Pennywise's influence on the children of the Derry series shapes them long into adulthood, transforming them into the exact individuals who keep the town's pattern of animosity alive. The creature preys most easily on children from fractured homes — youngsters who frequently mature to repeat the same patterns as their parents. But, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as a rare example of a family unit that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike, even after electing to remain in the town, persists as the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.
In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy at last grows more aware of the paranormal entities surrounding the neighborhood, particularly when the entity starts haunting his child, Will, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon family consists of some of the few adults who are aware that something is amiss with the municipality, notably Leroy, who was shown to be receptive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's use of it in episode 3. Later, Leroy sees one of the clown's trademark balloons outside his residence. This gift, alongside his failure to experience terror, along with the base of his household, could be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. But what if that shining is generational, and a key factor Mike Hanlon is among the few adults in Derry who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?
Will is part of the group of kids at his educational institution being tormented by the clown. His classmates hail from broken homes, with parents who don't believe they're being targeted. The cause he is being pursued is because of the cruelty of the community, paired with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. The Hanlons are fundamentally strangers in Derry during the early sixties, which contributes towards the family sensing anomalies exist about the town from the onset. They also have a good foundation that isn't fractured, in contrast to the residents who come from the area, with bonds that have decayed within.
Based on the It novel, we know the young Will will end up at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will save him from a blaze that the local KKK members of the community will ignite. In the recent film, we observe that Will has a boy named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a fire, with his father surviving his own son and taking his grandson in. The public account in the motion picture is that the parents were on drugs, but now that we see him in the series, that's hard to believe. Maybe the shy youth, once he grew up, turned to drink to free himself of the torments, or maybe the corrupt environment affected him first, with the KKK ultimately finishing the task it started long before. Be it via the fear of Pennywise or via the malice of the town, seeded by It, It in the end achieves the last laugh on him.
This chain of events would clarify how the elder Hanlon changes so radically from what we see in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, he appears bitter and much stricter with his parenting. Since he survived his own offspring, it's understandable to observe such a profound shift. However, his words carry more weight now that we know he's witnessed Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they had on his son. In the opening scene of It, we observe Mike pause to use a stunning device on a sheep at Leroy's farm. His grandfather chastises him for delaying and provides an analogy that leads to a survival-of-the-fittest scenario.
“You have two options you can be in this world. You can be in the open like we are, or you can be trapped inside,” he says as he points to the creature. “You dawdle hemming and hawing, and another is going to make that choice. But you will be unaware it until you experience that projectile between your eyes.”
In hindsight, this could be a bit of foreshadowing, a lesson he wishes he had told 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.
Elara is a financial strategist with over a decade of experience in wealth management and entrepreneurship.
