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The clown's influence on the children of Welcome to Derry shapes them throughout their adult lives, transforming them into the exact individuals who perpetuate the town's cycle of hatred ongoing. 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 household stands apart as one of the few households that remains intact, which may explain why Mike, 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 Unique Resistance

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy Hanlon at last grows increasingly conscious of the paranormal entities enveloping the community, especially when It starts haunting his child, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family comprises some of the few grown-ups who are cognizant that something is amiss with the municipality, especially Leroy, who was revealed to be receptive to psychic abilities when he was able to detect a fellow psychic's use of it in the third episode. Later, Leroy sees one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his house. This gift, coupled with his inability to experience terror, combined 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 one of the reasons 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 terrorized by Pennywise. All his school friends hail from broken homes, with caregivers who refuse to accept they're being targeted. The cause Will is being haunted is due to the cruelty of the town, paired with his likely receptiveness to shine, which renders him vulnerable. The Hanlons are fundamentally outsiders in Derry during the early sixties, which lends itself towards the family feeling something is off about the locality from the beginning. They also have a good foundation that isn't fractured, in contrast to the folks who come from the town, with bonds that have deteriorated within.

Historical Context

Drawing from the It novel, we understand the young Will Hanlon will end up at the Black Spot, where the psychic will rescue him from a fire that the town bigots of Derry will cause. In the recent movie, we observe that Will has a boy named Mike and that Will eventually perishes in a fire, with Leroy surviving his own child and adopting his grandchild. The official story in the film is that Mike's parents were on substances, but now that we see him in Welcome to Derry, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the shy youth, once he grew up, turned to drink to rid himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the corrupt environment affected him first, with the hate group ultimately finishing the job it began years ago. Be it via the terror of Pennywise or through the cruelty of the town, instigated by Pennywise, the creature in the end gets the last laugh on Will.

The Father's Evolution

This chain of events would clarify how Leroy transforms so radically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his later years, 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 statements hold greater significance since we are aware he's witnessed the clown's activities and the impacts they wrought upon his child. In the opening scene of It, we observe Mike hesitate to use a bolt gun on a sheep at the family property. Leroy chastises him for delaying and offers an analogy that leads to a kill-or-be-killed situation.

“You have two options you can be in this world. You can be out here like we are, or you can be in there,” Leroy says as he gestures to the sheep. “You dawdle indecisive, and someone is going to decide for you. But you will be unaware it until you experience that bolt in your head.”

In hindsight, this could represent a piece of prediction, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own child. Perhaps he desires he had acted differently in his youth, but for some reason, he couldn't resist the sickening allure of the town.