WELCOME TO DERRY’s Leroy and Charlotte Hanlon Channel Two Civil Rights Leaders Tai Gooden | usagoldmines.com

There’s plenty of tension brewing in Derry. Lilly and her friends are fighting Officer Bowers to get him to believe that something sinister is lurking in their town. General Shaw and Rose are on opposite sides of a very pressing issue concerning the military’s (dumb) mission to try to harness an ancient evil entity and use it to win a war. But one of the most underrated conflicts in Welcome to Derry lies between Leroy and Charlotte Hanlon. The married duo continues to find themselves at odds over many things, from differences of opinion about raising their son Will to larger social issues. We spoke to actors Taylour Paige and Jovan Adepo about this power struggle and why this couple will remind viewers of two prominent Civil Rights figures. 

In episode four, Charlotte discovers that her son Will is trying to help his friend Ronnie prove her father’s innocence. Of course, Will left out some gnarly details about strange nightmares and such, but it is enough to truly spark Charlotte’s interest. Previously, we’ve seen Charlotte and Leroy have some terse conversations about how she doesn’t need to revive her Freedom Rider spirit in Derry.

Leroy, the ever dutiful military man, wishes to move up the ranks and have the support and respect of those around him. If his own wife starts to “stir up trouble,” then that could reflect poorly on him. It’s an interesting dynamic to explore in the context of 1962 during a time when the Civil Rights Movement is in full swing. And, during this time, it wasn’t unusual for a woman to be the submissive, supportive wife who wouldn’t dare challenge her husband. But, that’s not who Charlotte is… and we love her for it. 

She goes directly to the police station more than once, refusing to take no for an answer when it comes to speaking to Grogan. Charlotte even appeals to Grogan’s mother, getting approval to speak with him. However, Leroy’s military pal Pauly sees her lurking around the station and yaps about it. The couple have a bit of a standoff with either refusing to back down from their position. It certainly makes for great conflict that feels grounded in a supernatural horror series. 

“The conflict is tending to one’s garden and then tending to the garden of the world,” Paige tells Nerdist. “In this case, it’s already very stressful to move, period… It’s 1962, we are Black and there’s this energy that doesn’t feel right to Charlotte… We keep moving and shaking for this country, but is this country moving and shaking for us? And it just creates this very, very challenging dynamic for this young couple.” 

Adepo agrees that it is a difficult space for the couple, and believes that they essentially want the same thing. However, they are going about it in two different ways, which isn’t too different from a couple of Civil Rights giants that were alive at this time.

“Charlotte is very boisterous and rebellious and wants to go against the norms,” he affirmed. “Whereas I think Leroy’s strategy is to kind of be like, ‘If you can’t beat him, join him.’ He’s an upstanding American and citizen and hopes to get what he thinks is most important, which is the access to provide for his family and to put them in a place where they can feel safe and protected… There was one point when we were talking about our dynamic, and I wrote down in my journal ‘Malcolm X versus Martin Luther King.’ Martin Luther King might’ve been leading his brigade with peace talks and trying to keep things civil. And then there’s Malcolm X who is like, ‘If you want something eventually, you better be making some noise.” 

He said that the dynamic of Charlotte’s more boisterous and direct approach channeling Malcolm X versus Leroy’s peaceful persona is what he keeps in mind when filming intimate and tense scenes between the pair. While Leroy is committed to his military career, Charlotte is searching for her purpose. “I think she’s lonely, she’s bored, she’s intelligent, but I think she feels like there’s wasted potential,” said Paige. “She has so much to give and offer and has a sense she could really help people.”

Will Charlotte be able to help free Grogan and clear his name? And, if she does, what will it cost her personally? Will Leroy realize that his wife must follow her own path? We will have to see as Welcome to Derry races into the latter half of the season.