🔗 Share this article

Pennywise's influence on the children of the Derry series molds them long into adulthood, transforming them into the very adults who keep the town's cycle of animosity ongoing. The creature preys most easily on children from fractured households — youngsters who often mature to replicate the same patterns as their parents. But, the Hanlon household distinguishes itself as a rare example of a family unit that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike, even after choosing to stay in Derry, persists as the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.

Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resilience

In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy finally becomes more aware of the paranormal entities surrounding the neighborhood, particularly when It begins tormenting his child, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family comprises a small number of grown-ups who are cognizant that something is amiss with the municipality, especially the father, who was shown to be sensitive to psychic abilities when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's employment of it in the third episode. Later, Leroy spots one of the clown's trademark balloons outside his house. The ability, alongside his failure to feel fear, along with the foundation of his household, may be why he's able to see the entity's manifestations. However, consider if that shining is hereditary, and a key factor Mike is one of the only individuals in Derry who resisted succumbing to its cruelty?

Will is part of the collective of children at his school being tormented by Pennywise. His classmates come from dysfunctional families, with parents who don't believe they're being haunted. The cause he is being haunted is due to the viciousness of the community, combined with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. This family are fundamentally outsiders in Derry during the early sixties, which lends itself towards the family feeling anomalies exist about the town from the beginning. Additionally, they possess a good foundation that isn't fractured, unlike the folks who originate in the town, with relationships that have deteriorated internally.

Backstory Connections

Based on the It novel, we understand the juvenile 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 movie, we observe that Will has a boy named Mike and that Will eventually perishes in a configration, with his father surviving his own child and taking his grandson in. The official story in the film 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 grew up, leaned into drink to rid himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the rotten town affected him initially, with the KKK eventually finishing the task it began years ago. Whether through the fear of Pennywise or through the cruelty of the community, instigated by Pennywise, It in the end gets the final victory on him.

The Father's Evolution

These occurrences would explain how the elder Hanlon transforms so radically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his older age, he appears resentful and much stricter with his parenting. Since he survived his own offspring, it's understandable to observe such a drastic change. However, his words hold greater significance now that we know he's witnessed Pennywise's hauntings and the impacts they had on his son. In the initial sequence of the movie, we see Mike hesitate to use a bolt gun on a animal at the family property. Leroy reprimands him for hesitating and provides an metaphor that leads to a survival-of-the-fittest scenario.

“There are two places you can be in this world. You can be in the open like us, or you can be in there,” he states as he points to the sheep. “You waste time indecisive, and someone 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 bit of foreshadowing, something he regrets not imparting to his own son. Maybe he wishes he had acted differently in his past, but for certain factors, he was unable to avoid the repellent attraction of Derry.