Welcome to Derry May Have Solved a Longstanding It Mystery
Pennywise's influence on the children of Welcome to Derry molds them long into adulthood, twisting them into the exact individuals who perpetuate the town's pattern of animosity ongoing. It preys most easily on children from fractured 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 households that never splinters, which may explain why Mike, even after choosing to stay in Derry, remains the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.
Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resilience
In the fourth installment of the series, Leroy finally becomes increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces enveloping the community, especially when the entity starts haunting his son, Will, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family comprises some of the few adults who are cognizant that things are not right with the town, notably Leroy, who was shown to be sensitive to the Shining when he was able to detect a fellow psychic's employment of it in episode 3. Subsequently, he sees one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his residence. The ability, alongside his failure to experience terror, along with the foundation of his family, may 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 individuals in Derry who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?
Will is part of the collective of kids at his school being terrorized by Pennywise. His classmates come from broken homes, with caregivers who don't believe they're being haunted. The reason he is being haunted is due to the viciousness of the town, paired with his likely receptiveness to shine, which renders him vulnerable. The Hanlons are ultimately strangers in Derry during 1962, which contributes towards the family sensing something is off about the locality from the onset. Additionally, they possess a good foundation that isn't fractured, unlike the folks who come from the town, with bonds that have decayed internally.
Historical Context
Drawing from the original book, we know the young Will will end up at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will rescue him from a blaze that the town bigots of the community will ignite. In the recent film, we see that Will has a son named Mike and that the father eventually perishes in a fire, with Leroy outliving his own son and adopting his grandchild. The public account in the motion picture is that the parents were on drugs, but given our current view of Will in Welcome to Derry, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the timid youth, once he grew up, turned to alcohol to rid himself of the torments, or perhaps the corrupt environment got to him initially, with the KKK eventually completing the job it began long before. Be it via the fear of the entity or via the cruelty of the community, seeded by It, It eventually achieves the last laugh on Will.
The Father's Evolution
These occurrences would clarify how Leroy changes so drastically from what we see in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, Leroy seems resentful and much harsher with his discipline. Because he outlived his own son, 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 had on his child. In the opening scene of It, we observe the boy pause to use a stunning device on a animal at the family property. His grandfather chastises him for hesitating and offers an analogy that leads to a kill-or-be-killed scenario.
“You have two options you can be in this existence. You can be out here like we are, or you can be trapped inside,” Leroy states as he gestures to the creature. “You dawdle 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 be a bit of foreshadowing, something he regrets not imparting to his own child. Maybe he wishes he had acted differently in his youth, but for some reason, he was unable to avoid the sickening attraction of Derry.
