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The clown's impact on the young residents of the Derry series shapes them long into adulthood, transforming them into the exact individuals who perpetuate the community's pattern of animosity alive. It preys most easily on kids from fractured homes — youngsters who frequently grow up to replicate the same patterns as their guardians. However, the Hanlon household stands apart as one of the few family unit that never splinters, which could clarify why Mike, even after electing to remain in the town, persists as the only Loser who never fully falls under Pennywise's sway.

Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resilience

In the fourth installment of Welcome to Derry, Leroy Hanlon at last grows more aware of the paranormal entities enveloping the community, particularly when It begins tormenting his son, Will, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon clan consists of some of the few adults who are cognizant that something is amiss with the town, notably Leroy, who was shown to be sensitive to psychic abilities when he was able to detect a fellow psychic's use of it in episode 3. Later, Leroy spots one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his house. The ability, alongside his failure to feel fear, along with the base of his family, could be why he's able to see the entity's manifestations. However, consider if that psychic sensitivity is generational, and one of the reasons Mike Hanlon is among the few individuals in Derry who resisted succumbing to its cruelty?

The boy is part of the group of children at his school being tormented by the clown. All his school friends hail from dysfunctional families, with parents who refuse to accept they're being haunted. The cause Will is being haunted is due to the cruelty of the community, paired with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are ultimately strangers in Derry during the early sixties, which lends itself towards the family sensing anomalies exist about the town from the onset. Additionally, they possess a good foundation that remains unbroken, unlike the residents who originate in the town, with bonds that have deteriorated internally.

Historical Context

Drawing from the It novel, we know the young Will will find himself at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will rescue him from a fire that the town bigots of the community will cause. In the recent film, we observe that Will has a son named Mike and that the father ultimately dies in a fire, with Leroy outliving his own son and adopting his grandchild. The official story in the film is that Mike's parents were on substances, but given our current view of him in the series, that's difficult to accept. Maybe the shy boy, once he grew up, leaned into drink to free himself of the torments, or perhaps the corrupt town got to him initially, with the hate group eventually finishing the task it began long before. Whether through the terror of Pennywise or via the cruelty of the community, instigated by It, the creature eventually achieves the last laugh on Will.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would explain how the elder Hanlon changes so drastically from what we witness in the first film and the prequel. In his later years, he appears resentful and much stricter with his discipline. Since he survived his own son, it's comprehensible to see such a profound shift. Nonetheless, his statements hold greater significance now that we know he's seen Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they had on his son. In the initial sequence of It, we see Mike pause to use a stunning device on a sheep at Leroy's farm. His grandfather reprimands him for hesitating and offers an metaphor that results in a kill-or-be-killed scenario.

“You have two options you can be in this existence. You can be in the open like us, or you can be in there,” Leroy states as he points to the creature. “You waste time hemming and hawing, and another is going to decide for you. But you will be unaware it until you experience that bolt between your eyes.”

Looking back, this could be a bit of foreshadowing, something he wishes he had told his own child. Maybe he desires he had done something in his youth, but for some reason, he was unable to avoid the repellent attraction of the town.