The clown's influence on the young residents of the Derry series shapes them throughout their adult lives, transforming them into the very adults who keep the community's cycle of animosity ongoing. The creature finds easy targets on children from fractured homes — youngsters who often grow up to repeat the same patterns as their guardians. But, the Hanlon household 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 sole member who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.
In episode 4 of the series, Leroy Hanlon at last grows more aware of the supernatural forces 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 grown-ups who are cognizant that something is amiss with the town, notably the father, who was shown to be sensitive to the Shining when he was able to detect Dick Hallorann's use of it in the third episode. Subsequently, Leroy spots one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his residence. This gift, coupled with his inability to experience terror, combined with the foundation of his family, may be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. However, consider if that shining is hereditary, and one of the reasons Mike is among the few individuals in the town who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?
The boy is a member of the collective of children at his school being tormented by Pennywise. His classmates come 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 shine, which renders him vulnerable. The Hanlons are fundamentally outsiders in Derry during 1962, which lends itself towards the family sensing anomalies exist about the town from the beginning. Additionally, they possess a good foundation that isn't fractured, unlike the residents who come from the area, with relationships that have deteriorated internally.
Based on the original book, we understand the juvenile Will Hanlon will end up at the infamous nightclub, where Hallorann will rescue him from a fire that the town bigots of the community will cause. In the 2017 movie, we observe that he has a boy named Mike and that the father eventually perishes in a configration, with Leroy outliving his own son and adopting his grandchild. The official story in the film is that Mike's parents were on drugs, but given our current view of Will in Welcome to Derry, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the shy youth, once he became an adult, leaned into drink to free himself of the hauntings, or maybe the corrupt town got to him initially, with the KKK eventually finishing the task it began long before. Be it via the fear of Pennywise or via the cruelty of the community, instigated by It, the creature in the end gets the last laugh on Will.
These occurrences would clarify how Leroy transforms so drastically from what we see in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his older age, Leroy appears bitter and much stricter with his discipline. Because he outlived his own son, it's comprehensible to see such a drastic change. However, 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 initial sequence of It, we see the boy pause to use a bolt gun on a animal at Leroy's farm. Leroy chastises him for delaying and offers an analogy that results in a survival-of-the-fittest scenario.
“There are two places you can be in this existence. You can be out here like us, or you can be trapped inside,” he states as he points to the creature. “You dawdle indecisive, and another is going to decide for you. But you won't know it until you experience that bolt between your eyes.”
In hindsight, this could represent a bit of foreshadowing, something he regrets not imparting to his own child. Perhaps he desires he had done something in his youth, but for some reason, he couldn't resist the sickening attraction of the town.
A passionate gamer and strategy enthusiast with years of experience in competitive gaming and content creation.
