The Derry Chronicles Could Have Solved a Lingering Pennywise Mystery
The clown'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 hatred ongoing. It finds easy targets on children from fractured homes — children who frequently mature to repeat the identical behaviors as their parents. However, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as one of the few households that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike, even after electing to remain in the town, persists as the only Loser who never fully falls under the clown's influence.
The Hanlon Family's Distinctive Resilience
In episode 4 of the series, Leroy Hanlon at last grows increasingly conscious of the paranormal entities surrounding the community, especially when the entity begins tormenting his son, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon family consists of some of the few adults who are cognizant that things are not right with the town, notably Leroy, who was revealed to be receptive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's use of it in the third episode. Subsequently, Leroy spots one of Pennywise's signature balloons outside his residence. This gift, alongside his failure to feel fear, along with the base of his family, could be why he's able to see Pennywise's hauntings. However, consider if that psychic sensitivity is hereditary, and a key factor Mike is among the few adults in the town who resisted succumbing to its cruelty?
Will is a member of the group of kids at his educational institution being terrorized by the clown. His classmates come from dysfunctional families, with parents who refuse to accept they're being haunted. The reason Will is being haunted is due to the viciousness of the town, paired with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. The Hanlons are ultimately strangers in the town during the early sixties, which contributes towards the family sensing anomalies exist about the locality from the beginning. They also have a solid base that remains unbroken, unlike the folks who originate in the area, with bonds that have decayed internally.
Historical Context
Drawing from the It novel, we understand the juvenile Will Hanlon will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where Hallorann will save him from a fire that the town bigots of the community will cause. In the recent movie, we observe that Will has a boy named Mike and that the father ultimately dies in a configration, with Leroy outliving his own son and adopting his grandchild. The official story in the motion picture is that the parents were on drugs, but given our current view of Will in the series, that's hard to believe. Maybe the timid boy, once he became an adult, turned to drink to free himself of the hauntings, or maybe the corrupt town got to him first, with the KKK eventually finishing the task it started long before. Be it via the terror of the entity or through the cruelty of the community, seeded by It, the creature eventually achieves the last laugh on him.
The Father's Evolution
This chain of events would clarify how the elder Hanlon changes so radically from what we see in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his later years, Leroy seems bitter and much harsher with his discipline. Since he survived his own offspring, it's comprehensible to see such a profound shift. However, his statements hold greater significance since we are aware he's witnessed the clown's activities and the effects they had on his child. In the initial sequence of It, we observe Mike pause to use a bolt gun on a animal at the family property. Leroy reprimands him for delaying and provides an metaphor that leads to a survival-of-the-fittest situation.
“There are two places you can be in this world. You can be in the open like us, or you can be trapped inside,” Leroy states as he points to the creature. “You waste time hemming and hawing, and another is going to make that choice. Except you will be unaware 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 youth, but for certain factors, he couldn't resist the sickening allure of Derry.
