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The clown's influence on the young residents of the Derry series molds them throughout their adult lives, twisting them into the very adults who perpetuate the community's pattern of animosity ongoing. The creature preys most easily on kids from broken homes — youngsters who often grow up to replicate the same patterns as their guardians. But, the Hanlon household stands apart as one of the few households that never splinters, which could clarify why Mike Hanlon, even after choosing to stay in Derry, remains the sole member who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.

The Hanlon Family's Unique Resistance

In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy Hanlon finally becomes increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces surrounding the neighborhood, particularly when It starts haunting his son, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon clan consists of a small number of grown-ups who are cognizant that things are not right with the municipality, especially the father, who was revealed to be receptive 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 residence. This gift, coupled with his failure to experience terror, along with the foundation of his family, could be why he's able to see the entity's manifestations. However, consider if that shining is generational, and a key factor Mike is one of the only adults in Derry who resisted succumbing to its cruelty?

The boy is a member of the group of kids at his educational institution being tormented by Pennywise. His classmates come from broken homes, with caregivers who refuse to accept they're being targeted. The reason Will is being haunted is because of the cruelty of the community, paired with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. The Hanlons are ultimately outsiders in Derry during 1962, which lends itself towards the household sensing anomalies exist about the locality from the onset. Additionally, they possess a solid base that remains unbroken, in contrast to the folks who come from the town, with bonds that have deteriorated internally.

Backstory Connections

Drawing from the It novel, we know the young Will will end up at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will save him from a blaze that the local KKK members of Derry will cause. In the 2017 movie, we observe that he has a boy named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a fire, with Leroy surviving his own son and adopting his grandchild. The official story in the motion picture is that the parents were on drugs, but given our current view of him in Welcome to Derry, that's difficult to accept. Maybe the timid youth, once he became an adult, leaned into alcohol to free himself of the torments, or maybe the corrupt environment got to him first, with the hate group ultimately finishing the job it began long before. Whether through the fear of Pennywise or via the malice of the community, instigated by Pennywise, the creature eventually gets the last laugh on Will.

The Father's Evolution

These occurrences would explain how Leroy transforms so radically from what we witness in the first film and the prequel. In his older age, Leroy seems bitter and much stricter with his parenting. Because he outlived his own offspring, it's understandable to see such a drastic change. Nonetheless, his words hold greater significance now that we know he's witnessed the clown's activities and the effects they had on his son. In the opening scene of It, we see the boy hesitate to use a bolt gun on a sheep at Leroy's farm. His grandfather reprimands him for delaying and offers an analogy that leads to a survival-of-the-fittest situation.

“There are two places you can be in this world. You can be out here like us, or you can be in there,” Leroy says as he points to the creature. “You dawdle indecisive, and someone is going to decide for you. Except you will be unaware it until you feel that bolt in your head.”

In hindsight, this could be a piece of foreshadowing, something he wishes he had told his own son. Perhaps he desires he had done something in his youth, but for some reason, he couldn't resist the repellent allure of Derry.