🔗 Share this article

The clown's influence on the young residents of the Derry series shapes them throughout their adult lives, twisting them into the very adults who keep the town's cycle of hatred alive. It preys most easily on children from fractured homes — youngsters who frequently grow up to repeat the same patterns as their parents. However, the Hanlon family stands apart as a rare example of a family unit that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike Hanlon, even after choosing to stay in Derry, persists as the sole member who never fully falls under the clown's influence.

The Hanlon Family's Unique Resilience

In the fourth installment of the series, Leroy finally becomes more aware of the supernatural forces surrounding the community, particularly when It starts haunting his son, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan comprises a small number of adults who are aware that something is amiss with the municipality, especially Leroy, who was revealed to be sensitive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's use of it in the third episode. Later, he spots one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his house. 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 shining is generational, and one of the reasons Mike is among the few individuals in Derry who didn't lose themselves to its cruelty?

Will is a member of the group of children at his educational institution being terrorized by the clown. All his school friends hail from broken homes, with parents who refuse to accept they're being targeted. The cause he is being pursued is because of the viciousness of the community, combined with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. This family are ultimately outsiders in the town during the early sixties, which contributes towards the family feeling anomalies exist about the locality from the beginning. Additionally, they possess a solid base that remains unbroken, in contrast to the residents who come from the area, with relationships that have decayed within.

Backstory Connections

Based on the original book, we understand the young Will will end up at the Black Spot, where the psychic will save him from a fire that the town bigots of the community will ignite. In the 2017 movie, we see that he has a son named Mike and that the father ultimately dies in a configration, with Leroy outliving his own son and adopting his grandchild. The public account 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 shy boy, once he became an adult, leaned into alcohol to rid himself of the hauntings, or maybe the corrupt environment affected him initially, with the hate group ultimately finishing the task it began long before. Whether through the fear of the entity or via the malice of the community, instigated by Pennywise, the creature eventually achieves the final victory on Will.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would explain how the elder Hanlon changes so drastically from what we see in the first film and the prequel. In his older age, he appears resentful and much harsher with his discipline. Since he outlived his own son, it's understandable to see such a drastic change. Nonetheless, his statements carry more weight now that we know he's witnessed the clown's activities and the impacts they had on his child. In the initial sequence of It, we see the boy pause to use a bolt gun on a sheep at Leroy's farm. Leroy reprimands him for delaying and offers an metaphor that leads to a survival-of-the-fittest scenario.

“There are two places you can be in this existence. You can be in the open like us, or you can be in there,” he states as he points to the creature. “You waste time indecisive, and another is going to decide for you. Except you will be unaware it until you feel that bolt between your eyes.”

In hindsight, this could represent a bit of foreshadowing, something he wishes he had told his own child. Perhaps he wishes he had acted differently in his youth, but for some reason, he couldn't resist the sickening allure of the town.