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The clown's impact on the children of Welcome to Derry molds them long into adulthood, twisting them into the very adults who keep the community's pattern of animosity alive. The creature finds easy targets on children from fractured homes — children who often grow up to repeat the same patterns as their parents. But, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as a rare example of a households that never splinters, which may explain why Mike Hanlon, even after electing to remain in the town, remains the sole member who doesn't completely succumb under Pennywise's sway.

Hanlon Household's Unique Resistance

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy Hanlon at last grows increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces enveloping the neighborhood, especially when It starts haunting his child, Will, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon family comprises some of the few grown-ups who are cognizant that things are not right with the town, notably the father, 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, he spots one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his residence. This gift, alongside his inability to experience terror, combined with the foundation of his family, could be why he's able to see the entity's manifestations. But what if that shining is hereditary, and a key factor Mike Hanlon is among the few individuals in the town who resisted succumbing to the town's malevolence?

Will is a member of the group of children at his school being tormented by the clown. All his school friends hail from dysfunctional families, with caregivers who refuse to accept they're being haunted. The reason Will is being haunted is because of the viciousness of the community, paired with his potential sensitivity to shine, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are ultimately outsiders in Derry during the early sixties, which contributes towards the household sensing anomalies exist about the locality from the onset. They also have a good foundation that isn't fractured, unlike the folks who come from the area, with relationships that have decayed within.

Historical Context

Drawing from the original book, we know the juvenile Will will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where Hallorann will save him from a fire that the local KKK members of Derry will cause. In the 2017 movie, we see that Will has a son named Mike and that the father eventually perishes in a fire, with Leroy surviving his own son and taking his grandson in. The public account in the film is that the parents were on substances, but given our current view of Will in the series, that's hard to believe. Maybe the shy boy, once he became an adult, turned to alcohol to free himself of the torments, or maybe the rotten environment got to him first, with the KKK eventually finishing the job it began long before. Be it via the fear of Pennywise or via the malice of the town, instigated by Pennywise, the creature eventually gets the last laugh on him.

The Father's Evolution

These occurrences would explain how the elder Hanlon transforms so drastically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, Leroy appears bitter and much harsher with his parenting. Because he outlived his own offspring, it's understandable to observe such a profound shift. Nonetheless, his words hold greater significance now that we know he's seen Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they wrought upon his child. In the initial sequence of It, we observe the boy hesitate to use a stunning device on a animal at the family property. His grandfather chastises him for delaying and provides an analogy that results in a kill-or-be-killed scenario.

“There are two places you can be in this world. You can be in the open like us, or you can be trapped inside,” Leroy states as he gestures to the sheep. “You waste time hemming and hawing, and another is going to make that choice. Except you won't know it until you feel that bolt between your eyes.”

In hindsight, this could be a bit of prediction, something he regrets not imparting to his own son. Perhaps he desires he had acted differently in his youth, but for certain factors, he was unable to avoid the repellent allure of the town.