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The clown's influence on the young residents of Welcome to Derry shapes them throughout their adult lives, twisting them into the very adults who perpetuate the town's cycle of animosity ongoing. The creature finds easy targets on children from fractured households — children who frequently mature to repeat the same patterns as their guardians. However, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as one of the few households that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike, even after choosing to stay in the town, persists as the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under Pennywise's sway.

Hanlon Household's Unique Resilience

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy Hanlon finally becomes increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces enveloping the community, particularly when It starts haunting his child, Will, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family comprises some of the few adults who are aware that something is amiss with the town, notably the father, who was revealed to be sensitive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's employment of it in the third episode. Later, Leroy spots one of the clown's trademark balloons outside his residence. The ability, alongside his inability to feel fear, combined with the foundation of his family, could be why he's able to see Pennywise's hauntings. But what if that shining is generational, and a key factor Mike Hanlon is among the few adults in the town who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?

Will is a member of the group of children at his educational institution being terrorized by the clown. His classmates hail from broken homes, with caregivers who don't believe they're being haunted. The cause he is being haunted is because of the viciousness of the town, paired with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. This family are fundamentally outsiders in Derry during 1962, which contributes towards the household sensing anomalies exist about the locality from the onset. They also have a solid base that isn't fractured, unlike the folks who originate in the town, with relationships that have decayed internally.

Backstory Connections

Based on the It novel, we know the young Will will find himself at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will save him from a blaze that the local KKK members of Derry will ignite. In the recent film, we see that Will has a boy named Mike and that the father ultimately dies in a configration, with Leroy surviving his own child and adopting his grandchild. The public account in the motion picture is that Mike's parents were on substances, but now that we see him in the series, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the shy boy, once he grew up, turned to alcohol to free himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the corrupt town affected him initially, with the KKK eventually finishing the job it started long before. Whether through the terror of the entity or via the cruelty of the community, seeded by It, the creature in the end gets the final victory on Will.

The Father's Evolution

This chain of events would explain how Leroy transforms so drastically from what we see in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his later years, Leroy seems resentful and much stricter with his discipline. Since he outlived his own offspring, it's understandable to see such a profound shift. Nonetheless, his statements carry more weight since we are aware he's seen Pennywise's hauntings and the impacts they had on his child. In the opening scene of the movie, we see Mike hesitate to use a bolt gun on a animal at the family property. Leroy reprimands him for hesitating and offers an analogy that results in 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,” Leroy says as he points to the creature. “You waste time hemming and hawing, and another is going to decide for you. Except you won't know it until you feel that bolt in your head.”

Looking back, this could represent a piece of prediction, something he regrets not imparting to his own son. Maybe he desires he had done something in his youth, but for some reason, he couldn't resist the sickening attraction of Derry.