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Pennywise's impact on the young residents of the Derry series shapes them throughout their adult lives, twisting them into the exact individuals who perpetuate the town's pattern of hatred ongoing. It preys most easily on kids from broken homes — children who frequently mature to replicate the identical behaviors as their parents. But, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as a rare example of a households that never splinters, which may explain why Mike, even after choosing to stay in Derry, remains the sole member who never fully falls under the clown's influence.

The Hanlon Family's Unique Resilience

In the fourth installment of Welcome to Derry, Leroy finally becomes increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces surrounding the neighborhood, especially when It starts haunting his child, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon family comprises some of the few grown-ups who are aware that something is amiss with the municipality, notably Leroy, who was shown to be receptive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's employment of it in episode 3. Subsequently, Leroy sees one of Pennywise's signature balloons outside his house. This gift, alongside his inability to experience terror, along with the foundation of his household, may be why he's able to see Pennywise's hauntings. But what if that shining is hereditary, and a key factor Mike Hanlon is among the few adults in Derry who resisted succumbing to its cruelty?

The boy is part of the collective of children at his educational institution being tormented by Pennywise. His classmates hail from broken homes, with parents who don't believe they're being haunted. The reason he is being haunted is due to the cruelty of the town, paired with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are ultimately strangers in the town during the early sixties, which lends itself towards the family feeling something is off about the town from the onset. They also have a good foundation that remains unbroken, unlike the folks who originate in the area, with bonds that have decayed internally.

Historical Context

Drawing from the It novel, we know the young Will will end up at the infamous nightclub, where Hallorann will rescue him from a fire that the town bigots of Derry will cause. In the 2017 film, we see that Will has a boy named Mike and that Will eventually perishes in a configration, with his father surviving his own child and taking his grandson in. The public account in the motion picture is that the parents were on substances, but now that we see him in the series, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the timid youth, once he became an adult, turned to drink to rid himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the corrupt town got to him initially, with the hate group ultimately completing the job it started long before. Whether through the fear of Pennywise or through the malice of the town, seeded by It, the creature in the end achieves the last laugh on him.

The Father's Evolution

These occurrences would clarify how Leroy changes so radically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his later years, Leroy appears bitter and much harsher with his discipline. Because he outlived his own offspring, it's understandable to observe such a profound shift. Nonetheless, his statements carry more weight now that we know he's seen the clown's activities and the effects they had on his son. In the initial sequence of It, we observe Mike pause to use a bolt gun on a sheep at the family property. His grandfather reprimands him for hesitating and provides an analogy that results in a survival-of-the-fittest scenario.

“There are two places you can be in this world. You can be out here like we are, or you can be trapped inside,” he says as he gestures to the creature. “You waste time indecisive, and someone is going to decide for you. But you won't know it until you feel that projectile in your head.”

In hindsight, this could be a piece of prediction, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own child. Perhaps he desires he had done something in his past, but for certain factors, he was unable to avoid the sickening attraction of Derry.