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The clown's influence on the young residents of Welcome to Derry molds them long into adulthood, twisting them into the very adults who keep the town's cycle of animosity alive. The creature finds easy targets on children from fractured homes — children who often grow up to repeat the identical behaviors as their guardians. However, the Hanlon household distinguishes itself as one of the few households that never splinters, which could clarify why Mike, even after electing to remain in the town, persists as the sole member who doesn't completely succumb under Pennywise's sway.

Hanlon Household's Unique Resistance

In the fourth installment of Welcome to Derry, Leroy Hanlon at last grows more aware of the supernatural forces surrounding the neighborhood, particularly when It begins tormenting his son, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon clan comprises some of the few adults who are cognizant that something is amiss with the municipality, notably the father, who was revealed to be receptive to the Shining when he was able to detect a fellow psychic's employment of it in the third episode. Subsequently, he sees one of the clown's trademark balloons outside his residence. This gift, coupled with his failure to experience terror, combined 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 hereditary, and one of the reasons Mike Hanlon is among the few individuals in the town who resisted succumbing to its cruelty?

The boy is part of the collective of kids at his educational institution being tormented by Pennywise. His classmates hail from dysfunctional families, with caregivers who don't believe they're being targeted. The cause Will 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 the early sixties, which contributes towards the household feeling anomalies exist about the locality from the onset. Additionally, they possess a solid base that isn't fractured, unlike the folks who originate in the town, with relationships that have decayed within.

Historical Context

Based on the It novel, we understand the young Will Hanlon will end up at the infamous nightclub, where Hallorann will save him from a fire that the town bigots of Derry will cause. In the recent movie, we observe that Will has a son named Mike and that the father ultimately dies in a configration, with Leroy outliving his own child and adopting his grandchild. The public account in the film is that Mike's parents were on substances, but given our current view of him in the series, that's hard to believe. Perhaps the timid boy, once he became an adult, leaned into alcohol to free himself of the torments, or perhaps the rotten environment got to him initially, with the KKK eventually completing the task it began long before. Be it via the fear of Pennywise or through the malice of the community, seeded by It, the creature eventually achieves the last laugh on him.

Leroy's Transformation

This chain of events would explain how the elder Hanlon transforms so radically from what we see in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, he seems resentful and much harsher with his parenting. Since he outlived his own offspring, it's comprehensible to observe such a drastic change. However, his words carry more weight since we are aware he's seen Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they had on his son. In the initial sequence of the movie, we observe the boy hesitate to use a stunning device on a sheep at Leroy's farm. His grandfather reprimands him for hesitating and offers an metaphor that leads to a survival-of-the-fittest situation.

“You have two options you can be in this existence. You can be out here like us, or you can be in there,” he states as he gestures to the sheep. “You dawdle indecisive, and another is going to make that choice. Except you will be unaware it until you feel that bolt between your eyes.”

Looking back, this could represent a bit of foreshadowing, a lesson he wishes he had told his own son. Maybe he wishes he had done something in his past, but for certain factors, he was unable to avoid the repellent attraction of the town.