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The clown's influence on the young residents of Welcome to Derry shapes them long into adulthood, twisting them into the exact individuals who perpetuate the community's pattern of hatred alive. It finds easy targets on children from fractured homes — youngsters who frequently mature to replicate the same patterns as their parents. But, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as a rare example of a households that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike Hanlon, even after electing to remain in the town, persists as the sole member who never fully falls under Pennywise's sway.

The Hanlon Family's Unique Resilience

In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy finally becomes increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces enveloping the community, especially when It begins tormenting his son, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon clan comprises a small number of grown-ups who are cognizant that something is amiss with the town, notably the father, who was shown to be sensitive to psychic abilities when he was able to detect a fellow psychic's use of it in the third episode. Later, Leroy spots one of Pennywise's signature balloons outside his residence. The ability, coupled with his inability to experience terror, combined with the base of his household, could be why he's capable of perceiving the entity's manifestations. However, consider if that psychic sensitivity is hereditary, and a key factor Mike Hanlon is one of the only adults in Derry who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?

Will is a member of the collective of children at his school being tormented by the clown. His classmates come from broken homes, with parents who refuse to accept they're being haunted. The cause he is being pursued is due to the cruelty of the town, paired with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are fundamentally outsiders in the town during the early sixties, which lends itself towards the family feeling anomalies exist about the locality from the beginning. They also have a good foundation that remains unbroken, unlike the folks who come from the town, with bonds that have deteriorated internally.

Historical Context

Based on the It novel, we know the young Will Hanlon will end up at the Black Spot, where the psychic will rescue him from a blaze that the local KKK members of the community will cause. In the 2017 film, we observe that he has a son named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a fire, with his father surviving his own child and adopting his grandchild. The official story in the motion picture is that Mike's parents were on drugs, but now that we see him in Welcome to Derry, that's hard to believe. Perhaps the timid youth, once he grew up, turned to drink to rid himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the corrupt town affected him initially, with the hate group ultimately finishing the task it began long before. Whether through the terror of the entity or via the malice of the town, instigated by It, the creature eventually achieves the last laugh on Will.

The Father's Evolution

This chain of events would explain how Leroy changes so drastically from what we see in the first film and the prequel. In his older age, Leroy appears resentful and much harsher with his discipline. Since he survived his own offspring, it's comprehensible to observe such a drastic change. Nonetheless, his statements carry more weight since we are aware he's seen the clown's activities and the impacts they had on his child. In the initial sequence of It, we observe Mike hesitate to use a bolt gun on a animal at Leroy's farm. His grandfather chastises him for delaying and provides an metaphor that leads to a kill-or-be-killed situation.

“You have two options you can be in this world. You can be in the open like us, or you can be trapped inside,” Leroy states as he points to the sheep. “You dawdle hemming and hawing, and someone is going to make that choice. Except you won't know it until you feel that bolt between your eyes.”

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 sickening allure of Derry.