinguishes itself as one of the few households that never splinters, which may explain why Mike Hanlon, even after choosing to stay in Derry, remains the sole member who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence. Hanlon Household's Unique Resilience In the fourth installment of Welcome to Derry, Leroy finally becomes more aware of the supernatural forces enveloping the neighborhood, especially when the entity starts haunting his child, Will, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family consists of a small number of adults who are aware that things are not right with the municipality, especially Leroy, who was revealed to be receptive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing Dick Hallorann's use of it in episode 3. Subsequently, Leroy sees one of Pennywise's signature balloons outside his house. This gift, alongside his inability to feel fear, along with the base of his family, may be why he's capable of perceiving the entity's manifestations. But what if that psychic sensitivity is hereditary, and one of the reasons Mike Hanlon is one of the only adults in Derry who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence? The boy is a member of the collective of kids at his school being tormented by the clown. His classmates hail from dysfunctional families, with caregivers who refuse to accept they're being haunted. The reason he is being haunted is due to the viciousness of the town, combined with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. This family are ultimately strangers in Derry during the early sixties, which contributes towards the household sensing anomalies exist about the locality from the onset. They also have a solid base that remains unbroken, in contrast to the residents who originate in the area, with relationships that have deteriorated within. Backstory Connections Based on the original book, we understand the young Will will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where Hallorann will save him from a fire that the town bigots of the community will ignite. In the 2017 film, we observe that Will has a boy named Mike and that Will eventually perishes in a configration, with Leroy surviving his own child and taking his grandson in. The public account in the film is that Mike's parents were on substances, but now that we see Will in Welcome to Derry, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the timid youth, once he became an adult, leaned into drink to rid himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the corrupt town got to him initially, with the hate group ultimately finishing the task it began years ago. Be it via the terror of the entity or through the malice of the community, instigated by It, the creature eventually achieves the last laugh on Will. Leroy's Transformation These occurrences would clarify how the elder Hanlon changes so drastically from what we witness in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his later years, Leroy appears resentful and much stricter with his parenting. Because he outlived his own son, it's understandable to see such a profound shift. However, his statements carry more weight since we are aware he's witnessed the clown's activities and the effects they wrought upon his son. In the initial sequence of the movie, we see the boy pause to use a stunning device on a animal at the family property. His grandfather chastises him for hesitating and provides an metaphor that leads to a kill-or-be-killed scenario. “You have two options you can be in this existence. You can be in the open like us, or you can be trapped inside,” he says as he gestures to the creature. “You waste time hemming and hawing, and someone is going to decide for you. Except you won't know it until you feel that bolt in your head.” Looking back, this could represent a piece of prediction, 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 repellent allure of the town.