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The clown'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 hatred ongoing. The creature finds easy targets on kids from broken homes — youngsters who often mature to replicate the same patterns as their parents. However, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as a rare example of a family unit that never splinters, which could clarify why Mike, even after choosing to stay in Derry, persists as the only Loser who never fully falls under the clown's influence.

Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resistance

In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy Hanlon finally becomes more aware of the paranormal entities enveloping the neighborhood, particularly when It starts haunting his child, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family comprises some of the few adults who are cognizant that things are not right with the municipality, especially the father, who was revealed to be receptive to psychic abilities when he was able to detect Dick Hallorann's use of it in the third episode. Later, Leroy sees one of the clown's trademark inflated orbs outside his residence. This gift, alongside his inability to experience terror, along with the base of his family, may be why he's capable of perceiving the entity's manifestations. But what if that psychic sensitivity is generational, and one of the reasons Mike Hanlon is among the few adults in Derry who didn't lose themselves to its cruelty?

Will is a member of the group of kids at his school being terrorized by the clown. All his school friends come from broken homes, with caregivers who don't believe they're being haunted. The reason Will is being pursued is because of the viciousness of the community, paired with his likely receptiveness to shine, which makes him susceptible. This family are ultimately outsiders in Derry during the early sixties, which lends itself towards the household feeling something is off about the locality from the onset. They also have a good foundation that isn't fractured, unlike the folks who originate in the area, with relationships that have decayed internally.

Historical Context

Based on the original book, we understand the juvenile 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 film, we see that Will has a son named Mike and that the father ultimately dies in a fire, with Leroy outliving his own child and taking his grandson in. The public account in the motion picture is that Mike's parents were on drugs, but now that we see him in Welcome to Derry, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the timid youth, once he grew up, turned to alcohol to free himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the rotten town affected him first, with the KKK ultimately finishing the task it started years ago. Whether through the terror of the entity or via the malice of the community, instigated by It, the creature in the end achieves the last laugh on him.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would explain how the elder Hanlon transforms so radically from what we see in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, Leroy seems resentful and much harsher with his discipline. Because he outlived his own son, it's understandable to observe such a profound shift. Nonetheless, his statements carry more weight since we are aware he's witnessed Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they had on his son. In the initial sequence of the movie, we observe the boy pause to use a bolt gun on a animal at the family property. Leroy reprimands him for delaying and provides an analogy that leads to a kill-or-be-killed situation.

“There are two places you can be in this world. You can be out here like we are, or you can be in there,” he states as he gestures to the sheep. “You dawdle indecisive, and someone is going to decide for you. Except you won't know it until you experience that bolt in your head.”

In hindsight, this could represent a piece of foreshadowing, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own child. Perhaps he wishes he had acted differently in his youth, but for certain factors, he couldn't resist the sickening attraction of the town.