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The clown's influence on the children of the Derry series molds them throughout their adult lives, transforming them into the exact individuals who keep the community's pattern of hatred alive. It finds easy targets on children from fractured households — children who often mature to repeat the same patterns as their parents. However, the Hanlon household stands apart as a rare example of a households that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike, even after electing to remain in Derry, persists as the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under Pennywise's sway.

The Hanlon Family's Unique Resilience

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy at last grows increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces surrounding the community, particularly when the entity starts haunting his son, Will, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon clan consists of a small number of grown-ups who are cognizant that something is amiss with the town, notably the father, who was shown to be receptive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing Dick Hallorann's use of it in episode 3. Subsequently, Leroy spots one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his house. This gift, coupled with his inability to experience terror, along with the base of his household, could be why he's able to see Pennywise's hauntings. However, consider if that shining is hereditary, and one of the reasons Mike Hanlon is among the few adults in Derry who resisted succumbing to its cruelty?

Will is part of the collective of kids at his educational institution being tormented by Pennywise. His classmates come from dysfunctional families, with parents who don't believe they're being haunted. The reason Will is being haunted is because of the viciousness of the town, paired with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are fundamentally outsiders in Derry during the early sixties, which contributes towards the household sensing something is off about the town from the onset. They also have a solid base that isn't fractured, unlike the folks who come from the town, with relationships that have deteriorated within.

Historical Context

Based on the It novel, we understand the young Will Hanlon will find himself at the Black Spot, where the psychic will rescue him from a fire that the town bigots of Derry will cause. In the 2017 movie, we observe that Will has a boy named Mike and that the father eventually perishes in a fire, with his father outliving his own child and adopting his grandchild. The public account in the motion picture is that Mike's parents were on substances, but given our current view of Will in Welcome to Derry, that's hard to believe. Perhaps the timid youth, once he grew up, leaned into drink to free himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the corrupt town got to him first, with the hate group eventually finishing the task it started years ago. Be it via the terror of the entity or through the malice of the community, seeded by It, It in the end achieves the last laugh on Will.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would clarify how the elder Hanlon changes so radically from what we see in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, he appears resentful and much stricter with his parenting. Because he survived his own son, it's comprehensible to see such a drastic change. However, his statements hold greater significance now that we know he's witnessed Pennywise's hauntings and the impacts they had on his child. In the initial sequence of the movie, we see the boy pause to use a stunning device on a animal at Leroy's farm. His grandfather chastises him for delaying and provides an analogy that leads to a survival-of-the-fittest scenario.

“You have two options you can be in this existence. You can be in the open like we are, or you can be in there,” Leroy states as he gestures to the creature. “You waste time indecisive, and someone is going to make that choice. Except you won't know it until you experience that projectile between your eyes.”

Looking back, this could be a piece of foreshadowing, something he wishes he had told his own child. Perhaps he desires he had acted differently in his youth, but for certain factors, he couldn't resist the repellent allure of Derry.