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Pennywise's influence on the children of Welcome to Derry shapes them throughout their adult lives, twisting them into the exact individuals who keep the town's pattern of hatred alive. The creature finds easy targets on children from fractured homes — youngsters who frequently mature to repeat the same patterns as their guardians. However, the Hanlon household stands apart as a rare example of a households that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike Hanlon, even after choosing to stay in the town, persists as the sole member who never fully falls under the clown's influence.

Hanlon Household's Unique Resistance

In the fourth installment of Welcome to Derry, Leroy Hanlon finally becomes more aware of the paranormal entities enveloping the community, especially when the entity starts haunting his child, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family comprises some of the few adults who are cognizant that things are not right with the town, especially the father, who was revealed to be receptive to psychic abilities when he was able to detect Dick Hallorann's use of it in episode 3. Later, Leroy sees one of Pennywise's signature balloons outside his residence. This gift, alongside his inability to feel fear, combined with the foundation of his household, could be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. However, consider if that psychic sensitivity is hereditary, and a key factor Mike is among the few adults in the town who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?

Will is part of the group of children at his school being tormented by the clown. His classmates come from dysfunctional families, with parents who don't believe they're being haunted. The cause Will is being pursued is because of the cruelty of the town, paired with his potential sensitivity to shine, which makes him susceptible. This family are ultimately outsiders in the town during the early sixties, which lends itself towards the household 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 bonds that have decayed within.

Historical Context

Drawing from the original book, we know the juvenile Will Hanlon will end up at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will save him from a fire that the town bigots of Derry will cause. In the 2017 movie, we see that Will has a son named Mike and that the father ultimately dies in a fire, with his father outliving his own son and adopting his grandchild. The public account in the motion picture is that Mike's parents were on drugs, but given our current view of him in Welcome to Derry, that's difficult to accept. Maybe the timid boy, once he became an adult, turned to alcohol to free himself of the hauntings, or maybe the corrupt environment affected him initially, with the KKK eventually completing the task it began years ago. Be it via the terror of the entity or through the malice of the town, seeded by It, the creature in the end gets the last laugh on Will.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would explain how Leroy transforms so radically from what we witness in the first film and the prequel. In his later years, Leroy seems bitter and much stricter with his discipline. Because he survived his own offspring, it's understandable to see such a profound shift. However, his statements hold greater significance since we are aware he's seen Pennywise's hauntings and the impacts they had on his son. In the initial sequence of It, we see the boy hesitate to use a stunning device on a animal at Leroy's farm. Leroy chastises him for hesitating and provides an analogy that results in a kill-or-be-killed situation.

“You have two options you can be in this existence. You can be in the open like we are, or you can be trapped inside,” he says as he points to the sheep. “You dawdle indecisive, and someone is going to decide for you. Except you won't know it until you experience that bolt in your head.”

Looking back, this could be a bit of prediction, something he regrets not imparting to his own child. Perhaps he wishes he had acted differently in his past, but for certain factors, he was unable to avoid the sickening attraction of Derry.