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The clown's influence on the young residents of the Derry series molds them long into adulthood, twisting them into the very adults who keep the town's cycle of hatred ongoing. The creature finds easy targets on kids from fractured households — children who frequently grow up to replicate the identical behaviors as their parents. But, the Hanlon family stands apart as one of the few family unit that never splinters, which may explain why Mike, even after choosing to stay in Derry, persists as the only Loser who never fully falls under Pennywise's sway.

The Hanlon Family's Distinctive Resistance

In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy finally becomes increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces surrounding the neighborhood, particularly when the entity begins tormenting his child, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon family comprises some of the few adults who are cognizant that things are not right with the town, especially the father, who was shown to be receptive to the Shining when he was able to detect Dick Hallorann's use of it in episode 3. Later, Leroy spots one of the clown's trademark inflated orbs outside his residence. The ability, coupled with his inability to experience terror, combined with the foundation of his household, may be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. But what if that shining is hereditary, and one of the reasons Mike is among the few individuals in Derry who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?

The boy is a member of the group of children at his educational institution being terrorized 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 cruelty of the community, paired with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. The Hanlons are ultimately outsiders in the town during 1962, which lends itself towards the family feeling something is off about the town from the onset. They also have a solid base that remains unbroken, in contrast to the residents who come from the area, with bonds that have deteriorated within.

Historical Context

Based on the original book, we know the juvenile Will Hanlon will end up at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will save him from a blaze that the town bigots of Derry will ignite. In the 2017 film, we see that he has a boy named Mike and that the father ultimately dies in a configration, with his father outliving his own child and taking his grandson in. The official story in the film is that the parents were on drugs, but now that we see Will in the series, that's hard to believe. Maybe the shy youth, once he became an adult, turned to alcohol to rid himself of the torments, or maybe the rotten town got to him initially, with the KKK ultimately completing the job it started years ago. Whether through the fear of Pennywise or via the malice of the town, instigated by Pennywise, It in the end gets the final victory on Will.

The Father's Evolution

This chain of events would clarify how the elder Hanlon changes so radically from what we witness in the first film and the prequel. In his later years, Leroy seems resentful and much harsher with his parenting. Because he outlived his own son, it's understandable to observe such a drastic change. Nonetheless, his words carry more weight since we are aware he's seen the clown's activities and the effects they had on his son. In the initial sequence of It, we observe the boy pause to use a stunning device on a sheep at Leroy's farm. His grandfather reprimands him for delaying and offers an metaphor that leads to a kill-or-be-killed scenario.

“There are two places you can be in this existence. 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 another is going to decide for you. But you will be unaware it until you feel that bolt in your head.”

Looking back, this could represent a bit of foreshadowing, a lesson he wishes he had told his own child. Perhaps he desires he had done something in his past, but for some reason, he was unable to avoid the repellent attraction of Derry.