The Derry Chronicles Could Have Solved a Lingering It Enigma

The clown's impact on the young residents of Welcome to Derry shapes them throughout their adult lives, transforming them into the exact individuals who perpetuate the town'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 guardians. But, the Hanlon household stands apart as one of the few family unit that never splinters, which could clarify why Mike Hanlon, even after electing to remain in Derry, remains the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.

Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resistance

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy finally becomes more aware of the supernatural forces surrounding the community, particularly when It starts haunting his child, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan comprises some of the few adults who are cognizant that things are not right with the municipality, notably the father, who was revealed to be receptive to psychic abilities when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's employment of it in the third episode. Later, he sees one of Pennywise's signature balloons outside his house. The ability, coupled with his failure to feel fear, along with the foundation of his family, may be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. However, consider if that shining is generational, and one of the reasons Mike Hanlon is among the few adults in the town who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?

The boy is a member of the collective of children at his school being terrorized by Pennywise. His classmates hail from broken homes, with parents who don't believe they're being haunted. The reason Will is being haunted is due to the viciousness of the town, combined with his potential sensitivity to shine, which renders him vulnerable. This family are ultimately strangers in the town during 1962, which lends itself towards the family feeling something is off about the town from the beginning. Additionally, they possess a solid base that remains unbroken, unlike the folks who come from the town, with bonds that have decayed within.

Backstory Connections

Based on the It novel, we know the juvenile Will will end up at the infamous nightclub, where Hallorann will rescue him from a blaze that the town bigots of the community will ignite. In the 2017 film, we observe that he has a boy named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a fire, with Leroy outliving his own son and taking his grandson in. The official story in the motion picture is that the parents were on drugs, but now that we see him in Welcome to Derry, that's hard to believe. Maybe the timid youth, once he became an adult, leaned into alcohol to free himself of the torments, or maybe the corrupt environment got to him first, with the KKK eventually finishing the job it started years ago. Be it via the terror of Pennywise or through the malice of the town, instigated by It, It in the end gets the final victory on him.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would explain how Leroy 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 survived his own son, it's understandable to see such a profound shift. However, his statements carry more weight now that we know he's seen Pennywise's hauntings and the impacts they wrought upon his child. In the opening scene of the movie, we observe the boy pause to use a stunning device on a animal at the family property. Leroy chastises him for delaying and offers an analogy that leads to a survival-of-the-fittest scenario.

“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 creature. “You dawdle indecisive, and someone is going to decide for you. But you won't know it until you experience that bolt between your eyes.”

Looking back, this could be a bit of prediction, a lesson he wishes he had told his own son. Perhaps he wishes he had done something in his youth, but for some reason, he couldn't resist the sickening attraction of the town.