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The clown's influence on the children of Welcome to Derry shapes them long into adulthood, twisting them into the exact individuals who keep the town's pattern of animosity ongoing. The creature preys most easily on kids from fractured homes — youngsters who often mature to repeat the identical behaviors as their guardians. But, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as a rare example of a family unit that remains intact, which may explain why Mike Hanlon, even after choosing to stay in Derry, remains the only Loser who never fully falls under the clown's influence.

Hanlon Household's Unique Resistance

In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy at last grows increasingly conscious of the paranormal entities enveloping the community, especially when the entity begins tormenting his child, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon clan consists of some of the few adults who are aware that something is amiss with the town, notably the father, who was shown to be receptive to psychic abilities when he was able to detect Dick Hallorann's employment 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 family, could be why he's able to see Pennywise's hauntings. However, consider if that psychic sensitivity is hereditary, and a key factor Mike is one of the only adults in the town who resisted succumbing to its cruelty?

Will is a member of the collective of kids at his school being terrorized by the clown. All his school friends come from dysfunctional families, with parents who refuse to accept they're being targeted. The cause he is being haunted is due to the cruelty of the community, combined with his likely receptiveness to shine, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are fundamentally outsiders in Derry during the early sixties, which lends itself towards the household sensing something is off about the town from the beginning. They also have a solid base that remains unbroken, unlike the folks who originate in the town, with relationships that have deteriorated internally.

Backstory Connections

Drawing from the It novel, we understand the young Will Hanlon will end up at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will rescue him from a fire that the local KKK members of Derry will cause. In the recent movie, we see that Will has a son named Mike and that the father eventually perishes in a configration, with Leroy outliving his own child and adopting his grandchild. The public account in the motion picture is that Mike's parents were on substances, but now that we see Will in the series, that's difficult to accept. Maybe the shy youth, once he grew up, leaned into drink to free himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the rotten town got to him initially, with the KKK ultimately completing the task it started long before. Whether through the fear of the entity or through the malice of the community, seeded by It, the creature eventually gets the final victory on Will.

The Father's Evolution

These occurrences would explain how Leroy transforms so radically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, he appears resentful and much stricter with his parenting. Because he outlived his own son, it's understandable to observe such a drastic change. However, his words carry more weight since we are aware he's witnessed the clown's activities and the effects they had on his son. In the opening scene of the movie, we see Mike pause to use a stunning device on a animal at Leroy's farm. His grandfather reprimands him for delaying and offers an analogy that leads to a kill-or-be-killed scenario.

“You have two options you can be in this world. You can be out here like we are, or you can be trapped inside,” he states as he gestures to the creature. “You waste time hemming and hawing, and another 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 piece of prediction, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own child. Maybe he desires he had done something in his past, but for some reason, he was unable to avoid the sickening attraction of Derry.