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Pennywise's impact on the young residents of the Derry series molds them long into adulthood, twisting them into the exact individuals who keep the town's pattern of hatred alive. It preys most easily on kids from broken homes — children who frequently grow up to repeat the same patterns as their parents. However, the Hanlon household distinguishes itself as one of the few family unit that remains intact, which may explain why Mike Hanlon, even after electing to remain in Derry, remains the only Loser who never fully falls under the clown's influence.

Hanlon Household's Unique Resilience

In the fourth installment of Welcome to Derry, Leroy finally becomes more aware of the paranormal entities surrounding the community, particularly when It begins tormenting his child, Will, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan consists of a small number of adults who are cognizant that something is amiss with the town, especially Leroy, who was revealed to be sensitive to psychic abilities when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's employment of it in episode 3. Later, Leroy spots one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his residence. This gift, alongside his failure to feel fear, along with the foundation of his household, may be why he's able to see the entity's manifestations. However, consider if that shining is hereditary, and a key factor Mike is one of the only individuals in the town who resisted succumbing to the town's malevolence?

The boy is a member of the collective of children at his school being tormented by Pennywise. All his school friends hail from broken homes, with caregivers who refuse to accept they're being targeted. The reason Will is being pursued is due to the cruelty of the community, combined with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are fundamentally outsiders in the town during 1962, which lends itself towards the family sensing anomalies exist about the town from the beginning. Additionally, they possess a good foundation that remains unbroken, in contrast to the folks who originate in the area, with relationships that have decayed internally.

Historical Context

Based on the original book, we understand the young Will Hanlon will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where Hallorann will save him from a blaze that the town bigots of Derry will ignite. In the recent film, we observe that he has a boy named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a configration, with his father surviving his own son and taking his grandson in. The public account in the motion picture is that the parents were on drugs, but now that we see him in Welcome to Derry, that's difficult to accept. Maybe the timid youth, once he became an adult, turned to alcohol to free himself of the torments, or perhaps the corrupt environment got to him initially, with the KKK ultimately completing the task it started years ago. Whether through the fear of the entity or through the malice of the town, seeded by It, It in the end achieves the final victory on Will.

Leroy's Transformation

This chain of events would clarify how Leroy changes so radically from what we witness in the first film and the prequel. In his later years, Leroy seems bitter and much harsher with his discipline. Because he outlived his own offspring, it's comprehensible to observe such a drastic change. Nonetheless, his words hold greater significance since we are aware he's witnessed the clown's activities and the impacts they had on his son. In the opening scene of It, we observe Mike hesitate to use a stunning device on a animal at Leroy's farm. Leroy chastises him for hesitating and offers an analogy that results in a survival-of-the-fittest situation.

“You have two options you can be in this existence. You can be in the open like we are, or you can be in there,” he states as he gestures to the creature. “You dawdle indecisive, and someone is going to make that choice. Except you won't know it until you feel that projectile in your head.”

In hindsight, this could represent a piece of prediction, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own son. Perhaps he desires he had acted differently in his past, but for some reason, he was unable to avoid the sickening attraction of the town.