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Pennywise's impact on the young residents of Welcome to Derry molds them long into adulthood, twisting them into the very adults who keep the town's pattern of animosity alive. It finds easy targets on kids from broken households — children who frequently mature to replicate the identical behaviors as their guardians. But, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as one of the few family unit that remains intact, 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.

The Hanlon Family's Distinctive Resistance

In the fourth installment of Welcome to Derry, Leroy Hanlon at last grows increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces enveloping the neighborhood, particularly when It begins tormenting his child, Will, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan comprises some of the few grown-ups who are aware that something is amiss with the town, especially Leroy, who was revealed to be sensitive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's employment of it in episode 3. Subsequently, he spots one of the clown's trademark inflated orbs outside his house. This gift, alongside his failure to feel fear, along with the foundation of his family, could be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. However, consider if that shining is hereditary, and a key factor Mike is among the few individuals in the town who resisted succumbing to its cruelty?

Will is a member of the collective of kids at his educational institution being tormented by Pennywise. All his school friends hail from dysfunctional families, with caregivers who don't believe they're being haunted. The reason he is being pursued is because of the cruelty of the town, paired with his likely receptiveness to shine, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are ultimately outsiders in the town during the early sixties, which contributes towards the household sensing anomalies exist about the locality from the beginning. Additionally, they possess a good foundation that isn't fractured, in contrast to the folks who originate in the area, with bonds that have deteriorated internally.

Backstory Connections

Based on the original book, we understand the juvenile Will will find himself at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will save him from a fire that the town bigots of Derry will cause. In the recent film, we see that he has a boy 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 motion picture is that the parents were on drugs, but given our current view of him in the series, that's hard to believe. Maybe the shy youth, once he became an adult, leaned into drink to rid himself of the torments, or perhaps the corrupt environment got to him first, with the hate group ultimately completing the task it began years ago. Whether through the fear of the entity or via the malice of the town, instigated by It, the creature eventually achieves the final victory on him.

The Father's Evolution

These occurrences would clarify how the elder Hanlon transforms so radically from what we see in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, Leroy appears resentful and much stricter with his discipline. Because he survived his own offspring, it's understandable to observe such a drastic change. However, his statements hold greater significance since we are aware he's witnessed Pennywise's hauntings and the impacts they wrought upon his son. In the opening scene of It, we see the boy pause to use a bolt gun on a sheep at Leroy's farm. His grandfather chastises him for delaying and offers an analogy that results in a survival-of-the-fittest situation.

“There are two places you can be in this world. You can be in the open like we are, or you can be in there,” he states as he points to the creature. “You dawdle indecisive, and someone is going to make that choice. Except you won't know it until you feel that bolt between your eyes.”

Looking back, this could be a piece of prediction, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own son. Maybe he desires he had acted differently in his youth, but for certain factors, he was unable to avoid the sickening attraction of the town.