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The clown's impact on the children of the Derry series shapes them throughout their adult lives, twisting them into the exact individuals who keep the town's pattern of hatred ongoing. It preys most easily on children from broken homes — children who often mature to repeat the identical behaviors as their parents. But, the Hanlon household stands apart as one of the few households that never splinters, which could clarify why Mike Hanlon, even after electing to remain in Derry, persists as the only Loser who never fully falls under the clown's influence.

The Hanlon Family's Distinctive Resistance

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy Hanlon at last grows more aware of the paranormal entities surrounding the community, especially when It starts haunting his child, Will, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon clan consists of some of the few adults who are cognizant that something is amiss with the municipality, notably the father, who was revealed to be receptive to psychic abilities when he was able to detect a fellow psychic's use of it in episode 3. Subsequently, Leroy sees one of the clown's trademark balloons outside his house. This gift, alongside his inability to feel fear, along with the base of his household, may be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. But what if that psychic sensitivity is generational, and one of the reasons Mike Hanlon is among the few adults in the town who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?

The boy is part of the group of children at his educational institution being terrorized by Pennywise. All his school friends hail from dysfunctional families, with parents who don't believe they're being targeted. The reason Will is being pursued is because of the viciousness of the community, paired with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. This family are fundamentally strangers in the town during 1962, which contributes towards the family sensing anomalies exist about the locality from the beginning. Additionally, they possess a good foundation that remains unbroken, in contrast to the residents who originate in the town, with relationships that have deteriorated internally.

Backstory Connections

Drawing from the original book, we know the young Will Hanlon will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where the psychic will save him from a blaze that the town bigots of the community will ignite. In the recent movie, we observe that he 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 official story in the film is that the parents were on drugs, but now that we see him in Welcome to Derry, that's hard to believe. Maybe the timid youth, once he grew up, turned to drink to rid himself of the hauntings, or maybe the corrupt town got to him initially, with the hate group eventually finishing the task it began long before. Be it via the terror of the entity or via the malice of the town, seeded by It, the creature eventually gets the last laugh on Will.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would clarify how Leroy transforms so radically from what we see in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, Leroy seems resentful and much harsher with his parenting. Because he outlived his own son, it's comprehensible to see such a profound shift. However, his statements carry more weight now that we know he's witnessed the clown's activities and the effects they had on his son. In the opening scene of the movie, we observe the boy pause to use a stunning device on a sheep at the family property. His grandfather reprimands him for delaying and offers an analogy that leads to a survival-of-the-fittest situation.

“There are two places you can be in this world. You can be out here like us, or you can be in there,” Leroy states as he points to the sheep. “You waste time indecisive, and another is going to decide for you. Except you will be unaware it until you feel that projectile between your eyes.”

In hindsight, this could represent a piece of foreshadowing, something he wishes he had told his own son. Maybe he wishes he had acted differently in his youth, but for some reason, he was unable to avoid the sickening attraction of Derry.