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Pennywise's influence on the young residents of the Derry series molds them throughout their adult lives, twisting them into the exact individuals who perpetuate the town's cycle of animosity ongoing. The creature preys most easily on children from fractured households — youngsters who frequently grow up to repeat the identical behaviors as their parents. But, the Hanlon household stands apart as one of the few households that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike Hanlon, even after electing to remain in the town, remains the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under Pennywise's sway.

Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resilience

In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy Hanlon at last grows more aware of the paranormal entities enveloping the community, particularly when It starts haunting his child, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan comprises a small number of adults who are cognizant that things are not right with the town, notably Leroy, who was revealed to be sensitive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing Dick Hallorann's employment of it in episode 3. Subsequently, he spots one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his residence. The ability, coupled with his inability to experience terror, along 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 generational, and a key factor Mike is one of the only adults in the town who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?

The boy is part of the collective of kids at his school being tormented by the clown. All his school friends come from broken homes, with caregivers who refuse to accept they're being haunted. The cause Will is being haunted is due to the cruelty of the town, combined with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. This family are ultimately outsiders in the town during the early sixties, which contributes towards the household feeling anomalies exist about the locality from the onset. Additionally, they possess a good foundation that isn't fractured, unlike the folks who originate in the area, with bonds that have decayed within.

Backstory Connections

Based on the original book, we know the juvenile Will Hanlon will end up at the Black Spot, where the psychic will save him from a fire that the local KKK members of the community will cause. In the 2017 film, we observe that Will has a son named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a fire, with Leroy surviving his own son and taking his grandson in. The official story in the film is that Mike's parents were on substances, but given our current view of him in the series, that's difficult to accept. Maybe the shy boy, once he became an adult, leaned into alcohol to free himself of the torments, or perhaps the corrupt town affected him first, with the hate group ultimately finishing the job it started long before. Be it via the fear of the entity or through the malice of the community, instigated by It, the creature in the end gets the final victory on Will.

The Father's Evolution

These occurrences would clarify how the elder Hanlon changes so drastically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, Leroy appears resentful and much harsher with his parenting. Because he outlived his own son, it's understandable to see such a profound shift. However, his words hold greater significance now that we know he's witnessed the clown's activities and the impacts they had on his son. In the initial sequence of the movie, we see Mike hesitate to use a bolt gun on a sheep at Leroy's farm. Leroy chastises him for hesitating and offers an metaphor that results in 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 in there,” Leroy states as he gestures to the sheep. “You waste time indecisive, and another is going to decide for you. Except you won't know it until you experience that projectile in your head.”

Looking back, this could be a piece of prediction, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own child. Perhaps he desires he had done something in his past, but for certain factors, he couldn't resist the sickening allure of the town.