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The clown's influence on the children of the Derry series molds them throughout their adult lives, transforming them into the exact individuals who perpetuate the community's pattern of animosity alive. The creature preys most easily on children from fractured households — children who often grow up to repeat the same patterns as their parents. However, the Hanlon household distinguishes itself as one of the few family unit that never splinters, which may explain why Mike Hanlon, even after electing to remain 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 at last grows more aware of the paranormal entities surrounding the community, particularly when It begins tormenting his son, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon family consists of a small number of adults who are cognizant that things are not right with the town, notably Leroy, who was shown to be sensitive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's employment of it in episode 3. Later, Leroy sees one of the clown's trademark balloons outside his residence. This gift, alongside his inability to experience terror, along with the base of his family, may be why he's able to see Pennywise's hauntings. However, consider if that shining is hereditary, and a key factor Mike Hanlon is among the few individuals in the town who resisted succumbing to its cruelty?

Will is part of the group of children at his school being terrorized by Pennywise. His classmates hail from dysfunctional families, with parents who refuse to accept they're being haunted. The reason he is being haunted is because of the viciousness of the town, paired with his potential sensitivity to shine, which renders him vulnerable. The Hanlons are ultimately outsiders in the town during the early sixties, which lends itself towards the family sensing something is off about the town from the onset. Additionally, they possess a good foundation that remains unbroken, in contrast to the residents who come from the area, with relationships that have deteriorated within.

Backstory Connections

Drawing from the original book, we know the juvenile Will will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where the psychic will save him from a fire that the town bigots of the community will cause. In the 2017 film, we observe that he has a boy named Mike and that the father ultimately dies in a fire, with his father surviving his own son and adopting his grandchild. The official story in the film is that Mike's parents were on substances, but given our current view of him in the series, that's hard to believe. Maybe the shy boy, once he became an adult, leaned into alcohol to free himself of the hauntings, or maybe the rotten town affected him first, with the KKK eventually finishing the task it began long before. Whether through the fear of Pennywise or through the malice of the community, instigated by It, It eventually achieves the final victory on him.

The Father's Evolution

This chain of events would clarify how Leroy changes so drastically from what we see in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, Leroy seems resentful and much stricter with his parenting. Because he survived his own son, it's understandable to observe such a profound shift. However, his statements carry more weight since we are aware he's witnessed Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they wrought upon his child. In the opening scene of It, we observe the boy pause to use a stunning device on a animal at Leroy's farm. His grandfather reprimands him for hesitating and offers an analogy that leads to a survival-of-the-fittest scenario.

“You have two options you can be in this world. You can be out here like us, or you can be trapped inside,” he states as he gestures to the sheep. “You dawdle indecisive, and another is going to decide for you. But you will be unaware it until you experience that bolt 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 acted differently in his past, but for some reason, he couldn't resist the sickening allure of Derry.