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The clown's influence on the children of Welcome to Derry molds them throughout their adult lives, twisting them into the very adults who perpetuate the town's pattern of animosity alive. It finds easy targets on children from fractured households — youngsters who frequently grow up to repeat the same patterns as their parents. However, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as a rare example of a family unit that never splinters, which may explain why Mike Hanlon, even after choosing to stay in Derry, remains the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.

The Hanlon Family's Distinctive Resistance

In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy Hanlon at last grows more aware of the paranormal entities surrounding the neighborhood, particularly when It starts haunting his son, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family consists of some of the few adults who are aware that things are not right with the town, notably the father, who was revealed to be sensitive to the Shining when he was able to detect Dick Hallorann's employment of it in episode 3. Later, he sees one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his house. This gift, coupled with his failure to experience terror, along with the foundation of his family, could be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. But what if that psychic sensitivity is generational, and a key factor Mike is one of the only adults in Derry who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?

The boy is part of the group of kids at his school being tormented by the clown. His classmates come from dysfunctional families, with parents who refuse to accept they're being targeted. The reason Will is being haunted is because of the viciousness of the town, paired with his likely receptiveness to shine, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are fundamentally strangers in the town during 1962, which contributes towards the household feeling something is off about the town from the onset. Additionally, they possess a solid base that remains unbroken, in contrast to the folks who originate in the town, with relationships that have deteriorated within.

Historical Context

Drawing from the original book, we understand the young Will will find himself at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will rescue him from a blaze that the local KKK members of Derry will ignite. In the 2017 film, we observe that Will has a boy named Mike and that the father ultimately dies in a configration, with his father surviving his own child and taking his grandson in. The public account in the film is that the parents were on substances, but given our current view of him in the series, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the timid boy, once he grew up, leaned into drink to rid himself of the torments, or perhaps the rotten environment affected him first, with the KKK ultimately completing the task it started years ago. Be it via the fear of the entity or through the malice of the community, instigated by Pennywise, It eventually achieves the final victory on Will.

The Father's Evolution

These occurrences would explain how Leroy changes so radically from what we see in the first film and the prequel. In his later years, he seems bitter and much stricter with his parenting. Because he survived his own son, it's comprehensible to see such a profound shift. However, his words carry more weight since we are aware he's witnessed the clown's activities and the impacts they wrought upon his son. In the initial sequence of the movie, we observe Mike hesitate to use a bolt gun on a animal at Leroy's farm. Leroy chastises him for hesitating and offers an metaphor that leads to a survival-of-the-fittest situation.

“There are two places you can be in this world. You can be in the open like we are, or you can be trapped inside,” Leroy states as he points to the creature. “You dawdle indecisive, and another is going to make that choice. But you won't know it until you experience that bolt between your eyes.”

Looking back, this could represent a bit of prediction, a lesson he wishes he had told his own son. Maybe he desires he had acted differently in his past, but for certain factors, he was unable to avoid the sickening allure of Derry.