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The clown's impact on the young residents of the Derry series molds them long into adulthood, twisting them into the exact individuals who perpetuate the town's cycle of animosity ongoing. The creature finds easy targets on kids from fractured homes — youngsters who frequently grow up to replicate the identical behaviors as their parents. However, the Hanlon household distinguishes itself as a rare example of a family unit that never splinters, which may explain why Mike Hanlon, even after electing to remain in the town, persists as the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.

Hanlon Household's Unique Resilience

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy finally becomes more aware of the paranormal entities surrounding the community, particularly when the entity starts haunting his son, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan consists of a small number of grown-ups who are cognizant that something is amiss with the municipality, notably Leroy, who was shown to be receptive to psychic abilities when he was able to detect a fellow psychic's employment of it in the third episode. Subsequently, Leroy spots one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his residence. This gift, alongside his failure 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 psychic sensitivity is hereditary, and one of the reasons Mike Hanlon is among the few individuals in the town who resisted succumbing to its cruelty?

The boy is a member of the collective of kids at his school being tormented by Pennywise. His classmates hail from dysfunctional families, with caregivers who don't believe they're being haunted. The reason Will is being pursued is because of the cruelty of the town, paired with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. The Hanlons are ultimately strangers in Derry during 1962, which lends itself towards the family sensing something is off about the locality from the onset. Additionally, they possess a good foundation that remains unbroken, unlike the folks who originate in the town, with relationships that have decayed within.

Historical Context

Based on the It novel, we understand the juvenile Will will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where the psychic will save him from a fire that the town bigots of Derry will ignite. In the recent film, we see that Will has a boy named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a configration, with Leroy surviving his own child and adopting his grandchild. The official story in the film is that the parents were on substances, but now that we see Will in Welcome to Derry, that's hard to believe. Maybe the shy boy, once he grew up, leaned into drink to rid himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the rotten environment got to him initially, with the KKK eventually finishing the job it started long before. Whether through the terror of the entity or via the malice of the town, seeded by It, It eventually achieves the final victory on Will.

The Father's Evolution

These occurrences would clarify how Leroy transforms so radically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his older age, Leroy appears bitter and much harsher with his parenting. Because he outlived his own son, it's understandable to see such a profound shift. However, his words carry more weight now that we know he's seen Pennywise's hauntings and the impacts they wrought upon his child. In the opening scene of It, we see the boy hesitate to use a stunning device on a sheep at the family property. His grandfather chastises him for hesitating and offers an metaphor that results in a survival-of-the-fittest situation.

“There are two places you can be in this existence. You can be in the open like we are, or you can be trapped inside,” he states as he gestures to the sheep. “You waste time hemming and hawing, and someone is going to decide for you. But you will be unaware it until you experience that bolt between your eyes.”

Looking back, this could represent a bit of prediction, something he wishes he had told his own child. Maybe he desires he had done something in his youth, but for some reason, he couldn't resist the repellent attraction of Derry.